Another week of Big 12 play is in the books. BYU is the only undefeated team remaining in the Big 12 with their victory against Utah. TCU and Arizona State climb the rankings after much-needed rebound wins.
The bottom of the Big 12 has stayed the same. Oklahoma State and WVU continue to lose games and have very little time to make an impact in the conference. With another exciting Big 12 slate this weekend, the top of the Big 12 will look to continue their pursuit of a Big 12 championship.
Here are our Big 12 Power Rankings entering Week 9 – and before you start in, make sure to check out last week's rankings as well.
#16: Oklahoma State (Record: 1-6, 0-4 in the Big 12)
The only victory the Cowboys have came in week one where they defeated UT Martin by a score of 27-7. It has been a disaster for Oklahoma State since, losing six straight games and going winless in Big 12 play.
Since firing head coach Mike Gundy, the Cowboys have struggled on both sides of the ball. The offense is now led by quarterback Sam Jackson V, who previously played as a wide receiver. As a quarterback this season, Jackson V has thrown for 310 total yards, one touchdown, two interceptions, and a QBR of 19.3. With the defense recently giving up 49 points against Cincinnati, the Cowboys cannot afford to have bad quarterback play going forward.
Things will only continue to get worse for the Cowboys this week as they face a strong Texas Tech team looking to get back on track.
#15: West Virginia (Record: 2-5, 0-4 in the Big 12)
Back in September, the Mountaineers had an incredible win against Pitt in the Backyard Brawl. In that game, WVU was led by quarterback Nicco Marchiol and running back Tye Edwards. Since that game, both Marchiol and Edwards suffered season-ending injuries and the Mountaineers have been blown out in every single game.
West Virginia had a chance to get a win that could’ve turned their season around when they faced UCF last week. Instead, it was more of the same as the Knights dominated the Mountaineers by a score of 45-13. Aside from the WVU defense intercepting UCF twice, there were no positive takeaways from this game. The defense has been constantly gashed on the ground and in the air since entering Big 12 play. The offense is down to two freshman quarterbacks and head coach Rich Rodriguez does not know which one to roll with for the rest of the season. What makes it tough for Rodriguez is that both quarterbacks did not look good against UCF, and there is currently no strong running game to rely on.
The Mountaineers will take on TCU this weekend in their annual coal rush game. Hopefully the fans will not be hitting the exits by halftime. A win in Morgantown can at least improve the confidence the fan base has in the current staff.
#14: UCF (Record: 4-3, 1-3 in the Big 12)
UCF finally got their first win in Big 12 play by defeating West Virginia by a score of 45-13. This win should not be seen as much though, as WVU is currently one of the worst performing teams in the Big 12. Despite the win being an easy one, it could be a game that can build momentum for the Knights going forward.
The offense finally came alive for the Knights last week. Quarterback Tayven Jackson was highly effective throwing the football as he threw for 277 yards, two touchdowns and only one interception. Running back Jaden Nixon was also effective as he rushed for 116 yards and two touchdowns. The UCF defense created nightmares for the West Virginia offense, as the Knights had seven total sacks, seven passes deflected, and a touchdown off a recovered fumble.
The Knights will enter their bye week with solid momentum. They will take on Baylor at the beginning of November.
#13: Colorado (Record: 3-4, 1-3 in the Big 12)
Colorado is coming off their bye week and will take on Utah this weekend. Before their bye, the Buffaloes had a statement win against formerly ranked Iowa State.
It seems like head coach Deion Sanders has decided on a starting quarterback for the rest of the season. Senior quarterback Kaidon Salter had a solid performance against the Cyclones as he threw for 255 yards and rushed for 57 yards. With just five more games left for the Buffaloes, they can either make a push for the Big 12 or at most, play spoiler.
#12: Kansas (Record: 4-3, 2-2 in the Big 12)
Kansas if coming off of a much needed bye week. Before the bye, the Jayhawks had a humiliating loss against Texas Tech by a score of 42-17.
If Kansas wants to make any noise in the second half of their season, their defense will need to step up. Against Texas Tech, the Jayhawks gave up 372 yards on the ground alone. Giving up that many rushing yards in a single game means the opposing offense is dominating the time of possession, making it harder for talented quarterback Jalon Daniels to see the field.
