There are three Big 12 teams who are clearly in their own class with four weeks left in the regular season.
That includes BYU, who was idle this past weekend, as well as Texas Tech, a 43-20 winner over Kansas State, and Utah, who blasted then-No. 17 Cincinnati 45-14.
It sets up the biggest regular-season game of the year — and perhaps the most important of the new Big 12 since Texas and Oklahoma left for the SEC and the league expanded to 16 teams.
That is No. 8 BYU at No. 9 Texas Tech, which will take place Saturday morning with the nation tuned in for the ABC tilt. ESPN’s “College GameDay” will also be there.
Not only will the winner get the upper hand for the top spot in the conference and a crucial tie-breaking advantage, this could well be a preview of the Big 12 conference championship game.
Here’s a look at how the Big 12 stacks up in the power rankings following Week 10 of the 2025 season.
1. BYU Cougars (8-0, 5-0)
- Previous ranking: No. 1 (no change)
- Last week: Bye
- Next game: Saturday at No. 9 Texas Tech, 10 a.m. MST (ABC)
Is this the most important regular-season game in BYU football history? It will be the first time the Cougars are ranked in the top 10 and face another top-10 school, at least from an Associated Press rankings standpoint. The first College Football Playoff rankings drop Tuesday.
That was a well-timed bye for BYU from an injury perspective. Star running back LJ Martin went down in the Cougars’ win over Iowa State, as did linebacker Siale Esera. The extra time could provide enough time for them to return to the field.
This game has been viewed as one critical to the Big 12 race for a while now, and the hype is only building with “College GameDay” headed to Lubbock, Texas, for the early-morning matchup. The Red Raiders have shown that the high preseason expectations were warranted, and if BYU were to win on the road, the Cougars’ CFP résumé would receive a major boost.
2. Texas Tech Red Raiders (8-1, 5-1)
- Previous ranking: No. 3 (⬆️ 1)
- Last week: Beat Kansas State, 43-20
- Next game: Saturday vs. No. 8 BYU, 10 a.m. MST (ABC)
The Red Raiders continued to roll, going into Manhattan, Kansas, and taking care of business against what had been a hot Kansas State squad. Texas Tech got Behren Morton back, and the Red Raiders pulled away in the fourth quarter to win convincingly.
It sets up arguably the biggest Big 12 game of the regular season, one with plenty of postseason implications. The No. 8 Cougars come to town with an unbeaten record, though Texas Tech is a double-digit favorite. Could this be a preview of the Big 12 championship game a month later?
3. Utah Utes (7-2, 4-2)
- Previous ranking: No. 5 (⬆️ 2)
- Last week: Beat No. 17 Cincinnati, 45-14
- Next game: Nov. 15 at Baylor, 5 p.m. MST (ESPN2)
Utah is a master at winning big, and this time, the Utes blew out a ranked opponent in Cincinnati.
The Utes controlled the tempo of the game from the get-go, which included a seven-minute drive to start the game that ended in the end zone. While Cincinnati’s offense was able to move the ball, the Utes clamped down on their side of the field and forced three turnovers, then sealed the win with a 75-yard punt return from Mana Carvalho.
Utah gets a bye to rest and reset before its final stretch run. The Utes are favored in their final three games, according to ESPN’s Football Power Index, though two of the three (at Baylor, at Kansas) sandwich the home finale against Kansas State. If Utah wins all three and chaos around them happens, could the Utes make the Big 12 title game and/or the College Football Playoff?
4. Cincinnati Bearcats (7-2, 5-1)
- Previous ranking: No. 2 (⬇️ 2)
- Last week: Lost to No. 24 Utah, 45-14
- Next game: Nov. 15 vs. Arizona, 10 a.m. MST (FS1)
The Bearcats had their worst outing of the season in getting blasted by Utah in a top-25 matchup. While the Utes were favored, Cincinnati was mistake-prone and couldn’t do much to help its own chances after keeping it close through a quarter and a half.
The Bearcats will have to stew on this one for a week, as they have their final bye of the season before hosting Arizona on Nov. 15. That precedes the home finale against No. 8 BYU the week after. Cincinnati still is in the Big 12 race, but the Bearcats can’t let this loss linger.
