FILE - In this Sept. 4, 2010, file photo, Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin (10) scores a first quarter touchdown against Sam Houston State during an NCAA college football game in Waco, Texas. They have heard the derisive chants of "Worse than Baylor!" Now the Baylor Bears point to the top of the Big 12 South standings, where they sit alone in first place. (AP Photo/Waco Tribune Herald, Jerry Larson, File)

There’s a new Big 12 Conference football team (again) atop the Sorrentino Scale this week.

The Oklahoma Sooners, with more quality victories than any other Big 12 squad, took the top spot in the rankings.

That makes four teams (Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Missouri) who have been No. 1 on the Scale at some point this season.

It tells me a few things.

One, the Big 12 is more open than in previous years.
The Big 12 South, for example, has Baylor in first place. It’s a great story and there’s not a quarterback in the country I’d rather watch than Robert Griffin (below), but let me say that again: Baylor is in first place in the South.

The Bears are 4-1, followed by Oklahoma and Oklahoma State at 3-1. Wide open race.

The Big 12 North is relatively open, with the top three teams all having three victories. Nebraska leads the division at 3-1 with the tiebreaker, and Missouri (3-1) and Iowa State (3-2) aren’t too far behind.

The open conference race also tells me a Big 12 team will not play in this season’s BCS Championship. There’s not a dominant team in the conference. No Big 12 team is ranked in the top 6 of the BCS standings.

With this in mind, here’s the latest edition of the Sorrentino Scale. The number that follows in parentheses is what the team was ranked last week:

1 (2). Oklahoma (7-1): Sooners reclaim top spot with Missouri’s loss at Nebraska. Oklahoma has conference’s best resume to this point, with victories over Florida State, Air Force, Cincinnati, Texas.
2 (3). Nebraska (7-1): Since loss to Texas, Huskers offense has picked it up. Memo to Iowa State, NU’s next foe: Don’t let Roy Helu Jr. rush for 307 yards, as he did against Missouri.
3 (1). Missouri (7-1): Tigers came back down to Earth at Nebraska. Winning North not out of question, but would need some help from Nebraska’s opponents.
4 (4). Oklahoma State (7-1): Showdown vs. Baylor this weekend will decide who has leg up in South. Who would have predicted that? Not me.
5 (5). Baylor (7-2): Bears program has arrived with first victory over Texas in 13 years.
6 (6). Kansas State (5-3): Wildcats’ stock, after losing three of last four, going down.
7 (8) Iowa State (5-4): Cyclones’ stock, after winning two straight in Big 12, going up.
8 (7) Texas (4-4): Longhorns have lost four of five.
9 (10). Texas A&M (5-3): Aggies seemed to have found their QB in junior Ryan Tannehill.
10 (9). Texas Tech (4-4): So about that pass defense (119th out of 120 Div. I teams) … likely won’t climb too much in Scale without improving it.
11 (11). Colorado (3-5): Which streak will end first? CU’s 15-game road losing streak, where Buffs have lost by average of 34.67 points per game this season? …
12 (12). Kansas (2-6): … Or KU’s 11-game conference losing streak?

Also: For my Big 12 picks in week 10, be sure to check out the latest episode of Conference ChatterTV:

That should be all for now, friends. As always, discuss.