Kansas will have a chance to build a winning streak as they take on Kansas State this weekend.
#11: Arizona (Record: 4-3, 1-3 in the Big 12)
Arizona falls one spot in the rankings after they most recently lost to Houston by a score of 31-28. The Wildcats also have lost to Iowa State and BYU during Big 12 play.
Against Houston, starting quarterback Noah Fifita had a near perfect passing game as he completed 24 of his 26 passing attempts, 269 passing yards and two touchdowns. The struggles for the Wildcats came on the defensive side of the ball. Arizona’s defense gave up 232 yards on the ground against Houston. 98 of those yards came from the quarterback alone. Arizona will look to fix their defense after their upcoming bye week.
#10: Kansas State (Record: 3-4, 2-2 in the Big 12)
Kansas State is coming out of their bye week with some much needed momentum. Before the bye, the Wildcats won a meaningful Big 12 game against TCU.
Starting quarterback Avery Johnson is beginning to play up to his potential. After a disappointing start to his season, Johnson has led the Wildcats to a 2-2 Big 12 record. Against TCU, Johnson threw for 198 passing yards and three touchdowns. Johnson will look to improve further this weekend as the Wildcats take on Kansas in an in-state showdown.
#9: Baylor (Record: 4-3, 2-2 in the Big 12)
Baylor drops one spot in the rankings after losing to TCU last weekend. Before their loss, the Bears were on a two-game winning streak as they defeated Kansas State and Oklahoma State.
Quarterback Sawyer Robertson continues to lead all of college football in passing yards with 2,376 yards. Against TCU, Robertson struggled with his accuracy as he completed 25 of his 52 passing attempts, threw two touchdowns and three interceptions. Baylor’s defense also allowed TCU’s offense to do whatever they wanted as they gave up 231 passing yards and 196 rushing yards. Baylor will have a tough matchup against Cincinnati this weekend, but could be a season-altering moment if the Bears can pull off the victory.
#8: TCU (Record: 5-2, 2-2 in the Big 12)
TCU climbed up three spots in the power rankings as they got back on track with a home victory against Baylor. The Horned Frogs now have a 5-2 record this season and are 2-2 in the Big 12.
Quarterback Josh Hoover is beginning to look like one of the most talented quarterbacks in the Big 12. This season, Hoover has thrown for 2,124 yards (5th in all of college football), 21 passing touchdowns and only six interceptions. Hoover was extremely efficient against the Bears last week as he threw for 231 yards and three passing touchdowns. The junior quarterback will have a chance to improve his statistics as TCU travels to West Virginia this weekend.
#7: Iowa State (Record: 5-2, 2-2 in the Big 12)
Iowa State was once ranked number one in the power rankings. Since starting their season with a five-game winning streak, they suffered two losses in Big 12 play against Cincinnati and Colorado. The Cyclones are now coming out of a well-timed bye week.
Iowa State has a difficult upcoming schedule against BYU and Arizona State. If the Cyclones want to get back to the top of the Big 12, they will need quarterback Rocco Becht to play at an elite level. This season, Becht has thrown for 1,622 passing yards, nine passing touchdowns and only three interceptions. Against Colorado though, Becht didn’t throw a single touchdown pass and threw one interception. If Iowa State wants to win the Big 12, they will need Becht to win games like he did earlier in the season.
#6: Houston (Record: 6-1, 3-1 in the Big 12)
The success of Houston has been a pleasant surprise in the Big 12. Head coach Willie Fritz is entering his second season with Houston. In 2024, Houston had a 4-8 record, but have completely turned it around in 2025. Houston’s success is proof that sometimes it will take time for a head coach to turn a program around.
Houston finally got an impressive Big 12 victory when they defeated Arizona by a score of 31-28. Transfer quarterback Conner Weigman had his most impressive game with the Cougars as he threw for 164 yards and rushed for 98 yards against the Wildcats. He also scored four total touchdowns, paving the way for Houston to have a 6-1 record. Houston has a chance to enter the top five next week as the Cougars take on Arizona State this weekend.
