Baylor drops in Big 12 power rankings after loss to TCU, Texas Tech remains on top

The Big 12 could be anyone's guess halfway through the year. BYU and Cincinnati are leading the conference after wins over Utah and Oklahoma State, respectively, but there are still several teams in contention like Iowa State, Texas Tech, and Arizona State.

After suffering a loss to TCU, Baylor is essentially out of the Big 12 race, barring something crazy happening. However, the Bears are one of those teams you never know about. This weekend, Baylor will travel to Ohio to face the Bearcats, and with Sawyer Robertson at QB, Baylor could win the game.

But with three losses on the year, Baylor continues to fall among voters and advanced analytics. Using ESPN's Football Power Index, we are going to share how a Big 12 Power Rankings would look, and where the Bears fit into the picture. The Red Raiders lead the way per the analytics and Oklahoma State is the bottom dweller.

Big 12 Power Rankings using ESPN's FPI

1. Texas Tech (12th overall)
2. Utah (15th)
3. BYU (19th)
4. TCU (28th)
5. Iowa State (33rd)
6. Cincinnati (34th)
7. Kansas (37th)
8. Kansas State (40th)
9. Arizona State (42nd)
10. Baylor (48th)
11. UCF (49th)
12. Arizona (50th)
13. Colorado (52nd)
14. Houston (59th)
15. West Virginia (86th)
16. Oklahoma State (122nd)

Baylor vs. Cincinnati history for Week 9 showdown

Cincinnati is one of the new teams that came into the Big 12 Conference. UC came over from the AAC back in 2023 and that was the first time Baylor had ever played the Bearcats. In 2023, playing in Ohio, the Bears defeated UC, 32-29.

Baylor found itself up 29-14 in the game, but a late rally from the Bearcats made the game much closer. QB Blake Shapen threw for 316 yards and a TD against UC in the game. Baylor struggled to get anything going on the ground back in 2023 against UC. Dominic Richardson led the Bears with 37 yards on eight carries. It was WR Ketron Jackson who impressed. Catching five passes for 130 yards, Jackson helped the Baylor offense move up and down the field.

Baylor is hoping to see similar results this weekend when it heads back to Cincinnati.