Big 12 power rankings after week 5: Texas Tech climbs after beating Cincy

Week five is in the books and it was another interesting week in the Big 12. Let's look at the updated conference power rankings as the season nears the mid-way point.

Week 5: Last Game: L 20-0 vs Iowa State

The Cougars have played two conference games this year and have failed to score a point in either. They look like one of the worst Power Conference teams in the country in the first year of head coach Willie Fritz's tenure. If they can't win at Kansas in two weeks or at home versus Baylor in the second-to-last game of the season, they may go winless in Big 12 play.

Week 5: Last Game: L 38-27 vs TCU

Kansas' losing streak has run to four games after the Jayhawks failed to win a "home" game in Kansas City over TCU. Is the fact that they have no games in Lawrence this year proving to be their undoing or has head coach Lance Leipold lost his golden touch?

Week 5: Off

After a week off, West Virginia turns its attention to a reeling Oklahoma State team in week six. If the Mountaineers can't pull that one out in Stillwater, they might be in for a losing streak with Iowa State, Kansas State, and Arizona up next (though the first two of those games are at home).

Week 5: L 42-20 vs Kansas State

Dismantled at Kansas State, Oklahoma State no longer looks like it has what it takes to compete for a Big 12 title. QB Alan Bowman was awful in Manhattan completing just 26 of 50 passes for one TD and two picks. Plus, star RB Ollie Gorgon continues to struggle as he had only 76 yards on 15 carries. Until those two get back on track, the Cowboys are going to be in big trouble.

Week 5: L 34-28 vs BYU

Baylor head coach Dave Aranda is on the hot seat. His team lost at home to BYU by falling behind big in the first half. But the real concern was the tens of thousands of empty seats at McLane Stadium. It appears that apathy has set in down in Waco and that's never a good sign for a head coach.

Week 5: W 38-27 vs. Kansas

After being embarrassed by rival SMU in week four, the Horned Frogs rebounded by taking advantage of a struggling Kansas team. Now, with Houston set to come to Fort Worth, the Frogs could gain some momentum. But after that, games against Utah and Texas Tech will be tough tests.

Week 5: Off

Arizona State had a week off to rebound from their loss to Texas Tech, their first loss of the season. Now they host the reeling Jayhawks in week six in a game that the Sun Devils have to win if they want to remain relevant in the Big 12 and show that their rebuild is still on track.

Week 5: L 48-21 vs Colorado

The most disappointing performance of the week in the Big 12 was UCF at home against Colorado. Completely dominated on both sides of the ball, the Knights, who were sizable favorites, completely spit the bit on national television. Now they get a chance to take down big brother Florida in Gainesville, which would be a huge boost for the psyche of their fan base.

Week 5: L 44-41 vs Texas Tech

The Bearcats were undone by turnovers and their kicking game in their loss to Texas Tech. Still, they showed that their offense is one of the better units in the conference, even without star running back Corey Kiner. Their next two games, at UCF and at home against Arizona State could tell us what direction their season will head.

Week 5: W 23-10 vs Utah

The Wildcats showed that they are still a conference contender by winning at Utah in week five. However, the Utes were without starting QB Cam Rising which rendered their offense impotent. This week, Arizona hosts a Texas Tech team that is 2-0 in Big 12 play but which has arguably the worst statistical defense in the conference. Can the Wildcats exploit that weakness and keep their winning ways going?

Week 5: W 44-41 over Cincinnati

The Red Raiders overcame a slew of injuries in their secondary to squeak out a last-second win over Cincinnati. Tech is now 2-0 in the Big 12 for the first time under head coach Joey McGuire but those two wins have come against teams picked at the bottom of the preseason Big 12 poll. A win this week in Arizona would be the biggest feather in Tech's hat thus far in 2024.

Week 5: L 23-10 vs. Arizona

Utah needs starting QB Cam Rising back. That's all there is to it. They are averaging only 22.5 points per game in two Big 12 games without him. This week, they have a sneaky-tough road trip to Arizona State where their defense can likely carry the day again, though.

Week 5: W48-21 vs UCF

Colorado is soaring thanks to their miraculous win over Baylor and their dismantling of UCF. In this past weekend's win over the Knights, the Buffs dominated the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, which surprised many. If they are going to commit to running the ball, it could make an already dangerous offense truly lethal.

Week 5: W 42-20 vs Oklahoma State

Kansas State rebounded from their ugly loss at BYU to humble Oklahoma State in Manhattan. After looking horrible in Provo, QB Avery Johnson was fantastic against the Cowboys throwing for 259 yards and 3 TDs while running for 60 more yards and two other scores. If he plays like that, the Wildcats could easily win the Big 12. But he has to put those types of performances together consistently.

Week 5: W 34-28 vs Baylor

Many people have BYU atop their Big 12 power rankings. However, this week's win at Baylor was a bit close for comfort as the Bears nearly came back to win after being down big in the first quarter. BYU is going to have to prove that it can beat good teams, not just Baylor, away from home if it is going to win the Big 12.

Week 5: W 20-0 vs. Houston

Despite having played only one conference game, Iowa State looks like the most complete team in the Big 12 thus far. Their win at Iowa is one of the best wins any Big 12 team has secured this year. What's more, they don't play a team that is currently ranked until the final two games of the season so they might stay atop our power rankings for some time.