Final Big 12 Power Rankings: TCU Horned Frogs all alone at the top

The Big 12’s overall performance in the 2014-15 bowl season wasn’t anything to brag about, but it put one team solely out in front.

It was one heck of a season for a few schools, and a disappointment for a few others.

The landscape of the conference looks a lot different than it did a few years ago, especially at the top.

We’ve got your final power rankings for the Big 12, and trust me when I say this wasn’t easy to sort out.

10. Iowa State Cyclones (2-10)

There’s really no question here. Iowa State was the worst team in the Big 12 this season. They somehow managed to beat a 7-6 Iowa Hawkeyes team in non-conference play, came within three points of beating Texas, but regardless, Iowa State football was just plain awful in 2014.

9. Kansas Jayhawks (3-9)

Hey Jayhawks, you don’t completely suck! Yes, KU managed to blow the doors off of Iowa State and they kinda-sorta kept up with the league’s co-champion TCU Horned Frogs. Kansas football still was very disappointing, but at least they weren’t last?

8. Texas Tech Red Raiders (4-8)

Has everyone gotten past Kingsbury’s looks and realized how bad of a mess the Red Raiders are? Texas Tech’s run defense in 2014 made all of their opponents’ running backs look like Adrian Peterson going up against a high school team. Well, I mean it wasn’t that bad, but you get my point. The Red Raiders were plagued with a bad defense, and no consistency on offense. They were lucky Iowa State and Kansas are still around to pick up two conference wins.

7. Texas Longhorns (6-7)

Texas’ offense is kinda like that glitch you get on NCAA Football 14 when the screen freezes and then you ended up getting sacked, because of the lag. UT’s defense wasn’t great, but it kept scores a tad respectable. Charlie Strong’s first year didn’t go as planned, but you have to be crazy if you didn’t think rebuilding that dumpster fire wouldn’t take time.

6. Oklahoma Sooners (8-5)

I’m not sure what happened to the preseason National Champion Oklahoma Sooners, but losing 40-6 to an ACC school in a mediocre bowl game is definitely not how you “Play Like a Champion.” Bob Stoops thankfully made some fires, but the 2014 OU offense was as predictable as could be with Samaje Perine being the only bright spot. The Sooners need some major help to climb back up the standings.

5. West Virginia Mountaineers (7-6)

Okay, West Virginia wasn’t great and they were about on par with Oklahoma, but the reason they get put at No. 5 is because I think if you put the Mountaineers and Sooners on the same field TODAY, WVU would win. West Virginia held their own against Texas A&M, but the couch-burners couldn’t pull off the win in the Autozone Liberty Bowl in the post Trickett era.

4. Oklahoma State Cowboys (7-6)

Even without Tyreek Hill, Oklahoma State played Washington in the Cactus Bowl, and they walked out victors. It’s weird how the tides have turned for the Pokes, but Mason Rudolph looks like a winner, and the Cowboys can only get better next season with their young guys getting a lot of experience this season.

3. Kansas State Wildcats (9-4)

Oooooh the Wildcats had a shot at an awesome comeback, but they failed to win their bowl game like most of the Big 12. Regardless, the ‘Cats were an intriguing team. They sizzled near the end of the season, but give the Wildcats credit, they were a well-oiled machine with some widely underrated talent. However, they weren’t quite at the level of the top teams in the league.

2. Baylor Bears (11-2)

The Baylor Bears, ladies and gentlemen. They were so close to winning a major bowl game, but the boys in green couldn’t pull through. It was a good season for Bryce Petty and the gang, but Art Briles’ track record in big bowl games is slowly becoming reminiscent of that one guy in Norman. Regardless, Baylor had a fun season, but I think it’s clear who the “ONE TRUE CHAMPION” actually was.

1. TCU Horned Frogs (12-1)

YES, CONGRATS, TCU. YOU DID IT. YOU BEAT THE SNOT OUT OF AN OVERRATED OLE MISS TEAM AND EXPOSED THE SEC IN A BLOWOUT WIN. Bravo to the Horned Frogs for coming prepared this bowl season. They still, in my eyes, look like the most balanced squad in the country, but we’ll never know how they would’ve done against Alabama. Just relish in the glory of morally winning the Big 12 outright with a huge bowl win and literally all of your starters are coming back on offense, TCU.

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