Big 12 Power Rankings after Week 8: Deion Sanders' Colorado one game away from Bowl eligibility 

The upside-down season in the Big 12 continues. Utah and Oklahoma State are down, BYU and Iowa State are up. The league has just three teams with a CFP chance of 7% or better, per ESPN's latest FPI ratings.

Here's how the surprising Big 12 season currently stands.

Big 12 Power Rankings After Week 8

Iowa State and Rocco Becht remain on top of our Big 12 Power Rankings. (Photo Credit: IMAGN)

16. Houston (2-5)

In a matchup of what we had as the two lowest-rated teams in the Big 12, Houston lost by 28 points. The Cougars are in the cellar and look fairly likely to stay there.

15. Arizona (3-4)

The Wildcats are one of the most disappointing teams in the league. A loss to Colorado wasn't shocking, but just 7 points from a team with Tetairoa McMillan and Noah Fifita is bad. The Wildcats are in s freefall.

14. Kansas (2-5)

The Jayhawks have had a miserable season, but for at least one game, Jalon Daniels was sharp and Kansas looked like all hope wasn't lost for 2024. It's a long climb to respectability, but Kansas has made a good start.

13. Baylor (3-4)

The Bears picked up a solid victory, scoring 59 points. ESPN still gives the Bears a 57% shot at six wins and bowl eligibility. Baylor might have awakened late, but at least they're rolling again.

12. West Virginia (3-4)

The Mountaineers had a brutal week, getting rolled by 27 points by a very good Kansas State team. ESPN has it as a coin flip (48% chance) whether the Mountaineers can win six games. Coach Neal Brown might be job searching if not.

11. Oklahoma State (3-4)

The Cowboys have been one of the league's biggest surprises, albeit not in a good way. They looked to have BYU collared, but failed to play pass defense on the game's final series and turned a potentially season-changing win into a loss. Accordingly, OK State also has a not quite-half chance at six wins.

10. UCF (3-4)

The Golden Knights had a heartbreaking loss to No. 9 Iowa State. Their long-term picture is a little more solid than Oklahoma State or West Virginia, and they're likely to hang around the middle of the Big 12 for the duration.

9. Utah (4-3)

What was predicted as a possible title season has been miserable for the Cam Rising-less Utes. Utah was held to just 7 points in their loss to TCU, which was shocking. The Utes are stumbling toward making bowl eligibility questionable at this point.

8. TCU (4-3)

TCU did some great work defensively holding Utah to just seven points. That upset victory all but guarantees the Horned Frogs a bowl spot this season.

7. Texas Tech (5-2)

The Red Raiders were one of the league's most pleasant surprises. That was certainly impaired by surrendering 59 points at home to Baylor. The Tech defense probably played the team out of any shot at the Big 12 (and thus, the CFP).

6. Arizona State (5-2)

The Sun Devils likewise probably got knocked out of serious Big 12 contention with a loss to Cincinnati. The loss of Sam Leavitt at quarterback ended up being very significant for ASU.

5. Cincinnati (5-2)

Continuing one of the league's surprising runs, the Bearcats took care of business with a 24-14 home win over Arizona State. A punishing group game and impressive defense landed the Bearcats on the verge of bowl eligbility.

4. Colorado (5-2)

For all those who wondered about the Buffs, Deion and his team are delivering solid victories. The one thng they haven't done is become a significant CFP contender, as ESPN still gives them just a 6.9% shot at a Playoff bid. After a game with Cincinnati, CU has an easy slate the rest of the season.

3. Kansas State (6-1)

No changes at the top of the league in our power rankings. K-State blasted West Virginia and is probably the most impressive team in the Big 12. Their regular season finale at Iowa State might end up deciding the Big 12 title (and having CFP implications).

2. BYU (7-0)

Maybe it's just BYU's season. It's hard to explain the late-game heroics against Oklahoma State in any other way. ESPN gives the Cougars just a 3.6% chance to win out, but a 41.5% chance at making the Playoff. BYU could end up being the story of the season, and they have a leigitmate shot at 12-0.

1. Iowa State (7-0)

It wasn't the sharpest week of the season for the Cyclones, but they remained unbeaten an on top of our power rankings. After a week off, it could be an impactful November for the Cyclones, down to a home game to close against Kansas State.

What do you think of the Big 12 playoff situation? Share your thoughts below in our comments section!