Another week of Big 12 play is in the books. Texas Tech continues to remain at the top of the conference with West Virginia being their only opponent remaining. BYU controls their own destiny to make the Big 12 championship, but a loss could give teams such as Utah, Houston, Arizona State, and Cincinnati a chance to make a move.
Numerous teams in the Big 12 are out of the playoff discussion, but still have something to play for. Teams such as Kansas State, Baylor, and Kansas are still playing for a bowl game while teams such as West Virginia are building momentum for their team next season.
Here are our Big 12 Power Rankings entering Week 13 – and before you start in, make sure to check out last week's rankings as well.
#16: Oklahoma State (Record: 1-9, 0-7 in the Big 12)
The Cowboys continue to be the worst team in the Big 12 since firing head coach Mike Gundy. Oklahoma State has lost nine consecutive games and are winless in conference play.
For the first time in months, the Cowboys were able to at least lose a game by one score. Kansas State only defeated Oklahoma State by a score of 14-6. Freshman quarterback Zane Flores took a step back in his development by throwing two interceptions and losing two fumbles. The defense was led by senior linebacker Parker Robertson, who led the team with eight total tackles, one sack, and one interception. His performance helped limit the Wildcats to just 14 points, but the offense was unable to capitalize all game.
Oklahoma State’s last two games of the season will be against UCF and Iowa State.
#15: Colorado (Record: 3-7, 1-6 in the Big 12)
Colorado is coming out of their bye week with a 1-6 conference record. Their most recent loss came against West Virginia by a score of 29-22.
Freshman quarterback Julian Lewis looked impressive in his first start, throwing for 299 yards and two touchdowns. The offensive line did not help Lewis much as he was sacked seven times and had eight passes deflected. If Lewis can continue to show improvement, the offensive line has to drastically improve. It will yet again be the focus for head coach Deion Sanders during the offseason.
The Buffaloes will have a chance to shake up the Big 12 championship picture when they face Arizona State this weekend.
#14: UCF (Record: 4-6, 1-6 in the Big 12)
UCF’s season took a wrong turn once they entered conference play. Since starting the season with a 3-0 record, the Knights have lost six of their last seven games. Their most recent loss was a 48-9 blowout against Texas Tech.
The offense and defense were both disappointing against the Red Raiders. The Knights had no running game and quarterback Tayven Jackson only threw for 178 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. The defense gave up 294 yards in the air and 205 yards on the ground.
UCF will have a chance to get their second win in Big 12 play when they face Oklahoma State this weekend.
#13: West Virginia (Record: 4-7, 2-6 in the Big 12)
The Mountaineers had a chance to win three consecutive games and keep their bowl game hopes alive. Those opportunities were lost when WVU lost to Arizona State by a narrow score of 25-23.
West Virginia was able to keep the game competitive and even had the lead in the fourth quarter. The momentum truly shifted in favor of the Mountaineers when quarterback Scotty Fox Jr. threw a checkdown pass to running back Cyncir Bowers, who then ran the ball for 90 yards and scored a touchdown. Arizona State would then score a game-winning field goal and shut down WVU’s offense, effectively ending the Mountaineers’ chances of playing in a bowl game.
The recent stretch for West Virginia has been more encouraging for the team’s future outlook. Head coach Rich Rodriguez has also been successful in recruiting as WVU most recently landed 2026 four-star IOL Kevin Brown, a player who was recently committed to Penn State.
The Mountaineers will enter their last bye week before facing Texas Tech in their last game of the season.
#12: Kansas (Record: 5-5, 3-4 in the Big 12)
Kansas is coming off their bye week with a loss to Arizona. It has been a disappointing year for the Jayhawks as they’ve only had conference wins against three teams with losing records. They’ve also had two conference losses that were one-score games and two blowout losses that both ended in a 42-17 score.
In their most recent loss to Arizona, sixth-year senior Jalon Daniels did not turn the ball over and was the leading rusher for the Jayhawks with 74 rushing yards. He also threw for 199 yards and scored two total touchdowns. Despite his performance, Kansas was unable to keep up with Arizona’s offense as the Jayhawks lost by a score of 24-20.