5. Arizona State Sun Devils (6-3, 4-2)
- Previous ranking: No. 7 (⬆️ 2)
- Last week: Beat Iowa State, 24-19
- Next game: Nov. 15 vs. West Virginia, 11 a.m. MST (TNT)
Just when it looks like it is time to count Arizona State out of the Big 12 race, the Sun Devils find a way to keep clawing their way back within striking distance. This time, Jeff Sims came in for quarterback Sam Leavitt, who’s out for the season, and ran for 228 yards — a school record for a quarterback — as Arizona State earned a hard-fought road victory in the Big 12 championship rematch.
The Sun Devils’ next two opponents, West Virginia and Colorado, have a combined two wins in Big 12 play and will be heavy favorites in both after a much-needed bye week. That will set up the rivalry game against Arizona in the season finale, with the hope that there’s something to play for at that point.
6. TCU Horned Frogs (6-2, 3-2)
- Previous ranking: No. 6 (no change)
- Last week: Bye
- Next game: Saturday vs. Iowa State, 1:30 p.m. MST (Fox)
TCU has a chance to insert itself into the Big 12 race — the Horned Frogs sit just one loss behind the two teams currently tied for second, Texas Tech and Cincinnati, and there will be opportunities to earn their way to the Big 12 championship, with some help.
If TCU ultimately makes it to the title game, the Horned Frogs will have earned it. TCU still has to host Iowa State and No. 25 Cincinnati, while visiting No. 8 BYU and Houston. All four of those schools have been ranked at some point this season, and if TCU wins out, it could cause chaos.
7. Houston Cougars (7-2, 4-2)
- Previous ranking: No. 4 (⬇️ 3)
- Last week: Lost to West Virginia, 45-35
- Next game: Friday at UCF, 6 p.m. MST (FS1)
What a gut punch of a loss. Houston was in a solid position going into November to make a run at a spot in the Big 12 championship game, but by losing to West Virginia — and giving the Mountaineers their first conference win — the Cougars need help to revive those league race hopes, even as they sit one game back of second place in the conference standings.
How will Houston respond to a devastating loss? The Cougars hit the road on a short week to face a UCF team that has lost four of its last five games, though the Knights’ one win in that stretch was a 32-point victory over the same West Virginia team that Houston lost to.
8. Baylor Bears (5-4, 3-3)
- Previous ranking: No. 10 (⬆️ 2)
- Last week: Beat UCF, 30-3
- Next game: Nov. 15 vs. No. 17 Utah, 5 p.m. MST (ESPN2)
The up-and-down Bears are up this week, after they convincingly beat UCF at home last weekend. The Bears’ defense stood tall and gave up its fewest points in a game this season and the Baylor offense had another strong day.
The Bears are one of the Big 12 teams who will play a majority of their November games at home. Including the win over UCF, Baylor has three of its final four games at McLane Stadium. The next one looks to be the toughest, with the high-flying Utes coming to town.
9. Arizona Wildcats (5-3, 2-3 Big 12)
- Previous ranking: No. 11 (⬆️ 2)
- Last week: Beat Colorado, 52-17
- Next game: Saturday vs. Kansas, 1:30 p.m. MST (ESPN2)
While Arizona’s conference title chances likely went out the door when they lost three out of four games before a bye in late October, the Wildcats bounced back with a resounding victory over a despondent Colorado team.
Arizona just needs one more win to become bowl eligible, and there should be myriad chances to make that happen, as well as potentially climb the Big 12 standings. The Wildcats host Kansas and Baylor later this month, but must travel to No. 25 Cincinnati and Arizona State.
10. Kansas State Wildcats (4-5, 3-3)
- Previous ranking: No. 8 (⬇️ 2)
- Last week: Lost to No. 13 Texas Tech, 43-20
- Next game: Nov. 15 at Oklahoma State, 10 a.m. MST (ESPNU)
The Wildcats have looked much improved in recent weeks, but they were no match for a hot Texas Tech squad that came into Kansas State’s home stadium and broke an eight-game losing streak to the Wildcats.
Can Kansas State make a bowl game this year? The Wildcats will need to win two of their final three games. While a trip to No. 17 Utah looks daunting and by far the unlikeliest game to win, the Wildcats do host Oklahoma State and Colorado in the final few weeks. Those two teams have combined for one Big 12 victory this year.
