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Big 12 power rankings

This week, we let the coaches do the talking.

By Curtis Kitchen
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

We're far enough into the season that fans as well as coaches probably have a good idea of what their team is for this year ... unless your're Kansas State. That said, we'll let the coaches speak for their teams this week.

1. Baylor Bears (5-0, 2-0) — "A lot of the game is predicated by tempo and we were not able to get into a good rhythm because they kept us out of it." - Art Briles ... And Baylor won by 10 on the road. Noted. This team is my pick until it proves solidly why it shouldn't be.

2. Oklahoma Sooners (5-1, 2-1) —  "In each part of the game I thought they outplayed us." - Bob Stoops ... Wide receiver Trey Metoyer was suspended indefinitely this week after being charged with indecent exposure. His probable soon-to-be-former team should have been charged for the same after that Texas performance.

3. Texas Tech Red Raiders (6-0, 3-0) — "Our O-line did a good job moving bodies. If it's there we'll take it." - Kliff Kingsbury ... Young team with injuries still racks up 251 rushing yards against Iowa St. Those "young" and "that's not what we usually do" types of excuses aren't stopping this coaching staff from finding holes in defenses and exploiting them.

4. Texas Longhorns (4-2, 3-0) — "You shouldn't leave this school without beating Oklahoma. You need to do that." - Mack Brown ... The seniors finally beat Oklahoma. Mack's future is up in the air, but Texas is now one of the hottest teams in the league. Bevo's awake.

5. Oklahoma St. Cowboys (4-1, 1-1) — "Whoever flipped the switch, I wish they'd flip it earlier." - Mike Gundy ... He said this after OSU beat K-State. He may as well have been speaking for the whole season. The usual offensive bright lights have been dim bulbs for a lot of 2013.

6. TCU Horned Frogs (3-3, 1-2) — "All those things throw kids out of balance and now you’ve got to hurry up to get warmed up. They’re used to their routine." - Gary Patterson ... Boring win against a terrible team, and Casey Pachall is again about to suit up for the Frogs. This team and its story lines are Chinese water torture — predictable to the point of madness.

7. West Virginia Mountaineers (3-3, 1-2) — "I'm not doing something right evidently, because there were a lot of times in the first couple of series where I was giving [Clint Trickett] specific orders and they weren't being followed. So I'm not doing something right. I'll keep trying to work on it." - Dana Holgorsen ... This came after the Baylor debacle. Not sure even a bye week was enough to get everything ironed out.

8. Kansas St. Wildcats (2-4, 0-3) — "I don't think we ever had any doubt. In fact, we have understood from the beginning. It is just a matter of getting them to understand the system — trying to get them to do the things we are doing without making mistakes." - Bill Snyder ... Translation: The coaches know what's going on. It doesn't matter if you're a junior college all-american passing phenom or a freak athlete, by God, we're going to shoehorn you into our system; come hell, high water, or a 2-4 start to our season.

9. Iowa St. Cyclones (1-4, 0-2) — "Our kids have been fighting right down to the very end and that's very pleasing to a coach in a time where the record is below .500 and he's getting his kids to play, getting his kids challenged and our kids continue to respond." - Paul Rhoads ... If effort isn't Paul Rhoads' middle name, someone dropped the ball.

10. Kansas Jayhawks (2-4, 0-3) — "(Monday) was probably the most refreshing day I’ve had in quite some time because there was a much greater exchange of offensive ideas than there’s been since I’ve been here." - Charlie Weis ... The coach is going more hands-off with his approach to the offense right up until he doesn't agree with what his assistants devise. Deck chairs = rearranged. If that.