In Week 12, Texas Tech, BYU and Utah showed why they are the top three teams in the Big 12 this season.
The Red Raiders pounded UCF 48-9, the Cougars thumped TCU 44-13, and the Utes ran past Baylor 55-28.
There is a major gap in the power rankings — think Grand Canyon size big — between those three and the rest of the conference.
That doesn’t mean it’s guaranteed that two of those three teams will be in the Big 12 championship game — far from it.
While Texas Tech is a heavy favorite to beat West Virginia in its season finale in two weeks, if BYU loses at Cincinnati this week or in its home finale against UCF (less likely), then it would open a potential Pandora’s box of multi-team tiebreaker scenarios.
The Cougars are favored to win out, and it’s just as possible that it will be Texas Tech and BYU facing off in the Big 12 title game. Or Utah could sneak in, too, with some help.
Maybe Houston, Arizona State or Cincinnati will get the right combination of help as well.
It’s set up for a wildly intriguing final two weeks of the regular season.
Here’s how the Big 12 stacks up heading into Week 13.
1. Texas Tech Red Raiders (10-1, 7-1)
- Previous ranking: No. 1 (no change)
- Last week: Beat UCF, 48-9
- Next game: Nov. 29 at West Virginia, TBD (TBD)
The Red Raiders moved closer to clinching a spot in the Big 12 championship game by thoroughly dominating UCF. It was 38-2 at halftime, and even star linebacker Jacob Rodriguez got into the scoring with the first offensive touchdown of his career.
There’s a bye week for Texas Tech this week, before the Red Raiders wrap up the regular season at West Virginia. Thanks to a tight conference race — with four teams just one loss behind league leaders Texas Tech and BYU with two weeks left — the Red Raiders aren’t guaranteed to clinch a spot in the title game this week. They are heavy favorites to beat the Mountaineers, though — ESPN Analytics gives them a 91.3% chance of victory in two weeks.
2. BYU Cougars (9-1, 6-1)
- Previous ranking: No. 2 (no change)
- Last week: Beat TCU, 44-13
- Next game: Saturday at Cincinnati, 6 p.m. MST (Fox)
With TCU, traditionally a thorn in the Cougars’ side, coming to town, there was concern that BYU could suffer the same fate it did last November and let its first loss carry over and lead to back-to-back setbacks.
BYU made a statement, though — boy, did it ever. The Cougars came out strong offensively and led 24-3 before the Horned Frogs started to make a bit of a rally. It didn’t matter, though, as BYU put the game away by scoring the final 17 points of the night. Bear Bachmeier threw for 296 yards, tossed a touchdown pass and ran for another, and the Cougars’ defense forced two turnovers, including a pick-six.
It sets up another huge challenge — and opportunity — for the Cougars going into a matchup at Cincinnati. The Bearcats used to be tied with BYU atop the Big 12 standings before losing two straight, and the Cougars control their destiny for a spot in the Big 12 title game. Win their final two and they’re in. But Cincinnati has shown plenty of reason to believe it will be a battle, even with the Bearcats’ losing skid.
3. Utah Utes (8-2, 5-2)
- Previous ranking: No. 3 (no change)
- Last week: Beat Baylor, 55-28
- Next game: Saturday vs. Kansas State, 2 p.m. MST (ESPN2)
Utah came out of a bye week and continued to win in resounding fashion, as the Utes went on the road and ran past Baylor.
It wasn’t always a pretty game, but the Utes were dominant in the trenches and followed a 380-yard night from their rushing game to the win. Backup QB/offensive threat Byrd Ficklin scored on TD runs of 67 and 74 yards, while Wayshawn Parker added a 64-yard score, and all three came at critical times when it looked like the Bears might make a game of it.
Up next for Utah is a visit from Kansas State. The Wildcats have looked far from the contender they were expected to be going into the season, and Kansas State won by just eight over moribund Oklahoma State this past weekend. It looks like another blowout win is perfectly lined up for Utah in its home finale.
4. Arizona State Sun Devils (7-3, 5-2)
- Previous ranking: No. 5 (⬆️ 1)
- Last week: Beat West Virginia, 25-23
- Next game: Saturday at Colorado, 6 p.m. MST (ESPN2)
Arizona State continues to stick around in the Big 12 chase, and with a narrow win over West Virginia, the Sun Devils still have a chance to defend their title. The Mountaineers, who’ve looked much improved in recent weeks, went up on an improbable 90-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, but ASU responded to drive for the game-winning field goal.
