Big 12 Power Rankings: Making sense of BYU, Texas Tech and wide-open league race

Let the debate begin.

Who is the best football team in the Big 12? A case could be made for Arizona State, BYU, Cincinnati and Texas Tech after a wild weekend of upsets.

The Red Raiders lost their stranglehold on the conference when they lost a nail-biter against the Sun Devils. But they might still have the best roster in the league. BYU is the lone undefeated team left standing. Cincinnati has won six in a row. And Arizona State continues to own the rest of the Big 12 when Sam Leavitt is starting at quarterback.

One thing is for sure: It’s going to be a wide open race for the Big 12 championship.

That gives us a lot to cover this week.

Let’s take some time to analyze everything we have seen up to this point — heading into Week 9 — and project what will happen in the future with a new edition of Big 12 Power Rankings.

Tortillas down, guns up

1. Texas Tech (6-1, 3-1 Big 12): The days of throwing tortillas may have come to an end in Lubbock, but Texas Tech’s time atop these rankings lives on for another week. Why? Because, unlike the AP Top 25 voters, I don’t view a last-second loss at Arizona State as a sign of trouble for the Red Raiders, especially when you consider that starting QB Behren Morton didn’t play. Texas Tech needs to find more consistency on offense. But this team still profiles as a playoff contender.

2. BYU (7-0, 4-0): Doubt the Cougars at your own risk. They are off to a 7-0 start for the second straight year under head coach Kalani Sitake. BYU has the best record in the Big 12. It is also the highest ranked team in the Big 12 at No. 11 in the latest poll. So why are the Cougars No. 2 here? Schedule strength is a factor. Only beating Utah by three at home when Texas Tech whooped the Utes by 24 on the road is another. Fortunately, these teams can settle things on the field when they play on Nov. 8.

3. Arizona State (5-2, 3-1): The Sun Devils have won 11 straight games in the Big 12 with Leavitt as the starting quarterback. When he’s healthy, Arizona State is clearly one of the best teams in the conference.

4. Cincinnati (6-1, 4-0): The Bearcats didn’t exactly cruise to an easy victory at Oklahoma State like the 49-17 final score might suggest. Cincinnati needed three touchdowns in the fourth quarter to pull away.

Willie Fritz for Big 12 Coach of the Year

5. Houston (6-1, 3-1): Willie Fritz has the Cougars bowl eligible in his second year on the job. He remains one of the most underrated coaches in the country.

6. TCU (5-2, 2-2): The Horned Frogs blew a 17-0 lead at Arizona State and gift-wrapped two defensive touchdowns for K-State in a 41-28 loss to the Wildcats. If TCU could have a mulligan for either one of those games they would be in great shape.

7. Utah (5-2, 2-2): Life in the Big 12 has not been kind to the Utes. They are 4-9 in conference play over the past two seasons, including a pair of painful losses to rival BYU.

8. Iowa State (5-2, 2-2): Can the Cyclones make a few changes and get their season back on track after a bye week?

9. Baylor (4-3, 2-2): If only the Bears had a defense. Baylor is averaging 36.3 points per game this season, but they only have four wins to show for it.

All eyes on the Sunflower Showdown

10. Kansas (4-3, 2-2): Jalon Daniels and Lance Leipold have done impressive things together with the Jayhawks. But they have never beaten K-State. This won’t be a special season for KU unless that changes.

11. Kansas State (3-4, 2-2): The Wildcats are underdogs against the Jayhawks? What year is it? Many have doubted K-State since it started 1-3. But much will be forgiven with a 17th straight win over KU on Saturday.

Playing for a bowl trip

12. Arizona (4-3, 1-3): Brent Brennan has made some noticeable improvements in Year 2 at Arizona, but a pair of back-to-back narrow losses have hurt momentum.

13. UCF (4-3, 0-3): The Knights proved they no longer belong in the bottom tier of these rankings by destroying West Virginia last week.

14. Colorado (3-4, 1-3): The Buffaloes will look to build off their win over Iowa State when they return to action this week at Utah.

Worst of the worst

15. West Virginia (2-5, 0-4): It’s a shame that Oklahoma State and West Virginia don’t play each other this season. Who is the worst team in the Big 12? The world deserves an answer.

16. Oklahoma State (1-6, 0-4): You have to admire Oklahoma State fans this season. Their team is dreadful, but they keep finding creative ways to have fun at home games.

This story was originally published October 22, 2025 at 6:30 AM with the headline "Big 12 Power Rankings: Making sense of BYU, Texas Tech and wide-open league race."

Kellis Robinett

The Wichita Eagle

Kellis Robinett covers Kansas State athletics for The Wichita Eagle and The Kansas City Star. A winner of more than a dozen national writing awards, he lives in Manhattan with his wife and four children.