photo by: AP Photo/Matthew Putney

Kansas tight end Boden Groen (88) celebrates his touchdown with offensive lineman Nolan Gorczyca (59) during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Iowa State, Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, in Ames, Iowa. Iowa State won 38-14.

Texas Tech remained the unanimous No. 1 in this week’s Big 12 power rankings and remains on a collision course for a rematch with BYU in the league title game in Arlington, Texas, on Dec. 6.

Tech received all 16 first-place votes from a panel of media who regularly cover the Big 12. BYU was second, followed by Utah, Arizona State and Arizona. Kansas remained at No. 12 entering a battle with third-ranked Utah.

1. Texas Tech

Previous ranking: 1

Points: 256 (16 first-place votes)

Record: 10-1 (7-1 Big 12)

Last week: Open date

This week: at West Virginia

Comment: Everything dreamed of in the offseason is in front of the Red Raiders, as they need to just beat a struggling Mountaineers team to get to the Big 12 title game and most likely the College Football Playoff. Texas Tech has won five of the last six meetings with WVU.

Did you know? Jacob Rodriguez hit the campaign trail during the off week to hype up his Heisman candidacy. Rodriguez is the only FBS player since 2005 to have at least five forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and four interceptions in the same season. — Nathan Giese, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

2. BYU

Previous ranking: 2

Points: 239

Record: 10-1 (7-1 Big 12)

Last week: beat Cincinnati, 26-14

This week: vs. UCF

Comment: BYU inched closer to the Big 12 title game with a double-digit win over Cincinnati.

Did you know? BYU head coach Kalani Sitake has won 10 games for fourth time since 2020. — Kevin Reynolds, The Salt Lake Tribune

3. Utah

Previous ranking: 3

Points: 225

Record: 9-2 (6-2 Big 12)

Last week: beat Kansas State, 51-47

This week: vs. Kansas (Friday)

Comment: For the first time in a while, the Utes were forced to play in a close game, and Devon Dampier delivered with a game-winning drive. Utah still has a fighter’s chance at making the Big 12 championship game and earning an at-large College Football Playoff bid entering the final week of the regular season.

Did you know? Freshman quarterback Byrd Ficklin now has 10 rushing touchdowns on the season after his three-touchdown performance against Kansas State. — Jason Batacao, The Salt Lake Tribune

4. Arizona State

Previous ranking: 4

Points: 201

Record: 8-3 (6-2 Big 12)

Last week: beat Colorado, 42-17

This week: vs. Arizona (Friday)

Comment: Raleek Brown ran for a career-high 255 yards and caught a 33-yard touchdown pass to propel the Sun Devils past the Buffaloes. The performance helped ASU overcome four turnovers, but the defense responded and ASU gave up just three points off those turnovers even though two came inside its own 10-yard line.

Did you know? Brown’s total was the highest single-game total in a road game in school history. It ranks third overall to Eno Benjamin’s 312 yards against Oregon State in 2018 and Cam Skattebo’s 262 against Mississippi State in 2024. Both of those were home games. — Michelle Gardner, Arizona Republic

5. Arizona

Previous ranking: 6

Points: 192

Record: 8-3 (5-3 Big 12)

Last week: beat Baylor, 41-17

This week: vs. Arizona State (Friday)

Comment: Arizona is now on a four-game winning streak, which is the longest since it won nine games between the 2023 and ’24 seasons. The Wildcats outscored Baylor 27-0 in the second half and forced three takeaways in the fourth quarter.

Did you know? It’s the first time since 2014 that Arizona and ASU are entering the Territorial Cup with at least eight wins. — Justin Spears, Arizona Daily Star

6. Houston

Previous ranking: 5

Points: 156

Record: 8-3 (5-3 Big 12)

Last week: lost to TCU, 17-14

This week: at Baylor

Comment: While Houston has doubled its win total from 2024, the Cougars will certainly be thinking what-if after losing as a ranked team for the second time this season. Beat West Virginia and TCU at home, and the Cougars enter the final weekend of the regular season in the mix for a spot in the Big 12 championship game. Instead, the Cougars will attempt to reach nine wins for just the eighth time since 1990 and settle for a likely trip to the Alamo Bowl or Texas Bowl.

Did you know? A win against Baylor in Waco, Texas, would give Houston a 6-0 road record, matching 2011 and 2021 for the best in school history. — Joseph Duarte, Houston Chronicle

7. Cincinnati

Previous ranking: 7

Points: 155

Record: 7-4 (5-3 Big 12)

Last game: lost to No. 11 BYU, 26-14

This week: at TCU

Comment: The Bearcats didn’t convert a scoring opportunity from the 3-yard line, missed three field goals and fumbled at the BYU 17 to leave multiple points on the field. Brendan Sorsby threw for 300 yards and two touchdowns, but UC was held to 87 rushing yards.

Did you know? Cincinnati is 2-2 vs TCU but hasn’t won in Fort Worth. — Scott Springer, Cincinnati Enquirer

8. TCU

Previous ranking: 10

Points: 144

Record: 7-4 (4-4 Big 12)

Last week: beat No. 23 Houston, 17-14

This week: vs. Cincinnati

Comment: Just when it looked like TCU was going to fully spiral, the Frogs pull off a ranked win on the road. They are out of the Big 12 title race, but a win over Cincinnati in the regular season finale could do a lot for team and fan morale.

