Conference play has officially begun, and if there's one lesson we learned this weekend it's that the Big 12 is wide open. A lot has changed from our last power rankings, so let's dive in headfirst to dissect the hierarchy of the conference.
#1: West Virginia Mountaineers 16-1 (1-0)
Easily the most dominant team in the Big 12 thus far, the Mountaineers have gotten off to an incredible start. They started off 13-0 before dropping a game to Kennesaw State, but they still won the series.
They had their first two conference games - a Saturday double header against Oklahoma State - canceled due to fires spreading in and around Stillwater, which limited them to just one game against the reigning Big 12 champions. They won that game, extending their hot streak and propping up West Virginia as the early team to beat.
#2: Kansas Jayhawks 17-3 (2-1)
Our last batch of power rankings saw Kansas in this same exact spot, highlighting their strong pitching staff and relatively weak non-conference schedule. Nonetheless, the Jawhawks finished that slate with a 15-2 record before kicking off conference play against the really talented Baylor Bears.
In that series, Kansas looked like the better team the whole way. They blew out Baylor in the first game 9-1 before notching another dominant win, finishing 14-7 to take the series. They dropped the third game 9-7, missing the chance for a sweep, but Kansas still proved that their strong non-conference run wasn't just a product of the schedule.
#3: Arizona Wildcats 15-4 (3-0)
The Wildcats came into the season with high expectations, and initially it looked as if they wouldn't be able to live up to them. Arizona started out 0-3, with two losses decided by double digits. However, they went on to win 15 of their next 16 games, with the only loss coming against the reigning national champion Tennessee.
Arizona boasts one of the most well-rounded teams in the nation, ranking 47th in batting average and 32nd in ERA. They have a deep, reliable stable of relief pitchers to support their strong assortment of batters. The Wildcats just missed out on the most recent Top 25 list, but if they keep this up it shouldn't be long before they receive national recognition.
#4: Arizona State Sun Devils 14-6 (2-1)
Arizona State has been feeling themselves lately. Coming into the year, they knew their offense would be stellar. That's proven true, as the Sun Devils are in the top 50 nationally in just about every offensive category. But their pitching has seen major improvements: 78th in team ERA, 44th in batting average allowed, and 13th in strikeouts thrown.
It all culminated with a strong series win over TCU, who topped this list last time around. Arizona State narrowly dropped the first game but dominated the Horned Frogs in Game 2, to the tune of a 26-9 final score, and then got up big in Game 3 to secure the series win. If they can carry that momentum forward, Arizona State may be able to run away with the Big 12.
#5: UCF Golden Knights 15-4 (2-1)
Few teams are as hot right now as the Golden Knights. They dropped Game 2 of their conference opening series against BYU, losing by one run in extra innings, but that loss came in between nine straight wins that was highlighted with a 13-3 win over No. 7 Florida.
UCF has done it with elite offense, as they rank sixth in the entire country in OPS. They've scored double digit runs in nine of their games thanks to their penchant for getting on base: UCF is third in OBP, only slightly behind No. 2 Tennessee. It will be interesting to see if the Golden Knights can keep it up against the cream of the Big 12 crop.
#6: TCU Horned Frogs 14-6 (1-2)
TCU spent the majority of the non-conference schedule looking like the best team in the Big 12. Two years ago, the Horned Frogs were in the College World Series, and this team looked just as good. Losses to Arkansas and Kansas State stood out as outliers, or so we thought.
The series loss this weekend to Arizona State, though, exposed the Horned Frogs' weakness: their bullpen. TCU's arms aren't as deep as initially believed, which was made apparent with how many they cycled through on Saturday and Sunday. Time after time, they struggled to find anyone reliable. Four of their six losses have seen the opponent reach double digits, a concerning trend as they begin conference play.
#7: Baylor Bears 14-5 (1-2)
Much like TCU, Baylor had a rude awakening this weekend. After jumping out to a 13-2 start, with close losses to Gonzaga and No. 25 Auburn, the Bears were the only Big 12 team to rank inside the top 20 in both team batting average and team ERA.
