Big 12 Power Rankings: BYU, Texas Tech and Utah all look like playoff contenders
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Big 12 title race tightens as BYU, Texas Tech and Utah emerge playoff threats
- Key weekend matchups, led by Texas Tech vs BYU, will shape CFP positioning
- Mid-tier clubs — TCU, Cincinnati and Arizona State — remain viable dark-horse factors
All eyes will be on Big 12 football when BYU and “College GameDay” both head to Texas Tech on Saturday for the highest-profile game of the weekend.
The No. 8 Cougars are undefeated. The No. 9 Red Raiders are playing with the same type of swagger that we used to see from Oklahoma and Texas before they left for the SEC.
Fans all across the country want to know who will win this marquee matchup.
But here’s the thing: It’s not the only important game left on the Big 12 calendar. BYU, Texas Tech and Utah are each positioned to compete for a berth in the College Football Playoff. All of their remaining games are going to be must-see TV, because of the high stakes that are involved.
We might even get a rematch in the Big 12 championship game.
Buckle up. The next few weeks should be good.
Let’s take some time to analyze everything we have seen up to this point — heading into Week 11 — and project what will happen in the future with a new edition of Big 12 Power Rankings.
The triumvirate of Big 12 power
1. Texas Tech (8-1, 5-1 Big 12): The Red Raiders have a championship defense. Opposing teams are only averaging 13 points per game against them this season. And nobody in the country is better at forcing fumbles than Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez.
2. BYU (8-0, 5-0): The Cougars own an impressive victory over Utah, but some continue to say that BYU hasn’t beaten any good teams this season. It can change that narrative over the next few weeks with upcoming games against Texas Tech, TCU and Cincinnati.
3. Utah (7-2, 4-2): It’s kind of wild how good the Utes have looked outside of losses to BYU and Texas Tech. They have won their other seven games by an average of 36.4 points. Utah has really kicked it into high gear lately by beating Cincinnati 45-14 and Colorado 53-7 in its past two games.
Sleeper teams with upside
4. Cincinnati (7-2, 5-1): Brendan Sorsby is mortal, after all. The Cincinnati quarterback completed just 11 of 33 passes for 221 yards and a touchdown against Utah.
5. Arizona State (6-3, 4-2): All things considered, Arizona State’s 24-19 victory at Iowa State should go down as one of the best in Kenny Dillingham’s young career. The Sun Devils prevailed in that game without starting quarterback Sam Leavitt or top wide receiver Jordyn Tyson. Few could have expected backup QB Jeff Sims to go off for 228 yards and two touchdowns rushing.
6. TCU (6-2, 3-2): With games remaining against BYU, Cincinnati and Houston, the Horned Frogs remain sleepers in the Big 12 championship race.
Just when you thought you had it figured out
7. Houston (7-2, 4-2): You only need one word to describe Houston’s loss to West Virginia on Saturday — choke. Everything was set up for the Cougars to crash the Big 12 championship race. But they failed to take advantage of a favorable closing schedule and lost at home as a two-touchdown favorite.
8. Baylor (5-4, 3-3): The Bears are one of the most unpredictable teams in the Big 12. One week, they are winning thrilling games against SMU, Kansas State and UCF. The next, they are barely putting up a fight against TCU and Cincinnati. But they looked good during a 30-3 win over UCF. Is this the start of another late-season charge from Dave Aranda?
Let’s go bowling
9. Kansas State (4-5, 3-3): The Wildcats need two more wins to keep their bowl streak alive. Fortunately, they still get to play Oklahoma State and Colorado.
10. Kansas (5-4, 3-3): The Jayhawks need one more win to secure bowl eligibility. Unfortunately, they have already played Oklahoma State and Colorado isn’t on the schedule. Kansas will need to beat Arizona, Iowa State or Utah down the stretch.
11. Iowa State (5-4, 2-4): At the rate Iowa State is losing, it might be time for pundits to stop mentioning Matt Campbell for other job openings.
12. Arizona (5-3, 2-3): The Wildcats took out weeks of frustration against Colorado and won going away 52-17. Now they only need one more win to reach the postseason.
13. UCF (4-4, 1-4): The Knights no-showed against Baylor, and they might end up missing out on a bowl because of it.
Not last
14. West Virginia (3-6, 1-5): The Mountaineers have found something in freshman quarterback Scotty Fox. His big game against Houston, which featured 157 passing yards and 65 rushing yards, helped elevate West Virginia out of the bottom tier of these rankings.
Last and least
15. Colorado (3-6, 1-5): Will Deion Sanders return as head coach next season? The Buffaloes have looked hapless over the past two weeks.
16. Oklahoma State (1-8, 0-6): The Cowboys are staring at back-to-back seasons without a single victory in conference play. They have lost 15 straight league games.