So far, things have gone mostly to plan in the Big 12 football race.
BYU, Utah and Texas Tech lead the way, while Houston and Arizona are sticking around after early conference losses, in case one of the top schools slips.
There are some exciting developments, though. Baylor has joined Oklahoma State as a surprise league contender after the Bears went on the road and thumped Arizona State in Tempe.
It sets up October to be entertaining, as schools vie to gain an upper hand in the Big 12 chase — and with schools like Iowa State and West Virginia lurking as potential spoilers.
Here’s a look at how the league stacks up following Week 5 of the 2026 college football season.
Utah wide receiver Braden Pegan (7) celebrates after catching a touchdown pass during game against Iowa State, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026, in Ames, Iowa. | AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall 1. Utah Utes (4-0, 1-0 Big 12)Previous ranking: No. 1 (↔️)Last week: ByeNext game: Saturday vs. Kansas, 8:15 p.m. MDT (ESPN)
Through the first third of its season, Utah has been the most complete team in the Big 12, which lands them in the No. 1 spot for the time being — and it could be a lengthy stay.
The Utes aren’t likely to be challenged for at least a couple more weeks, either, with a home game against Kansas followed by a trip to Colorado. ESPN’s Football Power Index gives Utah better than an 85% chance to beat both the Jayhawks and Buffaloes.
Kansas has allowed the fewest amount of yards per game to its opponents among Big 12 schools and could make Utah earn its yards and points on offense. Where the Jayhawks are likely to struggle, though, is on offense — the Utes are giving up just 10.3 points per game, which leads the conference.
2. BYU Cougars (4-0, 2-0 Big 12)Previous ranking: No. 2 (↔️)Last week: Beat TCU, 17-10Next game: Friday vs. Iowa State, 8:15 p.m. MDT (ESPN)
In the immediate aftermath of BYU’s sloppy win over TCU — in part due to soggy weather, but also because of a lack of sharpness from the Cougars — I contemplated moving BYU to the No. 3 spot in these power rankings, especially after Texas Tech ran away from Colorado in the fourth quarter.
Here’s why I changed my mind. BYU, even with an awful passing day and easily its worst offensive output of the season, still never trailed against TCU, won the turnover battle and even led by 10 with two minutes to play. Plus, the Cougars still rate as the second-most efficient team in the league in ESPN’s metrics, even with those struggles.
Injuries, though, are mounting for BYU, and that list now includes star running back LJ Martin and standout linebacker Isaiah Glasker. Both players have already been ruled out for the Iowa State game, which could be a tricky contest for BYU against a program that is exceeding its preseason expectations.
Texas Tech tight end Terrance Carter Jr. celebrates after his touchdown catch during game against Colorado Saturday, Oct. 3 2026, in Boulder, Colo. | David Zalubowski, Associated Press 3. Texas Tech Red Raiders (5-0, 2-0 Big 12)Previous ranking: No. 3 (↔️)Last week: Beat Colorado, 29-7Next game: Oct. 17 vs. Arizona State, 1:30 p.m. MDT (Fox)
There were plenty of eyebrows raised when Texas Tech went into halftime trailing Colorado 7-3. The Red Raiders’ offense continues to sputter — it did that several times against the Buffaloes — but it’s the defensive side that has Texas Tech in strong Big 12 contention again. In the win over Colorado, the Red Raiders had four second-half interceptions, helping them pull away in the fourth quarter.
Now, Texas Tech gets a week off before its next matchup. The Red Raiders will be hosting Arizona State, the only team to beat Texas Tech in the regular season last year — though Kenny Dillingham’s team doesn’t look nearly as strong this season.
4. Oklahoma State Cowboys (3-1, 1-0 Big 12)Previous ranking: No. 4 (↔️)Last week: ByeNext game: Saturday vs. UCF, 10 a.m. MDT (ESPN2)
The eye test is favorable for the Cowboys. Ever since that season-opening loss to Tulsa, Oklahoma State has looked like it has the tools available to make a serious run at the Big 12 championship.
The Cowboys return to action after a bye week with a home matchup against UCF. The Knights gave Houston a game last week for the better part of three quarters, but Oklahoma State and its explosive offense should provide fits for UCF.
5. Arizona Wildcats (4-1, 1-1 Big 12)Previous ranking: No. 6 (⬆️ 1)Last week: Beat Cincinnati, 34-7Next game: Saturday at West Virginia, 10 a.m. MDT (TNT)
Following two straight games where Arizona came out slow at the start before earning double-digit wins, the Wildcats looked much sharper earlier in the game against Cincinnati. That crispness paid off in the team’s most dominant victory to date, as Arizona steamrolled the previously unbeaten Bearcats.