Then they ran up against the Jawhawks. Kansas blew them out in the first two games of this weekend's series, with a Game 3 win avoiding the sweep. Still, though, Baylor had no answer for the Jawhawks and looked hapless. If they can't pick up the pieces in time for next weekend's series against Kansas State, things could get ugly.
#8: Kansas State Wildcats 12-7 (3-0)
It seems as if Kansas State is set to be one of those teams you can never count out. They lost four of their first five games this year, but notched upset wins over ranked opponents like Arkansas and TCU, while also taking No. 1 LSU to extra innings.
There's nothing particularly elite about the Wildcats, but they find ways to win. Starting off their conference slate against the Utes, they swept the series in an increasingly dominant fashion. Kansas State took Game 1 by one run, then took the series win with a 13-2 victory. They completed the sweep with a 14-2 run-rule win in seven. Are the Wildcats about to run the table in the Big 12? Unlikely, but they'll surely make every series interesting.
#9: BYU Cougars 11-7 (1-2)
For a team that was picked to finish dead last in the Big 12, BYU isn't going down without a fight. They had a bumpy start to their season, but the Cougars got back on track just before starting Big 12 play against the juggernaut that is UCF. Even then, they played admirably, winning Game 2 in 10 innings and losing the other two by one run each.
BYU doesn't have elite talent - they're outside of the top 100 in both batting average and ERA - but the Cougars are scrappy. They rarely get blown out, and they have enough talent to score some wins over the lower tier of the Big 12 moving forward.
#10: Oklahoma State Cowboys 9-8 (0-1)
Picked to win the Big 12 at the start of the season, Oklahoma State has had a very rough go of it so far. A brutal non-conference schedule included losses to heavyweights like Clemson, Texas, and Tennessee, but the Cowboys also dropped games to Winthrop, Illinois State, and Dallas Baptist.
Oklahoma State got another bad break when their first two conference games were canceled due to wildfires in the area this weekend, limiting them to just Sunday's game, a loss to West Virginia. They get a nice stretch from here, with series against North Dakota State and Utah, but the Cowboys are in serious danger of slipping further down the standings.
#11: Texas Tech Red Raiders 6-11 (3-0)
Texas Tech was making a strong case early on to be the unanimous worst team in the Big 12. They started out 1-5 and didn't get much better. Even after a dominant win over UC San Diego, they finished off their relatively light non-conference schedule by being swept by Grand Canyon.
Then conference play began, and the Red Raiders drew lowly Houston, who they promptly swept. Texas Tech hit double digit runs in the last two games, dominating Houston to look like the team that was picked to finish fifth this year. Their next series, though, is against TCU; we'll quickly get to see how much of this 3-0 start to Big 12 play was about the Red Raiders course correcting or Houston just being that bad.
#12: Houston Cougars 11-7 (0-3)
Hey, speaking of Houston, we've got a problem! In our last round of power rankings, we highlighted the Cougars' inconsistent play to start the year, and that hasn't really changed. Houston has looked like a completely different team from game to game, and sometimes inning to inning, en route to a disappointing start.
The start of conference play proved to be far too much for them to handle. Texas Tech is hardly loaded with talent, and they obliterated the Cougars in every sense. Things won't get better from here, as Houston's next four conference series are against UCF, TCU, Baylor, and Kansas.
#13: Utah Utes 11-8 (0-3)
Utah got off to a really strong start, going 10-2 during an extended road trip in California. However, the road trip ended on a dour note, with a series loss against San Jose State and a solo loss to California.
That misstep fed directly into their Big 12 opener, a demoralizing sweep at the hands of Kansas State. It seemed likely that the Utes' hot start was too good to be true, but I don't think anybody expected them to collapse this fast.
#14: Cincinnati Bearcats 11-9 (0-3)
The Bearcats looked promising after their first few games of the season, starting off 4-2 with both losses coming by one run. They've since cratered, dropping four of their next five games from there. They had a nice sweep over Canisius to put some lipstick on their pig of a record, but Big 12 play was a rude awakening.
Arizona dominated every inning of this weekend's series, sweeping the Bearcats by a combined score of 33-6. They'll face BYU next, which will be no picnic, and UCF is looming two weekends from now.