Did you know? TCU’s win over Houston was the Horned Frogs’ first win over a ranked opponent since beating Michigan in the 2022 Fiesta Bowl. — Jamie Plunkett, Horned Frog Blitz

9. Iowa State

Previous ranking: 9

Points: 139

Record: 7-4 (4-4 Big 12)

Last week: beat Kansas, 38-14

This week: at Oklahoma State

Comment: Iowa State has won at least seven games in eight of the past nine seasons. The Cyclones won a program-record 11 games in 2024, and if they record victories against the Cowboys and the ensuing bowl game, could notch nine or more wins in a season for the fifth time in program history.

Did you know? Iowa State kicker Kyle Konrardy was named the Big 12 special teams player of the week after drilling a 55-yard field goal against Kansas. It’s the third time this season Konrardy’s enjoyed that honor, and the 63-yard field goal he made in a Week 1 rout of South Dakota is the longest in FBS this season. — Rob Gray, Cedar Rapids Gazette

10. Kansas State

Previous ranking: 8

Points: 125

Record: 5-6 (4-4 Big 12)

Last week: lost to No. 12 Utah, 51-47

This week: vs. Colorado

Comment: Kansas State put up a valiant effort on Saturday, putting up school records in total rushing yards per game as a team and as an individual for Joe Jackson, but it wasn’t enough.

Did you know? The Wildcats are still one win away from bowl eligibility after Saturday’s loss. A bowl streak of five straight seasons will be on the line when Colorado comes to town. — Tim Everson, The Manhattan Mercury

11. Baylor

Previous ranking: 11

Points: 95

Record: 5-6 (3-5 Big 12)

Last week: lost to Arizona, 41-17

This week: vs. Houston

Comment: For the second game in a row, Baylor collapsed in the second half, this time in a road loss to Arizona. After leading at halftime, the Bears allowed 27 unanswered points in the second half to lose for the fourth time in the last five games. They need to win in the regular season finale against Houston to reach bowl eligibility for the second year in a row.

Did you know? Dave Aranda is officially being retained for the 2026 season. He is 36-36 in nearly six full seasons as Baylor head coach. — Zach Smith, Waco Tribune-Herald

12. Kansas

Previous ranking: 12

Points: 88

Record: 5-6 (3-5 Big 12)

Last week: lost to Iowa State, 38-14

This week: vs. No. 14 Utah (Friday)

Comment: KU certainly didn’t look like a team fighting for a postseason berth when it came out flat at Iowa State and got shut out in the first half. The Jayhawks took a resounding 38-14 loss and now for the second consecutive year are 5-6 entering a decisive game on Thanksgiving weekend. Last year they had tons of momentum and got blown out by Baylor; this time they possess no momentum and have to face Utah, one of the top teams in the league, on a short week.

Did you know? The Jayhawks have struggled to force turnovers all season, and one of the most telling stats in that regard is that no KU cornerback has intercepted a pass this year. — Henry Greenstein, Lawrence Journal-World

13. West Virginia

Previous ranking: 13

Points: 57

Record: 4-7 (2-6 Big 12)

Last week: Open date

This week: vs. No. 7 Texas Tech

Comment: West Virginia closes out the season by hosting the top team in the conference. With seven losses, the Mountaineers aren’t playing for anything other than pride and a big win to close out Rich Rodriguez’s first season back.

Did you know? WVU will miss out on a bowl game for the third time in seven years. Before then, West Virginia had made a bowl game 16 times in the previous 17 years. — Cody Nespor, Gold and Blue Nation

14. UCF

Previous ranking: 14

Points: 52

Record: 5-6 (2-6 Big 12)

Last week: beat Oklahoma State, 17-14

This week: at No. 11 BYU

Comment: UCF found itself in a familiar position, trailing Oklahoma State 14-0 at halftime during its home finale on Saturday. This marked the second time this season that the Knights were held scoreless before the break. However, in the second half, quarterback Tayven Jackson connected on two touchdown passes to tight end Dylan Wade, and kicker Noe Ruelas delivered a clutch 34-yard field goal with less than a minute remaining, giving the Knights a thrilling comeback win.

Did you know? Noe Ruelas’ field goal marked the kicker’s first-ever game-winning kick and it was the first game-winning field goal by a UCF kicker since Colton Boomer’s helped the Knights to an 18-16 win at Boise State on Sept. 9, 2023. — Matt Murschel, Orlando Sentinel

15. Colorado

Previous ranking: 15

Points: 37

Record: 3-8 (1-7 Big 12)

Last week: lost to No. 25 Arizona State, 42-17

This week: at Kansas State

Comment: Despite the final score, CU was very much in the game early in the fourth quarter last week. The Buffs trailed 21-17 and had a first down at the ASU 26-yard line. Then, CU inexplicably gave a walk-on, converted wide receiver his first career touch in that moment and he fumbled. ASU scored on an 88-yard run the next play and tacked on two more scores after that.

Did you know? CU head coach Deion Sanders was 10-7 in his first 17 home games with the Buffs, with all seven losses by one score (a total margin of 33 points). In his last two games at Folsom Field, Sanders’ team has been defeated by 35 and 25 points. — Brian Howell, Boulder Daily Camera

16. Oklahoma State

Previous ranking: 16

Points: 16

Record: 1-10 (0-8 Big 12)

Last week: lost to UCF, 17-14

This week: vs. Iowa State

Comment: Oklahoma State has lost 18 straight games against Big 12 competition. Five of those losses came by one possession, including both of the last two, in large part because the defense only gave up 9 of 29 third-down conversions, which ties Texas Tech and BYU’s season-long percentage, ranking 11th nationally.

Did you know? Oklahoma State’s defense held two straight Big 12 opponents to 17 or fewer points. Oklahoma State held two total opponents to 17 or fewer points from 2022 to 2024. — Tyler Waldrep, Pistols Firing