Big 12 rankings: Bottoms up in Missouri and Texas Tech's last call

Seems like we've been waiting for years on the Oklahoma v. Oklahoma State game that still isn't for a few weeks. Ah, no matter, K-State and Texas should be a dandy this week as the two fight for the Cotton Bowl's affection, and we get to see what a Gary Pinkel-less Missouri team looks like as well.

As for this week's rankings...

1. Oklahoma State - School record for conference wins (7), check. Beat all four Texas schools for the second year in a row, check. Take care of Iowa State on the road on Friday then rest up for two weeks before OU, check.

2. Oklahoma - The Sooners are 20-0 against Baylor all time.  Yes, you read that right. And, now that that OU has no room for error if it wants to worm its way back into the BCS spotlight, win No. 21 comes this weekend in Waco.

3. Kansas State - Collin Klein is getting a ton, a ton, of attention these days for all the right reasons. But, he's had some teammates step up with him also as KSU continues to add pages to its amazing chapter. Tramaine Thompson and Chris Harper are dangerous at wideout, and Allen Chapman has become a stout 3rd corner, which is pretty handy against spread offenses. Now, does KSU's Unsolved Mysteries'ish dominance over Texas continue?

4. Texas A&M - Really, A&M did nothing wrong in its loss to K-State last week; well, other than having a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter. The Aggies didn't pass as well as they had hoped they would against KSU's defense, but really, in the end it was just too much Klein in a game that someone had to lose. That said, Mike Sherman wondered on Monday if his team could rebound after an emotional loss. Playing KU is good therapy.

K-State pulled on A&M until the Aggies finally relented
in four overtimes at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.

5. Texas - It seems a bit off that the Big 12's top overall defense belongs to a team ranked fifth, but that's what it is. The Longhorns defense isn't the problem. Moving forward, it is trying to find enough healthy running backs to continue to grind the clock and take pressure off of David Ash and Case McCoy. In that regard, losing Fozzy Whitaker's ability in the backfield and on kick returns is a major blow.

6. Baylor - You're welcome, enjoy your bowl season and your school-record, 21-point, fourth-quarter comeback. Sincerely, KU.  (Our take: sick. Just sick.)

7. Missouri - If the teams below Mizzou weren't soooo terrible, the Tigers would be lower. An up-and-down year took an embarrassing turn on Wednesday when head coach Gary Pinkel was arrested for a DWI. We're not the righteously indignant type, so we'll call it how we see it: yep, Gary, we understand. A season like this one, with the SEC looming, would do it to anyone.

8. Iowa State - Iowa State needs one more win to be bowl eligible, which is pretty unbelievable considering the team has changed quarterbacks and played one of the most difficult schedules in the country, or will. ISU needs one victory...one...and it has to come against either Oklahoma State, Oklahoma or Kansas State in Manhattan. So close, and yet so far...

9. Texas Tech - Last week, we laid out pretty extensively how mind-bending of a Big 12 slate the Red Raiders have played so far. Two wins against KU and Oklahoma, the rest losses including a 66-6 why-even-dress-out performance against OSU. This team has cashed it in, and so will we. See ya next year, Tech.

10. Kansas - Go for the win on the road, tie at home, right? Not this team. Nope, with Baylor's offense fully awake by game's end, Turner Gill threw convention to the wind and went for two after scoring an overtime-tying TD from the 25-yard line. If you need or want a reason to keep watching the Jayhawks, D.J. Beshears needs 197 yards to set the all-time school record for kickoff return yards. The way KU gives up points, he should have plenty of chances to get there over the final two games.