Big 12 Power Ranking: Top 2 to face off on Saturday

An offensive explosion in Morgantown. A defensive struggle in Ames. A primetime showdown that went down to the wire in Stillwater. A closely fought rivalry game played in a downpour. Yes, there was no lack of intrigue in Week 5 in the Big 12.

Coach Dana Holgorsen has West Virginia's offense rolling, but can its defense hold up at Texas on Saturday? (US Presswire)

An offensive explosion in Morgantown. A defensive struggle in Ames. A primetime showdown that went down to the wire in Stillwater. A closely-fought rivalry game played in a downpour. Yes, there was no lack of intrigue in Week 5 in the Big 12.

Here's CBSSports.com's RapidReports Big 12 power ranking:

1. West Virginia (4-0, 1-0 Big 12): Have you caught your breath yet? Saturday's 70-63 win over Baylor was an offensive show for the ages. Still, questions remain for the Mountaineers. Can they be as dominant offensively against better defenses? And can their own defense stop anyone either? We should know a lot more within a week, as WVU has a tough test awaiting in Austin. Last week's power ranking: 1. Next up: at Texas, Saturday, 7:00 p.m. ET (Fox).

2. Texas (4-0, 1-0 Big 12): The Longhorns showed they will be tough to handle this season in Saturday night's primetime win at Oklahoma State. Yes, the three-headed monster at running back -- Joe Bergeron, Malcolm Brown and Johnathan Gray -- is still the focal point of the offense, but QB David Ash showed he can make defenses pay for loading the box. But the defense gave up 576 yards -- a scary proposition with the Mountaineers coming to town. Last week's power ranking: 2. Next up: vs. West Virginia, Saturday, 7 p.m. ET (Fox).

3. Kansas State (3-0, 1-0 Big 12): Life is good in Manhattan right now, as Kansas State had an off week to savor its win at Oklahoma. This week, the Wildcats have the chance to play host to a struggling in-state rival while their two chief rivals for early Big 12 favorite status (West Virginia and Texas) slug it out against each other. Last week's power ranking: 2. Next up: vs. Kansas, Saturday, 12 p.m. ET (FX).

4. Oklahoma (2-1, 0-1 Big 12): It seems almost cruel that the Sooners had to sit and stew about their home loss to K-State for the last week, as the schedule dictated OU had another Saturday off in the early season. Still, that gave Oklahoma a bit of extra prep time for this week's game against a Texas Tech team that has perhaps the toughest defense in the Big 12. Last week's power ranking: 4. Next up: at Texas Tech, Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (ABC/ESPN2).

5 (tie). Baylor (3-1, 0-1 Big 12): To channel longtime NFL head coach Dennis Green's (in)famous postgame rant, "The Bears are who we thought they were." In this case, that is to say Baylor has an excellent offense yet again -- and a defense that is a major weakness. The only reason more people aren't talking about Nick Florence's 581 passing yards and Terrance Williams' 314 receiving yards is the fact West Virginia won the game. Last week's power ranking: 6. Next up: vs. TCU, Oct. 13, kickoff time and television coverage TBA.

5 (tie). Oklahoma State (2-2, 0-1 Big 12): The Cowboys acquitted themselves reasonably well despite Saturday's 41-36 home loss to Texas. The offense still moved along nicely despite the absence of injured QB Wes Lunt, and the defense held the Longhorns' talented rushers to only 136 yards on the ground. Oklahoma State was just one late stop away from a win over a top-15 team. It's tough to imagine many better 2-2 teams in college football than this one. Last week's power ranking: 5. Next up: at Kansas, Oct. 13, kickoff time and television coverage TBA.

7. TCU (4-0, 1-0 Big 12): The Horned Frogs just can't win easily, struggling in a heavy rain to knock off SMU 24-16 on Saturday night. Honestly, TCU was a bit fortunate, as this easily could have been an upset if not for the six turnovers committed by the Mustangs. TCU has scored 20, 27 and 24 points in its three games against FBS opponents this year. That won't cut it against the Big 12's more explosive offenses. Last week's power ranking: 7. Next up: vs. Iowa State, Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (Fox Sports Network).

8. Texas Tech (4-0, 1-0 Big 12): The Red Raiders answered several questions about their quick start to the season with Saturday's 24-13 win over Iowa State. Yes, the defense may be as good as advertised -- Texas Tech held ISU to only 189 total yards and forced four turnovers. But the offense wasn't quite as effective, as QB Seth Doege threw two interceptions, and Texas Tech didn't put the game out of reach until Ryan Bustin made a 39-yard field goal in the final minutes. Last week's power ranking: 9. Next up: vs. Oklahoma, Saturday, 3:30 p.m. (ABC/ESPN2).

9. Iowa State (3-1, 0-1 Big 12): The Cyclones just couldn't get their offense rolling in Saturday's loss to Texas Tech. QB Steele Jantz threw for only 73 yards and three interceptions. ISU perhaps should have utilized James White and Shontrelle Johnson a bit more, as they combined to average 5.6 yards per carry, but each only got five attempts. The defense played well enough to win, returning a Doege interception for a touchdown. Last week's power ranking: 8. Next up: at TCU, Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (Fox Sports Network).

10. Kansas (1-3, 0-1 Big 12): The good news for the Jayhawks was that they had Saturday off, a full week to focus on what's to come. The bad news is Kansas has to travel to face a top-10 Kansas State team this week. Last week's power ranking: 10. Next up: at Kansas State, Saturday, 12 p.m. ET (FX).

For more up-to-the-minute news and analysis from Big 12 bloggers C.J. Moore and Patrick Southern, follow @CBSSportsBig12 on Twitter. You can also follow C.J. (@cjmoore4) and Patrick (@patricksouthern).