photo by: AP Photo/Jeffrey D. Allred

Utah quarterback Devon Dampier lights the U after a victory over Arizona State during an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, in Salt Lake City.

For the second straight week, Texas Tech is the unanimous pick for the top spot in the Big 12 power rankings.

Who’s second is a tossup.

The Red Raiders, who climbed to seventh in the Associated Press rankings this week, received all 16 first-place votes from a panel of media members who regularly cover the Big 12.

The next three spots are separated by a single point.

No. 24 Cincinnati and Utah tied for second with 216 points, while BYU was just one point back in fourth.

There should be some clarity after this weekend when No. 23 Utah and No. 15 BYU meet in the Holy War in Provo, Utah. It’s the first time the two schools have been ranked in the rivalry game since 2009.

1. Texas Tech

Previous ranking: 1

Points: 256 (16 first-place votes)

Record: 6-0 (3-0 Big 12)

Last week: beat Kansas, 42-17

This week: at Arizona State

Comment: Behren Morton still can’t stay on the field, and it might not matter with a defense that can actually stop opponents and a balanced offense that has put up over 500 yards of total offense in five out of six games (the outlier being 484 yards in the road win at Utah).

Did you know? Texas Tech last won five straight road games in the early 1970s, a feat the Red Raiders can achieve by topping the Sun Devils this week. — Nathan Giese, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

T2. Cincinnati

Previous ranking: 3

Points: 216

Record: 5-1 (3-0 Big 12)

Last week: beat UCF, 20-11

This week: at Oklahoma State

Comment: The Bearcats got out to a 17-3 halftime lead but struggled to get much going offensively in the second half as UCF possessed the ball. Cincinnati had a touchdown called back on a penalty and red-zone fumble that forced a field goal. Brendan Sorsby did have two first-half touchdown tosses to Jeff Caldwell.

Did you know? Cincinnati hasn’t had five straight wins since Luke Fickell’s last season. The Bearcats entered the Top 25 Sunday for the first time since November 2022. — Scott Springer, Cincinnati Enquirer

T2. Utah

Previous ranking: T6

Points: 216

Record: 5-1 (2-1 Big 12)

Last week: beat Arizona State, 42-10

This week: at No. 15 BYU

Comment: Utah’s offense scored more than 40 points for the fourth time this season, guiding the Utes to a decisive victory over defending Big 12 champion Arizona State.

Did you know? Devon Dampier is the first Utah quarterback since Travis Wilson in 2015 to rush for at least 100 yards in a contest. — Jason Batacao, The Salt Lake Tribune

4. BYU

Previous ranking: 4

Points: 215

Record: 6-0 (3-0 Big 12)

Last week: beat Arizona, 33-27 in double overtime

This week: vs. No. 23 Utah

Comment: BYU came back in double overtime to beat Arizona.

Did you know? BYU running back LJ Martin had over 100 yards to get to the 600-yard threshold through six games. — Kevin Reynolds, The Salt Lake Tribune

5. Arizona State

Previous ranking: 2

Points: 176

Record: 4-2 (2-1 Big 12)

Last week: lost to Utah, 42-10

This week: vs. No. 7 Texas Tech

Comment: The Sun Devils were down several starters, including quarterback Sam Leavitt, but were no match for Utah, which dominated all facets of the game. It was ASU’s fourth loss to Utah in the last five years.

Did you know? It was the Sun Devils’ worst loss since a 49-13 setback to No. 6 Oregon in 2023. — Michelle Gardner, Arizona Republic

6. Baylor

Previous ranking: 8

Points: 170

Record: 4-2 (2-1 Big 12)

Last week: Open date

This week: at TCU

Comment: Baylor used the first open week of last season to hit the reset button and finished the regular season on a six-game winning streak. The Bears hope this year is similar. Plenty of players plan to see the field sooner than later, including offensive lineman Omar Aigbedion and safety Carl Williams IV. Running back Bryson Washington has been battling an injury for the last two weeks. The 121st iteration of The Revivalry is on deck.

Did you know? Quarterback Sawyer Robertson is off to one of the best starts to a season in Baylor history and currently leads the nation in passing yards (2,058), passing yards per game (343), passing touchdowns (19) and points responsible for (122). — Zach Smith, Waco Tribune-Herald

7. Houston

Previous ranking: 11

Points: 160

Record: 5-1 (2-1 Big 12)

Last week: beat Oklahoma State, 39-17

This week: vs. Arizona

Comment: One more win would make Houston bowl eligible for the first time since 2022, a major accomplishment in coach Willie Fritz’s second season. A big reason for the turnaround is a top-25 defensive unit and offense, led by quarterback Conner Weigman, that has more than doubled its scoring output (14.0 points to 29.2 yards) from last season.

Did you know? Houston held Oklahoma State to 239 yards, fewest against a Power Four team since Vanderbilt had 185 yards in 2015. — Joseph Duarte, Houston Chronicle

8. Iowa State

Previous ranking: 5

Points: 142

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

Last week: lost to Colorado, 24-17

This week: Open week

Comment: Iowa State ranks 112th nationally in quarterback sacks with eight. The Cyclones have ranked 105th or worse in that statistic since 2022, or one season after former star Will McDonald — the program’s only first-round NFL Draft pick since 1973 — exhausted his eligibility.