There is another likely win on the schedule this week as well. The Buffaloes have been overwhelmed in the back half of the season, with losses in five of their last six contests, and have little to play for at 3-7 on the year. Can Arizona State take care of business this week and set up even more intrigue for the season finale against rival Arizona?
5. Houston Cougars (8-2, 5-2)
- Previous ranking: No. 6 (⬆️ 1)
- Last week: Bye
- Next game: Saturday vs. TCU, 2 p.m. MST (Fox)
While other Big 12 contenders were primarily taking care of business this past weekend, outside of Cincinnati, Houston had a bye to reset for the final two weeks of the season. The Cougars could use it, after going 1-1 against teams in the bottom half of the league standings just before the bye week.
If Houston gets some help and wins out, the Cougars could still find themselves in Arlington for the Big 12 championship game. It starts this weekend against a TCU team that is on a two-game losing streak, but before that had played well enough to stick around in the league chase. Will Houston keep its Big 12 hopes alive?
6. Arizona Wildcats (7-3, 4-3)
- Previous ranking: No. 7 (⬆️ 1)
- Last week: Beat Cincinnati, 30-24
- Next game: Saturday vs. Baylor, 11 a.m. MST (TNT)
One of the better turnaround stories in the Big 12 this season, along with Houston, has been the work Brent Brennan is doing in Year 2 at Arizona. The Wildcats were already bowl eligible going into last week at Cincinnati, but Arizona went on the road and earned a hard-fought victory over a league contender while putting up 475 yards of total offense and forcing two turnovers.
Baylor is reeling coming into their matchup with the Wildcats this week — the Bears are under .500 in Big 12 play after losing three of their last four. Arizona has a chance to earn its eighth win of the season in its home finale, improve its postseason hopes and set up an exciting matchup with rival Arizona State in the final week of the year.
7. Cincinnati Bearcats (7-3, 5-2)
- Previous ranking: No. 4 (⬇️ 3)
- Last week: Lost to Arizona, 30-24
- Next game: Saturday vs. BYU, 6 p.m. MST (Fox)
Going into November, the Bearcats were one of the hottest teams in the Big 12 — they were on a seven-game winning streak and sat at 5-0 in league play. After two straight losses, though, including a setback to Arizona at home, things are looking unsettled in Cincinnati.
The Bearcats still have a pulse in the Big 12 title race, as they are one of four teams tied with two losses in conference play, and if chaos happened like it did last year, a multi-team tiebreaker process could determine at least one of the two spots in the Big 12 championship game. Before that, though, the Bearcats face a tough BYU squad, which is coming to town off a 44-13 thrashing of TCU. The winner gets a massive upper hand in the chase for the Big 12 championship game, and that’s why “Big Noon Kickoff” is coming to town.
8. Iowa State Cyclones (6-4, 3-4)
- Previous ranking: No. 10 (⬆️ 2)
- Last week: Bye
- Next game: Saturday vs. Kansas, 10 a.m. MST (FS1)
There won’t be a second straight appearance for Iowa State in the Big 12 championship game, not after a four-game losing streak ruined those hopes. For the Cyclones, though, there is still the opportunity to finish the season on a strong note.
Before the bye last week, Iowa State snapped that skid with a much-needed win over TCU. The Cyclones are favored by ESPN Analytics to win their final two games — at home against Kansas and on the road at Oklahoma State — which would give Iowa State eight wins heading into bowl season. It’s not where Cyclone fans had hoped to be, but it would keep Iowa State’s program moving in a positive direction.
9. TCU Horned Frogs (6-4, 3-4)
- Previous ranking: No. 8 (⬇️ 1)
- Last week: Lost to BYU, 44-13
- Next game: Saturday at Houston, 2 p.m. MST (Fox)
For the first time this season, TCU was blown out, courtesy of BYU. The Cougars jumped out to a 24-3 lead midway through the second quarter and harassed the Horned Frogs in all facets, handing TCU its worst loss of the season.
With two straight losses, TCU’s bid for a spot in the Big 12 championship game is over. Now, the Horned Frogs need to focus on finishing strong and earning another win or two before the postseason. Another tough game is on the docket this weekend at Houston, though if the Horned Frogs pull it off, it can help right the ship a bit going into the season finale at home against Cincinnati.
10. Baylor Bears (5-5, 3-4)
- Previous ranking: No. 9 (⬇️ 1)
- Last week: Lost to Utah, 55-28
- Next game: Saturday at Arizona, 11 a.m. MST (TNT)
Before the season, Baylor was a popular choice to be a Big 12 dark horse, despite its struggles in recent seasons. With a 27-point loss against Utah at home this past weekend, though, the Bears find themselves a game under .500 in league play with just two weeks remaining — and plenty of issues to fix during the offseason. Will that include a new head coach?
