Big 12 play has officially begun, and teams are already making a statement in the conference. The top of the Big 12 consists of teams such as Iowa State, Arizona State, BYU, and Texas Tech. All these teams are currently ranked in the AP Poll.
The bottom teams in the Big 12 have faced unfortunate circumstances such as injuries and head coach firings. Entering Week 6, now would be the time for these Big 12 teams to turn their season around unless they plan on staying at the bottom of these rankings all year
Here are our Big 12 Power Rankings Entering Week 6.
#16: Oklahoma State (Record: 1-3, 0-1 in the Big 12)
It has been a rough season for the Oklahoma State. After losing to Oregon and Tulsa, the Cowboys made the decision to move on from longtime head coach Mike Gundy. Along with Gundy, Oklahoma State also fired defensive coordinator Todd Grantham. Players such as safety Dylan Smith have officially entered the transfer portal.
Oklahoma State has started Big 12 play with a loss to Baylor. They have a challenging schedule against Arizona, Houston, and Cincinnati in their next three games. With Mike Gundy fired, the Cowboys’ chances of winning the Big 12 are near impossible.
#15: Colorado (Record: 2-3, 0-2 in the Big 12)
Colorado had big shoes to fill after the departure of Shedeur Sanders and Heisman winner Travis Hunter. Head coach Deion Sanders acquired numerous transfers on the offensive side of the ball such as quarterback Kaidon Salter.
A question that faces this Buffaloes team is who will be the starting quarterback? During Colorado’s week two victory over Delaware, Sanders chose to play Salter, freshman Julian Lewis, and sophomore Ryan Staub. Sanders stayed with Staub for the entire week three matchup against Houston where he struggled mighty, throwing two interceptions and having a QBR rating of 28.2. Against BYU, Sanders went back to Salter in a losing effort.
With Colorado having an 0-2 record in the Big 12 and a large quarterback question, their season is only trending downwards.
#14: West Virginia (Record: 2-3, 0-2 in the Big 12)
The Mountaineers were riding into Big 12 play with a lot of momentum after defeating Pitt in the Backyard Brawl. That momentum has quickly evaporated as they are winless two games into their conference slate,
West Virginia has been decimated with injuries. Starting running back Jahiem White is out for the season and Tye Edwards has been nursing an injury since his breakout performance in the Backyard Brawl. Starting quarterback Nicco Marchiol has a foot injury which could sideline him for multiple weeks.
The offense has not been able to find any success in Big 12 play. Head coach Rich Rodriguez has not had consistent quarterback play from backup Jaylen Henderson. Rodriguez could choose to give freshman quarterback Khalil Wilkins a chance to play against Utah, but the struggles will persist without a strong offensive line and an injured running back room. With the defense allowing 40-plus points in back-to-back games as well, the Mountaineers’ chances of instant success are slim.
#13: UCF (Record: 3-1, 0-1 in the Big 12)
The Knights had a successful start to their season, winning their first three games. Their most notable win was against Bill Belichick’s struggling North Carolina team.
Entering Big 12 play, the Knights had a disappointing loss to Kansas State by a score of 34-20. A strength for UCF’s offense is their running game. Against the Wildcats, UCF rushed for 205 yards, led by senior running back Myles Montgomery. He is the new starting running back after RJ Harvey got drafted by the Denver Broncos.
The defense is a concern after giving up 34 points to the Wildcats, but they did not allow more than ten points in their first three games. If their defense can limit Big 12 offenses, the Knights can move further up in the rankings.
#12: Kansas State (Record: 2-3, 1-1 in the Big 12)
Kansas State had a very rough start to their season after losing to Iowa State in Ireland. Their losses to Iowa State and Army took the Wildcats out of the AP Top 25. They also have a loss to Big 12 opponent Arizona.
What keeps the Wildcats away from the bottom is that they recently had a statement victory against UCF. Quarterback Avery Johnson has looked to turn his season around after multiple underwhelming performances. Against UCF, Johnson went 18-of-25 passing, threw for 168 yards, and two passing touchdowns. The Wildcats also have a healthy Dylan Edwards, who rushed for 166 yards and had a rushing touchdown.
The Wildcats will look to win two straight games in the Big 12 when they face Baylor this week.
#11: Arizona (Record: 3-1, 0-1 in the Big 12)
Sticking with another Wildcats team, Arizona started off their season strong with three straight victories, including a win against Kansas State.
Entering official Big 12 play, the Wildcats suffered their first loss of the season against Iowa State by a score of 39-14. Returning quarterback Noah Fifita is looking for a new top receiver to throw to after losing Tetairoa McMillan to the first round of the NFL draft. Receivers such as Kris Hutson and Chris Hunter will need to continue to step up. Arizona’s defense cannot afford to give up 39 points to one of the best teams in the Big 12 if they want to win a championship this season.
#10: Kansas (Record: 3-2, 1-1 in the Big 12)
Kansas has faced a much tougher schedule than most teams in the Big 12 to start their season. In the Jayhawks’ third game of the season, they kept their game close but were defeated by now ranked Missouri. Entering Big 12 play, the Jayhawks dominated the Mountaineers but then lost a close game to Cincinnati.
The Jayhawks are relying on sixth-year senior Jalon Daniels to take Kansas to a Big 12 Championship. The dual-threat quarterback recently threw the ball for 455 yards and rushed for 55 yards against Cincinnati. His main concern is staying healthy for the entire season, a task he finally achieved in 2024.
#9: TCU (Record: 3-1, 0-1 in the Big 12)
The Horned Frogs had a great start to their season by dominating North Carolina, which was also Bill Belichick’s first game with the Tar Heels. They were recently ranked in the AP Poll after defeating former playoff team SMU.