Did you know? Iowa State hasn’t lost three or more games in a row since enduring a five-game skid in the 2022 season, but that could change on Oct. 25 when No. 15 BYU comes to Ames, Iowa. — Rob Gray, Cedar Rapids Gazette

9. TCU

Previous ranking: T6

Points: 123

Record: 4-2 (1-2 Big 12)

Last week: lost to Kansas State, 41-28

This week: vs. Baylor

Comment: TCU’s inability to win in Manhattan, continued this past weekend. Now, the Frogs turn their attention to rival Baylor, with each team needing a win to feel better about its Big 12 standing. The loser will likely be having hard conversations about where to go from here.

Did you know? The Frogs have been outscored 113-50 in their last three trips to Kansas State. — Jamie Plunkett, Horned Frog Blitz

10. Arizona

Previous ranking: 10

Points: 110

Record: 4-2 (1-2 Big 12)

Last week: lost to No. 18 BYU, 33-27 in double overtime

This week: at Houston

Comment: Arizona frittered away a 10-point lead to the undefeated BYU Cougars and dropped arguably the biggest home game of the Brent Brennan era. Arizona hasn’t beaten BYU since the 2008 Las Vegas Bowl and has lost five straight to the Cougars. Five of Arizona’s next six opponents, including the Houston Cougars, have winning records.

Did you know? Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita has the third-most all-time touchdown passes (59) by a Wildcat and passed Khalil Tate last week. Fifita trails Nick Foles and Willie Tuitama, who both have 67 career passing touchdowns. — Justin Spears, Arizona Daily Star

11. Kansas

Previous ranking: 9

Points: 106

Record: 4-3 (2-2 Big 12)

Last week: lost to No. 9 Texas Tech, 42-17

This week: Open date

Comment: The Jayhawks careened wildly from one extreme to another against the Red Raiders, as a disastrous defensive start gave way to a dominant second quarter, which then led to a poor second half. When all was said and done, KU had allowed Tech to score bunches of three consecutive touchdowns on two separate occasions, dealing the Jayhawks a tough road loss as they entered their second open week of the year.

Did you know? The nine sacks KU allowed against the Red Raiders were the most in a single game in the Lance Leipold era. The Jayhawks allowed just 10 during the entirety of the 2024 season. — Henry Greenstein, Lawrence Journal-World

12. Kansas State

Previous ranking: 12

Points: 100

Record: 3-4 (2-2)

Last week: beat TCU, 41-28

This week: Open date

Comment: K-State turned in its most complete game of the season on Saturday, using two defensive scores and a three-touchdown day from quarterback Avery Johnson to stifle a TCU team that was thought to be one of the best in the conference.

Did you know?The Wildcats now head into the off week with a season-defining game at Kansas awaiting. K-State has won 16 straight Sunflower Showdowns. — Tim Everson, The Manhattan Mercury

13. Colorado

Previous ranking: 14

Points: 80

Record: 3-4 (1-3 Big 12)

Last week: beat No. 22 Iowa State, 24-17

This week: Open date

Comment: CU finally closed out a close game against a good opponent. After disappointing second halves in losses to Georgia Tech, Houston, BYU and TCU (outscored a combined 69-30 after halftime), the Buffs outscored the Cyclones 17-7 in the final two quarters, including 10-0 in the last 20 minutes. In particular, quarterback Kaidon Salter bounced back with a solid performance.

Did you know? The Buffs snapped an eight-game losing streak to ranked opponents, beating a top-25 team for the first time since head coach Deion Sanders’ CU debut at No. 17 TCU on Sept. 2, 2023. — Brian Howell, Boulder Daily Camera

14. UCF

Previous ranking: 13

Points: 49

Record: 3-3 (0-3 Big 12)

Last week: lost to Cincinnati, 20-11

This week: vs. West Virginia

Comment: Quarterback Cam Fancher combined for 330 yards of total offense, including a game-high 108 yards rushing, but it wasn’t enough as UCF trailed 17-0 in the first half before eventually losing 20-11. The Knights lost despite leading the game in total yards (413), total plays (90) and time of possession (39:44).

Did you know? Fancher’s 100-yard rushing performance was his first since leading Marshall to a 35-21 win over Arkansas State on Nov. 25, 2023. — Matt Murschel, Orlando Sentinel

15. West Virginia

Previous ranking: 15

Points: 31

Record: 2-4 (0-2 Big 12)

Last week: Open date

This week: at UCF

Comment: The goal for West Virginia in the second half of the season is to establish some cohesion on both sides of the ball. That can start with stability at quarterback, where redshirt freshman Khalil Wilkins looks to build on a promising starting debut at BYU.

Did you know? After racking up 13 sacks in the first three weeks of the season, the Mountaineers haven’t gotten to an opposing quarterback in their last three games. — Cody Nespor, Gold and Blue Nation

16. Oklahoma State

Previous ranking: 16

Points: 17

Record: 1-5 (0-3 Big 12)

Last week: lost to Houston, 39-17

This week: vs. No. 24 Cincinnati

Comment: For at least one more week, Oklahoma State will lean on receiver Sam Jackson to start at quarterback. The team is now down to two options at tight end following recent opt-outs, so don’t be shocked if a sixth offensive lineman continues to rotate in as the Cowboys cobble this lineup together.

Did you know? Homecoming is serious business here, and the Cowboys back it up on the field, winning seven of the last nine. Both losses came against Big 12 championship game participants Baylor (2019) and Arizona State (2024). — Tyler Waldrep, Pistols Firing