The difficult games just keep coming, though — the Wildcats, who have one of the most difficult Big 12 conference schedules this season, now must hit the road to take on West Virginia. While the Mountaineers have lost two straight, including a thriller last week against Iowa State, their rushing attack is dangerous.
Houston quarterback Conner Weigman (1) runs to the end zone for a touchdown during game against UCF in Houston, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. | Ashley Landis, Associated Press 6. Houston Cougars (4-1, 1-1 Big 12)Previous ranking: No. 5 (⬇️ 1)Last week: Beat UCF, 27-17Next game: Saturday at Kansas State, 1:30 p.m. MDT (Fox)
When UCF went up 17-0 in the third quarter, a mistake-prone Houston team appeared to be in serious danger of falling to 0-2 in Big 12 play and essentially cutting itself out of the league chase before it even began. The Cougars, though, rallied and scored 27 unanswered to take care of UCF.
Houston’s trip to Kansas State this week has the appearance of a game that could be tight. Colin Klein’s Wildcats lost their Big 12 opener against Cincinnati, but Kansas State presents some challenges for the Cougars.
7. Baylor Bears (4-1, 2-0 Big 12)Previous ranking: No. 10 (⬆️ 3)Last week: Beat Arizona State, 55-19Next game: Oct. 17 vs. TCU, 5 p.m. MDT (FS1)
Don’t look now, but Baylor is one of only five Big 12 teams who remains undefeated in conference play. The last victory was impressive, as the Bears marched into Tempe and scored a season-high 55 points against the Sun Devils.
Can Baylor sustain the success it’s built during a four-game win streak? The Bears are likely to be favored in their next five games — a noticeably generous scheduling quirk — before finishing the year against three teams — BYU, Texas Tech and Houston — who are currently ranked in the top 25.
8. Iowa State Cyclones (3-2, 1-1 Big 12)Previous ranking: No. 12 (⬆️ 4)Last week: Beat West Virginia, 45-42Next game: Friday at No. 8 BYU, 8:15 p.m. MDT (ESPN)
This Iowa State team under Jimmy Rogers is fun to watch. In a game where defense largely became optional, the Cyclones got the final stop they needed to beat West Virginia in a thriller. Iowa State’s fumble recovery with under a minute to play sealed the win.
The Cyclones don’t appear to be serious enough contenders for the Big 12 crown, but they do appear to have the capability of creating chaos with unexpected results. The tough part, though, is that Iowa State must now head West to take on BYU in Provo, a challenging place to play, especially when the Cougars are executing at a high level.
9. West Virginia Mountaineers (3-2, 0-2 Big 12)Previous ranking: No. 8 (⬇️ 1)Last week: Lost to Iowa State, 45-42Next game: Saturday vs. Arizona, 10 a.m. MDT (TNT)
Rich Rodriguez has his Mountaineers much more competitive than a season ago, thanks in no small part to guys like transfers Michael Hawkins Jr. and Cam Cook. Unfortunately, West Virginia has come out on the losing end of its first two Big 12 games because it struggles to stop the opposition — the Mountaineers have given up an average of 43 points so far in league play.
Now, West Virginia must face Arizona and arguably the Big 12’s top quarterback, Noah Fifita, who has led the Wildcats to three straight victories. The QB matchup of Hawkins and Fifita is worth tuning in for, and there’s likely to be some explosive offense in this one.
10. Cincinnati Bearcats (4-1, 1-1 Big 12)Previous ranking: No. 7 (⬇️ 3)Last week: Lost to Arizona, 34-7Next game: Oct. 17 at West Virginia, 10 a.m. MDT (TNT)
Cincinnati’s luck ran out in Tucson last week, as the Wildcats dominated to hand the Bearcats their first loss of the season. JV French IV couldn’t get the Cincinnati offense going — the Bearcats had just 227 yards of offense, with 75 of those yards coming on a late-game drive that kept Cincinnati from being shut out.
Scott Satterfield’s squad gets a chance to reset with a bye this week. Then comes a huge stretch — after playing at West Virginia, Cincinnati faces Texas Tech, Utah and Houston in consecutive weeks.