11. Iowa State Cyclones (5-4, 2-4 Big 12)
- Previous ranking: No. 9 (⬇️ 2)
- Last week: Lost to Arizona State, 24-19
- Next game: Saturday at TCU, 1:30 p.m. MST (Fox)
Remember when Iowa State was ranked in the top 15 and looking like it could return to the Big 12 championship game? Those hopes are dashed, as the Sun Devils handed the Cyclones their fourth-straight loss. Though Iowa State has been competitive in all four losses, that losing streak hangs over a once-promising season.
Before Iowa State hosts Kansas and plays at Oklahoma State in a pair of winnable games to finish the season, the Cyclones have to visit TCU this Saturday. The Horned Frogs are 3-2 in league play and will be fighting to stay in Big 12 contention.
12. Kansas Jayhawks (5-4, 3-3)
- Previous ranking: No. 12 (no change)
- Last week: Beat Oklahoma State, 38-21
- Next game: Saturday at Arizona, 1:30 p.m. MST (ESPN2)
The remedy to a difficult stretch where Kansas lost three out of four games was facing Big 12’s last-place team, Oklahoma State. The Jayhawks pulled away in the second half to beat the Cowboys, earning their fifth win of the season in the process.
Kansas will need to pull an upset to become bowl eligible. The Jayhawks are underdogs, according to ESPN’s Football Power Index, in road games at Arizona and Iowa State before Kansas hosts No. 17 Utah in the season finale. The Utes are heavy favorites in that one.
13. West Virginia Mountaineers (3-6, 1-5)
- Previous ranking: No. 15 (⬆️ 2)
- Last week: Beat No. 22 Houston, 45-35
- Next game: Saturday vs. Colorado, 10 a.m. MST (TNT)
The Mountaineers showed plenty of fight as they snapped a five-game losing streak by knocking off then-ranked Houston. West Virginia went into Texas and withstood several counterpunches from the Cougars before pulling away in the fourth quarter.
Now, the Mountaineers have a chance to earn another win with Colorado coming to Morgantown. The Buffaloes are arguably playing the worst ball in the Big 12 right now — perhaps even the worst among power conference teams — and West Virginia has some momentum going after beating Houston.
14. UCF Knights (4-4, 1-4)
- Previous ranking: No. 13 (⬇️ 1)
- Last week: Lost to Baylor, 30-3
- Next game: Friday vs. Houston, 6 p.m. MST (FS1)
UCF’s struggles in conference games since it joined the Big 12 continued last weekend, as the Knights were no match for Baylor, which was sitting at .500 going into the game. UCF won three Big 12 games its first year in the league in 2023, two last year and has just one right now, with four games to go.
While UCF gets to host Oklahoma State later this month, the Knights have to face Houston at home on a short week, plus they play at Texas Tech and BYU as well. That’s a difficult stretch and one where it’s hard to envision UCF winning even a couple games to become bowl eligible.
15. Oklahoma State Cowboys (1-8, 0-6)
- Previous ranking: No. 16 (⬆️ 1)
- Last week: Lost to Kansas, 38-21
- Next game: Nov. 15 vs. Kansas State, 10 a.m. MST (ESPNU)
The Cowboys continue to lose, as the rudderless program fell for the eighth-straight time in a loss at Kansas. Oklahoma State kept it close for a half before the Jayhawks pulled away.
That’s one positive for a forgettable season in which the Cowboys saw their longtime coach, Mike Gundy, get fired after an embarrassing start to the season. Will Oklahoma State be able to win one conference game before the year is over?
16. Colorado Buffaloes (3-6, 1-5)
- Previous ranking: No. 14 (⬇️ 2)
- Last week: Lost to Arizona, 52-17
- Next game: Saturday at West Virginia, 10 a.m. MST (TNT)
Things continue to get worse for Deion Sanders in Boulder, Colorado. One week after Utah blasted the Buffaloes 53-7, Arizona beat Colorado by 35 points. This looks much closer to the pre-Deion years when Colorado was the doormat in the latter end of the Pac-12 years rather than the Buffaloes team that tied for the Big 12 lead in the regular season last year.
The most winnable game remaining for Colorado comes this week at West Virginia. With the way the Buffaloes are playing, though, is there much hope that they can turn it around for one more win?