TCU would quickly be removed from the AP Top 25 after losing on the road to Arizona State. The Horned Frogs blew a 17-point lead as well as giving up 10 points in the final two minutes of the game. Quarterback Josh Hoover will need to correct his turnover problems as he threw two interceptions and lost a fumble against the Sun Devils.
#8: Baylor (Record: 3-2, 1-1 in the Big 12)
Like Kansas, Baylor had a much tougher schedule to start their season but were able to make an early statement. In their second game, the Bears defeated SMU by a score of 48-45, a game that removed SMU from the AP Top 25. Despite having tough losses to Auburn and Arizona State, Baylor most recently defeated Oklahoma State by a score of 45-27.
The Bears are led by quarterback Sawyer Robertson, who has had a sensational season so far. The senior quarterback has already thrown for 1,713 yards and 17 touchdowns, which leads all conferences. Robertson is already over halfway to his 3,071 passing yards from last season. If Robertson can continue his superb play, the Bears can make noise in the Big 12.
#7: Utah (Record: 4-1, 1-1 in the Big 12)
The Utes had a strong, but slightly overrated start to their season. After beating UCLA, Cal Poly and Wyoming, Utah was immediately ranked in the AP Top 25. They would be quickly removed from the poll after getting blown out against Texas Tech.
Utah would get a much-needed rebound win after defeating West Virginia on the road. Defensive end John Henry Daley recorded half a sack against the Mountaineers, improving his college-leading total to 6.5 sacks. The Utes will also continue to rely on dual-threat quarterback Devon Dampier. Dampier had five total touchdowns against West Virginia. The Utes have a chance to climb the Big 12 rankings when they face Arizona State after their bye week.
#6: Cincinnati (Record: 3-1, 1-0 in the Big 12)
The Bearcats are currently undefeated in the Big 12 after defeating Kansas by a score of 37-34. Their only loss this season came in week one against a talented Nebraska team.
Junior quarterback Brendan Sorsby threw for 388 yards and two touchdowns against the Jayhawks. Running back Tawee Walker, a transfer from Wisconsin, led the Bearcats in rushing attempts and scored two touchdowns against Kansas. Cincinnati will face their toughest task this week when they take on undefeated Iowa State.
#5: Houston (Record: 4-0, 1-0 in the Big 12)
Hoston has already won as many games as they won last season. The Cougars are looking to have a complete turnaround with second year head coach Willie Fritz.
The Cougars’ most notable win was against Big 12 opponent Colorado. Dual-threat quarterback Connor Weigman had 222 passing yards and two rushing touchdowns against the Buffaloes. Weigman formerly played at Texas A&M where he lost the starting job to Marcel Reed. He now looks to lead the Cougars to a Big 12 Championship. Houston will look to remain undefeated as they take on Texas Tech this weekend.
#4: BYU (Record: 4-0, 1-0 in the Big 12)
The 23rd ranked team in the country has one of the easiest first-half schedules in the Big 12. The Cougars have defeated Portland State, Stanford, East Carolina, and Colorado this season, and play West Virginia and Arizona in their next two games. Their toughest stretch of the season will be when they face Iowa State and Texas Tech in back-to-back weeks.
After losing Jake Retzlaff in the transfer portal, freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier has done an admirable job as the starter, throwing for 697 yards and six touchdowns this season so far. The freshman can also use his legs, as he rushed for 98 yards against Colorado. He will have another chance to find his confidence this week against a West Virginia team that is struggling to find momentum.
#3: Texas Tech (Record: 4-0, 1-0 in the Big 12)
Currently ranked fifth in the Big 12, Texas Tech has a much stronger victory compared to the previous two teams mentioned. Two weeks ago, the Red Raiders dominated Utah, who was ranked in the AP Poll at the time. Texas Tech is currently ranked 11th in the AP Top 25.
Texas Tech has been able to play two quarterbacks in every game this season due to their games being all blowouts. Senior Behren Morton is currently the starting quarterback, but backup redshirt freshman Will Hammond has gotten ample amount of playing time. The Red Raiders have yet to give up more than 14 points on defense, a statistic they would like to maintain when they face Houston this week.
#2: Arizona State (Record: 4-1, 2-0 in the Big 12)
The defending Big 12 champions had a scare earlier in the season when they lost to a talented Mississippi State team. The Sun Devils would quickly ease any concerns after winning three straight games. Arizona State most recently defeated Big 12 opponents Baylor and TCU
Many concerns were brought up after the Sun Devils lost their star running back Cam Skattebo. Those concerns have been eased with starting running back Raleek Brown rushing for 506 yards so far this season.
The most exciting part of this Arizona State team is the quarterback-wide receiver duo of Sam Leavitt and Jordyn Tyson. Leavitt is a returning quarterback with NFL draft aspirations. Against TCU, Leavitt threw for 291 yards and scored three total touchdowns. Star wide receiver Jordyn Tyson had eight receptions for 126 receiving yards and two touchdowns against the Horned Frogs. His 483 total receiving yards is fifth in all of college football.
The 25th ranked team in college football will look to remain undefeated when they take on Utah after their bye week.
#1: Iowa State (Record: 5-0, 2-0 in the Big 12)
The best team in the Big 12 and the 14th ranked team in college football, Iowa State has had the strongest start out of any Big 12 team this season. The Cyclones are currently undefeated and have two wins in the Big 12, the first being in week zero against Kansas State.
Iowa State is led by returning quarterback Rocco Becht. Becht has remained impressive after losing wide receivers Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel in the NFL Draft. Last week against Arizona, Becht had 243 passing yards and three rushing touchdowns. Receivers such as Chase Sowell and Brett Eskildsen will need to step up even more if they want to replace the production Higgins and Noel provided.
The Cyclones will face Cincinnati this Saturday, where they will try to keep their undefeated season alive.