11. Kansas State Wildcats (3-1, 0-1 Big 12)Previous ranking: No. 11 (↔️)Last week: ByeNext game: Saturday vs. No. 22 Houston, 1:30 p.m. MDT (Fox)
How will the Wildcats respond to their first loss of the season? Kansas State had a bye week to sort some things out, after losing to Cincinnati in its Big 12 opener.
To avoid starting conference play 0-2, though, Kansas State will need to beat Houston, a flawed but ranked opponent that has shown it has the horsepower to compete for the Big 12 title. While the Wildcats’ Big 12 schedule is one of the most favorable in the league this season, Saturday’s matchup is critical for their conference hopes.
12. Arizona State Sun Devils (2-2, 1-1 Big 12)Previous ranking: No. 9 (⬇️ 3)Last week: Lost to Baylor, 55-19Next game: Saturday vs. Hawaii, 8:30 p.m. MDT (FS1)
Kenny Dillingham didn’t mince words — he was thoroughly disappointed after Arizona State was blown out at home by Baylor. The Sun Devils never had an answer for stopping the Bears, who rolled up 564 yards of offense and forced Arizona State into three turnovers.
After playing two straight Big 12 games, the Sun Devils are hosting Hawaii in their final nonconference contest of the year. Arizona State needs to rebound before getting back into a stretch of league play that includes facing Texas Tech and BYU on the road later this month, sandwiched around a home game against Kansas State.
13. UCF Knights (3-2, 1-1 Big 12)Previous ranking: No. 13 (↔️)Last week: Lost to No. 20 Houston, 27-17Next game: Saturday at No. 18 Oklahoma State, 10 a.m. MDT (ESPN2)
Everything fell apart for UCF after building a 17-0 lead in the third quarter against Houston. The Knights looked primed for an upset and a 2-0 start to Big 12 play, but once Houston finally scored, the Cougars seized momentum and rallied with 27 straight points in just under a quarter and a half.
It doesn’t get easier for UCF this week. The Knights have to hit the road and face an Oklahoma State team that is coming off a bye — before that, the Cowboys were playing as good as anyone in the conference. Oklahoma State, led by Drew Mestemaker, also has one of the most dangerous offenses in the Big 12.
14. Kansas Jayhawks (2-2, 0-1 Big 12)Previous ranking: No. 15 (⬆️ 1)Last week: Beat MTSU, 55-0Next game: Saturday at No. 12 Utah, 8:15 p.m. MDT (ESPN)
Chalk up another win for the Jayhawks, as they handled their Conference USA opponent last week. Kansas put up 706 yards of offense in the shutout, including 480 on the ground, though the Jayhawks’ passing game still leaves a lot to be desired.
This week starts a stretch where Kansas will play three of its next four games on the road, and it doesn’t get much tougher than having to face Utah at Rice-Eccles Stadium. The Utes are the most efficient Big 12 team at this point in the season and should roll past the Jayhawks.
TCU quarterback Jaden Craig (1) is sacked by BYU linebacker Braxton Lindsey, bottom, during game Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, in Fort Worth, Texas. | LM Otero, Associated Press 15. TCU Horned Frogs (2-3, 0-2 Big 12)
Things are unraveling in Fort Worth — fans were calling for Sonny Dykes to be fired during the Horned Frogs’ loss to BYU, even as TCU’s defense kept them in a sloppy game that the Cougars never led by double-digits until just over two minutes remained. The Horned Frogs’ offense is the main culprit — they’re averaging just 11.5 points per game in league play so far.
There’s a week off to shore things up, but after losing two straight to begin Big 12 play, TCU is already irrelevant in the conference chase. Plus, a road game at rival Baylor — one of the hottest teams in the Big 12 — awaits after the bye.
16. Colorado Buffaloes (2-3, 0-2 Big 12)Previous ranking: No. 16 (↔️)Last week: Lost to No. 12 Texas Tech, 29-7Next game: Oct. 17 vs. No. 12 Utah, 8:15 p.m. MDT (ESPN or ESPN2)
Another week, another disappointing result for Colorado. This time, the Buffaloes had a 7-3 halftime lead on defending Big 12 champion Texas Tech, but Colorado was undone by four second-half interceptions, including a pick-six where John Curry intercepted Isaac Wilson in his own end zone for the shortest touchdown possible.
It’s difficult to guess when Colorado’s next win might come — following a bye, the Buffaloes host Utah, then hit the road to take on Oklahoma State. It could be another long season in Boulder.
Colorado quarterback Isaac Wilson looks to throw a pass during game against Texas Tech, Saturday, Oct. 3 2026, in Boulder, Colo. | David Zalubowski, Associated Press