Baylor has lost three of its last four games, and with a hot Arizona team next on the schedule, it doesn’t appear that the Bears have a great chance to turn it around this week. Baylor needs one more win to reach bowl eligibility, with the game at Arizona and a home contest against Houston remaining.
11. Kansas State Wildcats (5-5, 4-3)
- Previous ranking: No. 11 (no change)
- Last week: Beat Oklahoma State, 14-6
- Next game: Saturday at Utah, 2 p.m. MST (ESPN2)
Phew. Kansas State avoided becoming the first team to lose to Oklahoma State in Big 12 action in the past two seasons, as it forced five turnovers and added a fourth-quarter touchdown before holding on to win. Still, it wasn’t an impressive victory.
Now, the Wildcats have to face one of the most dominant Big 12 teams, and do so on the road. Utah’s eight wins have come by an average margin of 35.3 points, and the Utes have lost at home just once this year — against Texas Tech. This has the making of another blowout.
12. West Virginia Mountaineers (4-7, 2-6)
- Previous ranking: No. 12 (no change)
- Last week: Lost to Arizona State, 25-23
- Next game: Nov. 29 vs. Texas Tech, TBD (TBD)
West Virginia was oh-so-close to creating even more chaos in the Big 12 chase. The Mountaineers played the defending Big 12 champions tough, with Scotty Fox Jr. making plays at quarterback. He ended up throwing for 353 yards and two touchdowns, with one interception, and had West Virginia up 23-22 after a wild 90-yard screen pass for a touchdown, before ASU drove for the game-winning field goal.
There won’t be any postseason for West Virginia this year, as the loss to the Sun Devils gave the Mountaineers seven on the season. Instead, they’ll rest up for a week before taking on the juggernaut that is Texas Tech.
13. Kansas Jayhawks (5-5, 3-4)
- Previous ranking: No. 13 (no change)
- Last week: Bye
- Next game: Saturday at Iowa State, 10 a.m. (FS1)
How will Kansas respond after a bye week? The Jayhawks missed the postseason last year, and they will need one more victory to become bowl eligible this year.
It certainly won’t be easy. Kansas, which has lost three of its last four games, has to play at Iowa State this weekend, before wrapping up the regular season with a home tilt against Utah the day after Thanksgiving. If the Jayhawks make a bowl, they’ll buck the odds.
14. UCF Knights (4-6, 1-6)
- Previous ranking: No. 14 (no change)
- Last week: Lost to Texas Tech, 48-9
- Next game: Saturday vs. Oklahoma State, 2 p.m. MST (ESPN+)
Year 1 for Scott Frost in his second stint at UCF is a struggle, and that continued last week when the Knights were simply no match for top-10 Texas Tech. The Red Raiders stormed out to a big lead early and UCF never got on track, falling by 39, by far the largest margin of defeat for the Knights this season.
UCF has a much more winnable game in its home finale this week, with Oklahoma State coming to town. Can the Knights earn a rare Big 12 win? That precedes a trip to Provo to face BYU in the season finale.
15. Oklahoma State Cowboys (1-9, 0-7)
- Previous ranking: No. 15 (no change)
- Last week: Lost to Kansas State, 14-6
- Next game: Saturday at UCF, 2 p.m. MST (ESPN+)
For the first time since Week 3, Oklahoma State only lost by one score. The Cowboys trailed Kansas State 7-6 going into the fourth quarter and had a chance to snap their nearly two-year Big 12 losing streak, but Oklahoma State couldn’t overcome five turnovers.
Perhaps the Cowboys can build off a close loss and give UCF a battle this week. Oklahoma State hasn’t won a Big 12 game since beating BYU on Nov. 25, 2023, and is still searching for its first win under interim coach Doug Meacham.
16. Colorado Buffaloes (3-7, 1-6)
- Previous ranking: No. 16 (no change)
- Last week: Bye
- Next game: Saturday vs. Arizona State, 6 p.m. MST (ESPN2)
The Deion Sanders era in Boulder is going through some dark times right now. The Buffaloes come out of a bye having lost five of their last six games and haven’t looked competitive lately, like they were at times during the first half of the season.
It’s difficult to see another win for Colorado this season. Next up is Arizona State, which is still in the thick of the Big 12 race. After that, the Buffaloes end the year at Kansas State, which likely will be fighting for its sixth win and bowl eligibility that day.