Kansas will have a chance to qualify for a bowl game if they can defeat Iowa State this weekend.
#11: Kansas State (Record: 5-5, 4-3 in the Big 12)
Kansas State got back in the win column this past weekend by defeating Oklahoma State. This win was rather less impressive as they only won by a score of 14-6. The Wildcats are still technically in the hunt for the Big 12 championship, but with the team being seventh in the Big 12 standings, the odds of winning it all are near zero.
The offense struggled immensely against the Cowboys last weekend. Quarterback Avery Johnson went 15-of-28, threw for 177 yards, and threw one touchdown and interception. The defense stepped up by intercepting Oklahoma State three times and recovering two fumbles.
Kansas State has a chance to climb up the power rankings if they can defeat Utah on the road this weekend.
#10: Baylor (Record: 5-5, 3-4 in the Big 12)
Baylor doesn’t have a bad loss on their record, but their strongest win in Big 12 play was only against Kansas State. The Bears have been unable to defeat a top Big 12 team, with their most recent loss coming against Utah this past weekend.
Quarterback Sawyer Robertson did everything he could to keep it competitive with the Utes, throwing for 430 yards and three touchdowns. Robertson now has 3,210 total passing yards, which once again leads all of college football. Against Utah, he did throw two costly interceptions, with one of them being returned for a touchdown. Baylor’s defense got dominated on the ground as the Utes rushed for 380 total yards and scored five rushing touchdowns.
Baylor will have a chance to qualify for a bowl game when they face Arizona this weekend.
#9: TCU (Record: 6-4, 3-4 in the Big 12)
For a while, TCU only had two losses and was in the Big 12 championship picture. The Horned Frogs then lost consecutive games to Iowa State and BYU. With a 3-4 conference record and a difficult remaining schedule, TCU’s postseason future is a bowl game and nothing more.
In their 44-13 loss to BYU, quarterback Josh Hoover had one of his worst games of the season, throwing for 183 yards and two interceptions. One of those interceptions was returned for a 68 yard touchdown. TCU’s defense gave up four touchdowns and three field goals, putting the game out of reach.
TCU’s schedule doesn’t get easier as their last two opponents are against Houston and Cincinnati. A victory over either team could shake up the Big 12 championship picture.
#8: Iowa State (Record: 6-4, 3-4 in the Big 12)
Iowa State exited the Big 12 championship race with four consecutive conference losses. Before their recent bye week, the Cyclones did get back in the win column after defeating TCU by a score of 20-17.
In their victory, the Cyclones were surprisingly not led by quarterback Rocco Becht, who only completed nine of his 24 passing attempts and threw two interceptions. The offense was able to score two total touchdowns to get points on the board for Iowa State. The defense and special teams stepped up the most, as Iowa State had two interceptions and punt returner Aiden Flora returned a punt for a touchdown.
Iowa State will have a chance to finish their season on a high note as they face Kansas and Oklahoma State over the next two weeks.
#7: Arizona (Record: 7-3, 4-3 in the Big 12)
Arizona was ranked tenth in the power rankings last week as they were lacking a statement win in conference play. They got that win last weekend as they defeated Cincinnati on the road by a score of 30-24. That win puts the Wildcats in the upper half of the Big 12 standings.
Against Cincinnati, quarterback Noah Fifita continued his solid season by throwing for 294 yards and a touchdown. The run game was also effective as three running backs for Arizona combined for 194 rushing yards and scored two touchdowns. The Wildcats’ defense also made an impact by intercepting Cincinnati twice.
Arizona has a winnable final two weeks as they will face Baylor and Arizona State. Even if they can win both games, it will still be unlikely for the Wildcats to make the Big 12 championship.
#6: Arizona State (Record: 7-3, 5-2 in the Big 12)
The remaining Big 12 teams in the power rankings still have a realistic chance of making the Big 12 championship. Arizona State seemed to be out of this race once they lost starting quarterback Sam Leavitt for the rest of the season, but they have won two consecutive games and have a 5-2 conference record.
