BYU and Utah headline a chaotic weekend in the Big 12 coming up! Here’s how things stand headed into this weekend’s slate!

16. Kansas

The Jayhawks led TCU with under 5 minutes remaining in the game. They surrendered a game-winning drive and a two-point conversion, and they fell short yet again, as they were unable to build off their win over Baylor the week prior. The Jayhawks simply don’t have the strength in the trenches to keep up with most of the league, a weakness that reared its ugly head on Saturday as they surrendered over 5 yards per carry to the Horned Frogs.

15. Colorado

The Buffaloes are officially in the win column thanks to an overtime win over Kansas State. They’ve been close several times over the course of the season, but the offense finally did enough in the clutch to finish the win, thanks in large part to a 120 yard game on the ground from Richard Young. The Buffaloes still have a lot to prove and very little time to prove it, but the win finally gets them headed in the right direction.

14. UCF

UCF is right back in the basement in terms of offensive production, as the Knights’ run game produced under 2.5 yards per carry against Baylor. The defense struggled as well on Friday, allowing DJ Lagway to dice them for 319 passing yards and 4 touchdowns through the air. UCF has had moments of potential, but the overall product has been lackluster this year, and Scott Frost is in danger of proving he simply can’t cut it at the Power 4 level.

13. Arizona State

Arizona State played well on Saturday, hanging with a talented BYU team until the bitter end, but the Sun Devils gave up 10 straight Cougar points to open the fourth quarter spelled the Devils’ doom. Arizona State’s offense was inefficient down the stretch, particularly through the air, but the defense did enough to keep them in the game. The level of play they displayed on Saturday will be enough to win a lot of Big 12 games if they can maintain it through November.

12. Baylor

Suddenly, DJ Lagway looks like the player Baylor hoped for when they brought him to Waco again. A 319-yard, 4-touchdown performance has the Bears right back in the thick of things in the Big 12 with an opportunity to capitalize on any chaos that ensues over the final month. If they play the way they did against UCF, they’ll be a scary opponent for even the Big 12’s best. If they struggle like they did against Kansas or TCU, they’ll be an easy out.

11. TCU

In spite of a lackluster passing night from quarterback Jaden Craig and the Horned Frog passing game, TCU buckled down for a physical, gritty win over Kansas to keep the team in the hunt for bowl eligibility. Craig offset his weak passing production with a team-high 87 yards on the ground, leading the team to victory over the Jayhawks.

10. Kansas State

This season has gone just about as poorly as it could have for the Wildcats. They’re now 1-4 in Big 12 play and at risk of missing a bowl game after handing Colorado its first win of the season. A missed 42-yard fourth-quarter field goal ended up making the difference for Kansas State, and fans in Manhattan now must wonder about the future after a season that began with promise has quickly deteriorated.

9. Cincinnati

Cincinnati’s schedule has done the Bearcats no favors. West Virginia being your worst opponent in a four-week stretch is a patch most teams would struggle to get through. Things don’t get any easier this week against Houston. Regardless of what happens the next four weeks, this year has been a success for the Bearcats. They’ve proven they can compete in the Big 12. With their chances of a conference title now all but gone, Cincy fans can sit back and enjoy watching their football team be competitive in one of the nation’s best conferences week in and week out.

8. West Virginia

The Mountaineers were on bye this week

7. Iowa State

What a win for Iowa State. The Cyclones outshot the Cowboys 51-49 on Saturday, walking the game off on a Kyle Konrardy field goal. Konrardy once again proved himself as one of the nation’s clutchest kickers, after walking off Iowa in both the 2024 and 2025 CyHawk games. Quarterback Jaylen Raynor had his best game as a Cyclone, while running back Aiden Flora’s 221 yards were nothing short of astonishing. It feels like the Iowa State offense has finally come to life, and with the toughest part of their schedule now in the rear-view mirror, Iowa State can now focus on becoming bowl eligible to open the Jimmy Rogers era.

6. Oklahoma State

The offense is still elite. The defense? Not so much. Oklahoma State got battered on the ground in a 51-49 loss to Iowa State, allowing 221 yards for Cyclone running back Aiden Flora. The loss effectively eliminated Oklahoma State from College Football Playoff contention, but this year remains one of incredible growth for the Cowboys, who are just one win away from bowl eligibility after the depths of the past two seasons.

5. Arizona

Oh so close, Arizona. The Wildcats came up just short against Texas Tech on Saturday, and with losses to two of the top three teams, they were all but eliminated from Big 12 Championship contention. A two-loss Arizona team with a win over Utah in Week 11 would still be in the hunt for a fringe College Football Playoff at-large bid, though, so the drive to win out remains. That drive begins tonight against TCU, when the Wildcats can’t be caught catnapping against a lesser Horned Frogs side ahead of Arizona’s biggest game of the year.

4. Houston

The Cougars were on bye this week.

3. Texas Tech

Texas Tech got back on the right path and passed its biggest remaining test with a win on Saturday over Arizona. The Red Raiders survived a 417-yard game from Wildcat quarterback Noah Fifita, overpowering Arizona’s offense. The Red Raider offense dominated physically, averaging 7 yards per carry. With 4 winnable games (although not easy ones, with a pair of electric offenses on the slate in Oklahoma State and West Virginia), Texas Tech is in position to keep themselves on the outskirts of playoff contention. The Red Raiders will be watching BYU/Utah closely, hoping for a Ute win to boost Texas Tech to the No. 2 team in the conference.

2. BYU

BYU bounced back against Arizona State on Saturday. Now, the Cougars have a chance to put themselves back in the Big 12 drivers’ seat on Saturday against Utah. Win, and they’re in first place in the conference and control their own destiny. Lose, and they’ll be left banking on other results both for a conference championship appearance and a College Football Playoff bid.

1. Utah

And the Utes stay undefeated, setting up the biggest matchup of the year in the Big 12 against BYU.  Utah will all but secure a spot in the College Football Playoff with a win, while a loss would most likely set up a rematch in Arlington with a conference title on the line. Either way, the tiebreakers work out heavily in Utah and BYU’s favor in the case of a 3-way tie (BYU’s 1-0 record among the three tied teams would put the Cougars in first, while Utah’s win over Cincinnati would keep the Utes over Texas Tech in the tiebreaker). No matter what happens on Saturday, Utah has a clear path to the CFP, but it’s a near-infallible one with a win.