PAGE 6
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2012
FOOTBALL
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
BIG 12 POWER RANKINGS
FARZIN VOUSOUGHIAN
fvousoughian@kansan.com
1. Kansas State (9-0)
Kansas State remains No. 1 in the Big 12 rankings and holds the No. I ranking in the BCS. The Wildcats must finish the season strong against Baylor and Texas to win the Big 12 and earn a spot in the BCS Championship game.
2. Oklahoma (7-2)
Baylor gave Oklahoma a run for its money on Saturday, but the Sooners pulled through with a win. Coach Bob Stoops is happy with the win and wants his team to end the season on a high note in hopes of playing in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.
3. Texas (8-2)
Quarterback David Ash put up big numbers against Iowa State's defense this past Saturday and gained a lot of confidence from this game. The Longhorns best bet is making it to the AT&T Cotton Bowl after the regular season.
4. Oklahoma State (6-3)
Even backup quarterback Clint Chelf started, Oklahoma State had no problem outscoring West Virginia. The Cowboys high-scoring offense has elevated the team this season.
5. Texas Tech (7-3)
After a nervewracking double overtime win against Kansas, Texas Tech is still in the top tier of the Big 12. Coach Tommy Tuberville is thrilled with the success this season, considering the low expectations the media had for the Red Raiders.
6. Texas Christian (6-4)
Texas Christian had a rough week against Kansas State. The conclusion of the season will still challenge the Horned Frogs, giving coach Gary Patterson his first full season of experiencing the Big 12.
7. West Virginia (5-4)
There is not much to say about West Virginia. Coming off a season where the Mountaineers were victorious in the Orange Bowl, Geno Smith and company have moved in the wrong direction.
8. Iowa State (5-5)
9. Baylor (4-5)
Iowa State's grueling season can flip in the final two games. The Cyclones are playing Kansas and West Virginia, both who have struggled within the conference. If Iowa State capitalizes against one or both of those teams, it will give them a boost before the season ends.
Baylor was in position to pull off its second conference win of the season on the road at Oklahoma, but fell short. Baylor is not favored to win any of its final three contests, but coach Art Briles wants to go into the offseason with at least one win against one of the three ranked teams ahead.
10. Kansas (1-9)
Coach Charlie Weis likes the effort he saw from his players on Saturday. If Kansas can end the home schedule with a win on senior night, it will mean a lot to Weis and all the players after a long season.
— Edited by Andrew Ruszczyk
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THE
BIG12
National title game not certain for K-State
ASSOCIATED PRESS
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The Big 12's attention is on Kansas State's national championship dreams, yet there is plenty left to be decided in the conference over the final weeks.
Six teams are bowl eligible, with Iowa State, West Virginia and Baylor still battling for chances to fill out the league's bowl slots.
Kansas State (10-0, 7-0 Big 12) can clinch at least a share of its first conference championship since 2003 with a win Saturday night at Baylor. The Wildcats moved into the top spot in the Bowl Championship Series rankings after Alabama lost to Texas A&M.
"We're just honored to be there," Kansas State coach Bill Snyder said Monday. "I'm just going to encourage our guys to not change the way we approach things and try to stay grounded."
With conferences limited to two teams in BCS bowls, four schools from the Southeastern Conference currently ranked in the top 10 will be left out, opening chances for teams like No. 13 Oklahoma and No. 18 Texas. If Kansas State gets the league's automatic berth, the Sooners and Longhorns would be eliminated from consideration for at-large berths with another loss.
"There's a lot of scenarios by the end of the year for everybody. Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said, "Everybody wants to define it already. Let's face it, everybody had Alabama already going undefeated and that didn't happen. So there's a lot that's going to happen in the next 2-3 weeks. There's a lot of scenarios."