Senior quarterback Jeff Sims is playing his best football of the season for the Sun Devils at the most important time. Last week against West Virginia, the dual-threat quarterback threw for 207 yards, rushed for 81 yards, and threw three touchdown passes. Sophomore receiver Derek Eusebio also stepped up with 74 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Arizona State’s last two opponents this season are Colorado and Arizona. If the Sun Devils can win both games, they will need BYU, Utah, and Houston to fall in the standings in order to make it to the Big 12 championship for a second consecutive season.
#5: Cincinnati (Record: 7-3, 5-2 in the Big 12)
Cincinnati suffered a major blow to their championship hopes when they lost to Arizona by a score of 30-24 this past weekend. The Bearcats are now sixth in the Big 12 standings and no longer control their own destiny to make the Big 12 championship.
Against the Wildcats, quarterback Brendan Sorsby did score two touchdowns, but he also threw two costly interceptions. The running game for the Bearcats was effective, but it was not enough to make up for Sorsby’s turnovers. Cincinnati’s defense also gave up 294 passing yards and 181 rushing yards to Arizona.
Cincinnati’s season will be officially on the line this weekend when they face BYU in a crucial matchup for both teams.
#4: Houston (Record: 8-2, 5-2 in the Big 12)
Houston is coming out of their bye week with some hope of making the Big 12 championship. The Cougars are tied for third in the Big 12 standings but do not control their own destiny going forward.
Going into their last two games, Houston doesn’t have great momentum as they suffered a devastating loss to West Virginia and narrowly defeated a struggling UCF team. The bye week came at a perfect time for quarterback Conner Weigman as he threw five interceptions in his past two games.
Houston will face TCU and Baylor over the next two weeks. Since they do not control their own destiny, they will need to win out and hope that BYU and Utah can drop in the standings.
#3: Utah (Record: 8-2, 5-2 in the Big 12)
Utah is having a strong season with an 8-2 overall record and are currently on a three-game winning streak. All three of those wins were blowout games for the Utes.
Most recently against Baylor, the run game for Utah completely dominated as the Utes rushed for 380 total yards. The leading rusher was backup quarterback Byrd Ficklin, who rushed for 166 yards and a touchdown on only six attempts. Utah’s defense contributed greatly as the unit recorded two sacks and two interceptions, one of them being returned for a touchdown.
Despite being third in the Big 12 standings, the Utes have a tough path to the Big 12 championship as they have a head-to-head loss to BYU. Utah will need to win against Kansas State and Kansas and then hope that their in-state rival can have a late season collapse.
#2: BYU (Record: 9-1, 6-1 in the Big 12)
After losing to Texas Tech, BYU recovered in the best way possible by defeating TCU by a score of 44-13. With a 6-1 conference record, the Cougars are second in the Big 12 standings and control their own destiny in making the Big 12 championship and potentially the College Football Playoff.
Against TCU, freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier had a rebound performance by throwing for 296 yards and two total touchdowns. It was BYU’s defense that helped secure the win as the unit recorded four sacks and two interceptions. Similar to Utah, one of them was also returned for a touchdown.
BYU’s next matchup is against Cincinnati on the road this weekend. If BYU wins, they can likely cruise to the Big 12 championship with their last opponent being against UCF. If the Cougars lose, the Big 12 remains wide open.
#1: Texas Tech (Record: 10-1, 7-1 in the Big 12)
Texas Tech has taken full control over the Big 12 with a 7-1 conference record. The Red Raiders are first in the Big 12 standings and are currently projected to make the College Football Playoff.
Texas Tech most recently dominated UCF by a score of 48-9. Senior linebacker David Bailey recorded a sack against the Knights, increasing his total to 12.5, a number that leads all of college football. It was his fellow senior linebacker Jacob Rodriguez that received more national attention as he recorded nine total tackles, one interception, and scored a rushing touchdown on offense.
The Red Raiders are getting it done on both sides of the ball. They will enter their bye week before facing West Virginia at the end of November. If Texas Tech defeats the Mountaineers, they will likely be a lock for the College Football Playoff, no matter the outcome of the Big 12 championship game.