The Big 12 has produced countless chaotic seasons over the years, but this group could be one of the craziest yet. Heading into the year, zero conference teams ranked in the AP Top 10. Now, three teams are there, with Houston close behind.
The league's strength at the top has been a major storyline after BYU stunned Notre Dame to move to No. 2. No. 8 Texas Tech and No. 10 Utah also stand poised to compete for the postseason. Down the list, though, there's been some real spiciness.
Oklahoma State overcame an early loss to Tulsa to stun Oregon and enter the conference title race. Baylor shook off a 5-7 campaign to start 4-2. Arizona continues to take steps forward under third-year coach Brent Brennan.
With that in mind, here's how we grade every Big 12 team at the midway point. There were only four As given out, but plenty of encouraging signs. Record: 5-1, 2-1 | Preseason AP ranking: N/A The Wildcats lost an early matchup on the road against BYU.
After their win over Notre Dame, that's perfectly defensible. Other than that game, the Wildcats have been fantastic, winning every game by double digits and remaining in the Big 12 title race. Quarterback Noah Fifita is putting together his best-ever effort, and the Wildcats have a shot to shock the conference in two weeks when they travel to Lubbock.
Grade: A- Record: 3-3, 1-2 | Preseason AP ranking: N/A The Sun Devils knew there would be some work to do after replacing several key playmakers, but the collapse has been far worse than expected. Arizona State allowed 108 points over its last two Big 12 games and will now make a quarterback change, going from Cutter Boley to veteran Mikey Keene. A win over Kansas will keep the Sun Devils out of the Big 12's cellar, but a bowl game isn't likely.
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