Big 12 Power Rankings: Texas Tech makes a statement and OSU fires Mike Gundy
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Oklahoma State fired Mike Gundy after 18 bowls and 11 straight FBS losses
- Texas Tech claimed top Big 12 spot after dominant 34-10 win over Utah
- Big 12 teams outscored North Carolina 82-23 in two nonconference games
A pair of renowned football coaches are at the center of this week’s edition of Big 12 Power Rankings.
One is Mike Gundy. The Oklahoma State Cowboys fired their longtime head coach on Tuesday in a move that was expected to happen at some point in the near future, but not necessarily now.
His fall from grace illustrates the unforgiving nature of college football. Gundy won 170 games at Oklahoma State and led the Cowboys to 18 straight bowls. He was coaching in the Big 12 championship game just two years ago.
But history could not protect him after his team lost 11 straight games to FBS teams.
The other coach is Bill Belichick. Big 12 football teams should be lining up to schedule nonconference games against North Carolina right now. TCU demolished UNC 48-14 in the Tar Heels’ season opener. Then UCF whooped UNC 34-9 over the weekend.
Scoreboard: Big 12 teams 82, North Carolina 23.
Those results, and more, give us plenty to cover around the conference.
Let’s take some time to analyze everything we have seen up to this point — heading into Week 5 — and project what will happen in the future with a new edition of Big 12 Power Rankings.
Everyone is chasing the Red Raiders
1. Texas Tech (4-0, 1-0 Big 12): The Red Raiders are the class of the conference after they pulled off an impressive 34-10 road victory over Utah. Their defense looks as good as their offense. Texas Tech has won all four of its games by at least three touchdowns. Its point differential for the season is up to plus-163.
2. Iowa State (4-0, 1-0): The Cyclones are undefeated, but they haven’t won with style points. Their three victories over FBS teams have come by a combined total of 14 points. Maybe they can start winning by bigger margins after a bye week.
3. Arizona State (3-1, 1-0): Last year, Kenny Dillingham was so displeased with Arizona State’s kicking game that he openly discussed the idea of holding tryouts on campus to find a new kicker. Things are going more smoothly on special teams now. Jesus Gomez made four field goals, including a game-winner, for the Sun Devils against the Baylor Bears.
4. Kansas (3-1, 1-0): The Jayhawks have led in the fourth quarter of all four of their games. And they have crushed opponents by a combined score of 118-24 in their renovated home stadium.
Undefeated teams with upside
5. Houston (3-0, 1-0): Willie Fritz and the Cougars will be well on their way to earning bowl eligibility if they take care of business as road favorites this week against Oregon State.
6. TCU (3-0): The Horned Frogs gave the Big 12 a pair of impressive nonconference wins over North Carolina and SMU. They will be a team to watch as league play gets underway.
7. BYU (3-0): It goes without saying that Cougars quarterback Bear Bachmeier deserves a spot on the conference’s all-name team. But he may end up earning more than that if he continues to lead BYU to victories. He threw for 246 yards and a touchdown during a 34-13 win at East Carolina.
8. Arizona (3-0): The Wildcats have won all three of their games at home this season. It will be interesting to see how they handle a tough road game at Iowa State.
9. UCF (3-0): Scott Frost is off to a perfect start in Orlando, but things are about to get harder for him and the Knights as Big 12 play gets underway for them this week at Kansas State.
Losing faith after a loss
10. Utah (3-1, 0-1): Am I being too hard on the Utes? One could argue that they deserve to be ranked higher, given that their only loss is Texas Tech. But I wasn’t impressed with what I saw from Utah on Saturday. Its opening win over UCLA has also not aged well. There is a chance this team is a fraud.
11. Baylor (2-2, 0-1): The Bears have played a hard schedule and they got a bit unlucky with penalties against Arizona State. But two losses is still two losses. Baylor will need to improve on defense before it climbs up these rankings.
Time to bounce back
12. Cincinnati (2-1): The Bearcats have already played a game in Kansas City this season. Next up is a road trip to Kansas. Too bad K-State and Missouri aren’t also on their schedule. They could have seen the entire region.
13. West Virginia (2-2, 0-1): Its 41-10 loss to Kansas on Saturday was the definition of a “hangover game.” The Mountaineers weren’t prepared for the Jayhawks one week after they won an emotional game against rival Pittsburgh.
14. Kansas State (1-3, 0-1 Big 12): If the Wildcats are going to turn their season around the journey will have to begin against UCF on Saturday with Chris Klieman’s team coming off a bye week. There won’t be many true believers left if they lose.
15. Colorado (1-2, 0-1 Big 12): The Buffaloes are about to experience a gauntlet of Big 12 football games with three straight matchups against ranked teams: BYU, TCU and Iowa State.
Rock bottom
16. Oklahoma State (1-2): We all knew the Cowboys were bad, but it was still stunning to watch them lose at home to Tulsa for the first time since 1951. The Mike Gundy era is over in Stillwater.
This story was originally published September 24, 2025 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Big 12 Power Rankings: Texas Tech makes a statement and OSU fires Mike Gundy."