#5: Utah (Record: 5-2, 2-2 in the Big 12)
Despite losing last week to BYU and currently tenth in the Big 12 standings, Utah is still one of the top teams in the Big 12. The Utes also have a statement win in the Big 12 when they defeated Arizona State by a score of 42-10.
The Holy War game was a mixed bag for the Utes last weekend. Utah’s running game continued to be dominant as they rushed for 244 total yards. Defensive end John Henry Daley continued his successful season with a sack against BYU, increasing his sack total to nine. Utah’s problem against BYU is that they had two turnovers compared to BYU’s zero turnovers. Quarterback Devon Dampier threw an interception and punt returner Mana Carvalho had a fumble.
When they don’t turn over the football, Utah is still a formidable Big 12 team. Their next chance to get a win will be against Colorado this weekend.
#4: Arizona State (Record: 5-2, 3-1 in the Big 12)
The Sun Devils climbed a spot in the rankings as they defeated a formerly undefeated Texas Tech team last weekend. Arizona State is now ranked 24th in the AP Top 25 and is third in the Big 12 standings.
The Sun Devils got quarterback Sam Leavitt back from injury against Texas Tech. Leavitt showed no signs of injury as he threw for 319 passing yards and one touchdown. NFL prospect Jordyn Tyson had ten receptions for 105 yards and one touchdown against the Red Raiders as well. Arizona State’s defense impressed as well against Texas Tech as the group recorded two sacks and one interception. The Sun Devils will look to climb the Big 12 standings and power rankings as they play Houston and Iowa State over the next two weeks.
#3: Cincinnati (Record: 6-1, 4-0 in the Big 12)
Cincinnati continues to keep winning as they are currently on a six-game winning streak. Their most impressive win this season was against Iowa State (back when the Cyclones were undefeated). The Bearcats are ranked 21st in the AP Top 25 and are second in the Big 12 standings.
Cincinnati’s last matchup was an easy one against Oklahoma State, but the Bearcats did everything they were supposed to do. Against the Cowboys, quarterback Brendan Sorsby threw for 284 passing yards and four touchdowns. Senior cornerback Matthew McDoom had the play of the game when he scored a 100 yard pick-six.
The Bearcats do not have a matchup against any of the bottom five teams in the power rankings going forward, making the rest of their season more difficult. Their next matchup will be against Baylor this weekend.
#2: Texas Tech (Record: 6-1, 3-1 in the Big 12)
Texas Tech is no longer at the top of the power rankings as they suffered their first defeat of the season in an upset loss to Arizona State that ended with a field storming. Despite their loss, the Red Raiders are still fourth in the Big 12 standings and 14th in the AP Top 25.
A factor to consider in Texas Tech’s loss to Arizona State is that the Red Raiders were missing their starting quarterback Behren Morton due to injury. In Morton’s absence, freshman quarterback Will Hammond did a fine job, throwing for 167 passing yards, three total touchdowns and one interception. The running game was a main component for Texas Tech’s defeat. Running back Cameron Dickey went from having 263 rushing yards against Kansas to only 40 rushing yards against Arizona State.
The Red Raiders’ defense will need to continue to step up, especially if Morton is out for another game. Senior linebacker David Bailey will be further relied on, as he’s having a fantastic season so far. Against the Sun Devils, Bailey recorded two sacks and five total tackles. He currently has 10.5 sacks this season, a number that leads all of college football.
Texas Tech will look to get an easier win this weekend as they take on Oklahoma State at home.
#1: BYU (Record: 7-0, 4-0 in the Big 12)
BYU is officially at the top of the power ranking and first in the Big 12 standings. The Cougars are still undefeated and are ranked 11th in the AP Top 25.
Last week against Utah, BYU was able to dominate the ground game on the way to a massive win. Running back LJ Martin rushed for 122 yards on 26 carries. Freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier also contributed on the ground with 64 rushing yards and one touchdown.
The defense for the Cougars helped turn the tide against the Utes. BYU’s defense recorded three sacks, one interception, four deflected passes, and a fumble recovery.
The defense for BYU will need to stay consistent as the Cougars have a difficult schedule ahead. The next opponents for the number one team in the Big 12 are Iowa State, Texas Tech, TCU and Cincinnati.