Big 12 football fans, live it up — there are currently more Big 12 teams in the top 10 of the latest Associated Press Top 25 rankings than SEC teams.

Scoreboard — Big 12 3, SEC 2.

BYU (ranked No. 2), Texas Tech (No. 8) and Utah (No. 10) are all still unbeaten, sitting at 6-0 overall and 3-0 in league play. That trio also makes up half of the remaining unbeaten teams at the FBS level.

Teams like Houston and Arizona aren’t too far behind, either — they’re both ranked, and Oklahoma State sits just outside the top 25 after a close loss to Houston.

It’s setting up for an entertaining back half of the 2026 season.

Here’s how the league stacks up following Week 7 of the college football season.

BYU fans stormed the field after the Cougars beat No. 2 Notre Dame 28-24 at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026.1. BYU Cougars (6-0, 3-0 Big 12)

Statement made.

BYU’s thrilling win over Notre Dame is one of the most impactful victories in program history and puts the Cougars in great position to finally break through to the College Football Playoff if they take care of business in the second half of the schedule.

It’s also a huge win for the Big 12 and its national perception.

Saturday’s game could definitely be a trap game — UCF, despite its record, has played multiple ranked teams tough and had its chances to beat both Houston and Oklahoma State.

2. Texas Tech Red Raiders (6-0, 3-0 Big 12)Previous ranking: No. 3 (⬆️ 1)Last week: Beat Arizona State, 53-25Next game: Saturday at Cincinnati, 10 a.m. MDT (FS1)

That was the kind of performance folks have been looking for from the defending Big 12 champions, as Texas Tech rolled up over 500 yards of offense and led Arizona State 43-10 at halftime. It was the Red Raiders’ most complete performance of the season.

Texas Tech will be favored again this week when it heads to Cincinnati. Following that, the Red Raiders will host another huge Big 12 game, with No. 25 Arizona coming to Lubbock on Halloween.

Utah’s Braden Pegan, center, is congratulated after stopping a last-second touchdown against Colorado Saturday, Oct. 17 2026, in Boulder, Colo. | David Zalubowski, Associated Press 3. Utah Utes (6-0, 3-0 Big 12)Previous ranking: No. 1 (⬇️ 2)Last week: Beat Colorado, 27-24Next game: Saturday vs. No. 14 Houston, 8:15 p.m. MDT (ESPN)

The important thing is that Utah’s ugliest game of the season still ended up with Utah on top. The Utes let Colorado back into the game in the second half and had to stave off a spirited Buffaloes effort, but Utah had several times where timely individual efforts helped the Utes avoid the upset.

It sets the stage for another important contest in the Big 12 chase, with Houston — and “College GameDay” — coming to Salt Lake City on Saturday.

The Cougars are rolling, beating previously ranked Oklahoma State last week in a tight matchup to extend their winning streak to four games. Utah largely dominated its opponents in September and needs to tap back into the efficiency it showed back then.

Houston quarterback Conner Weigman (1) signals first down after a rush during game against Oklahoma State, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026, in Houston. | Eric Christian Smith, Associated Press 4. Houston Cougars (6-1, 3-1 Big 12)Previous ranking: No. 6 (⬆️ 2)Last week: Beat No. 18 Oklahoma State, 35-32Next game: Saturday at No. 10 Utah, 8:15 p.m. MDT (ESPN)

Houston passed its latest test, beating another top-20 team, Oklahoma State, in the best Big 12 Conference matchup last week, one that is likely to have an impact on the league chase. Conner Weigman is dominating — he threw five touchdowns in the victory, helping the Cougars build a double-digit second-half lead on multiple occasions before fending off a late Cowboys charge.

Houston’s next game — at No. 10 Utah — is its toughest challenge remaining on its schedule. Win, and the Cougars’ hopes to reach the Big 12 championship game get a major boost. Utah hasn’t been as sharp its past few games, but the Utes have earned their top-10 position.

5. Arizona Wildcats (5-1, 2-1 Big 12)Previous ranking: No. 4 (⬇️ 1)Last week: ByeNext game: Saturday vs. Iowa State, 5:30 p.m. MDT (ESPN2)

Arizona was able to sit back and relax with all the glorious chaos going on around it both in the Big 12 and around the college football world in Week 7.

The Wildcats get back into action against an Iowa State team that is better than expected. That precedes a road date with No. 8 Texas Tech on Halloween — if Arizona can extend its winning streak in these next two games, the Wildcats will have their opportunity in November to stake a claim at a spot in the Big 12 title game.

6. Oklahoma State Cowboys (4-2, 2-1 Big 12)Previous ranking: No. 5 (⬇️ 1)Last week: Lost to No. 20 Houston, 35-32Next game: Saturday vs. Colorado, 5 p.m. MDT (FS1)

Oklahoma State put up a good fight, but the Cowboys didn’t have enough to best Houston. They fell behind 14-3 at halftime after a slow start and lost the time of possession battle by more than 10 minutes, and it cost Oklahoma State in a game that will be important to the Big 12 race at the end of the season.

That is the last matchup against a ranked team for a while for the Cowboys — following this weekend’s home game against Colorado, Oklahoma State plays at Iowa State and Kansas State before hosting No. 8 Texas Tech on Nov. 14.

7. Iowa State Cyclones (3-3, 1-2 Big 12)Previous ranking: No. 9 (⬆️ 2)Last week: ByeNext game: Saturday at No. 25 Arizona, 5:30 p.m. MDT (ESPN2)

Iowa State benefited in the Big 12 power rankings by not playing this past week, and letting losses by others surrounding them lift the Cyclones up a couple of spots.

Jimmy Rogers’ squad is earning respect around the league for its tenacity, and while it hasn’t equated to more than a .500 record thus far, Iowa State looks like it will be competitive and be in the battle for bowl eligibility.

8. Kansas State Wildcats (4-2, 1-2 Big 12)Previous ranking: No. 14 (⬆️ 6)Last week: Beat Kansas, 35-24Next game: Saturday at Arizona State, 1:45 p.m. MDT (ESPN2)

Call this a course correction, after I unfairly penalized Kansas State too much for a 19-point loss to Houston. While the Wildcats are a tier below the Big 12’s top teams, they’ve shown enough that they could play spoiler in the league race — in their most recent game, Kansas State overcame an early 10-point deficit and several mistakes to handle Kansas for its 18th straight win in the rivalry.

The Wildcats will play three of their next four games on the road, beginning with a matchup against floundering Arizona State this weekend. Kansas State is in a strong position to finish in the top half of the conference.

West Virginia QB Michael Hawkins Jr. (3) throws a touchdown pass to Josh Sapp (0) against Cincinnati during game in Morgantown, W.Va., Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026. | Gregory Payan, Associated Press 9. West Virginia Mountaineers (4-3, 1-3 Big 12)Previous ranking: No. 13 (⬆️ 4)Last week: Beat Cincinnati, 45-42Next game: Saturday at TCU, 10 a.m. MDT (ESPN2)

West Virginia may have the league’s worst defense, but they sure are one of the more entertaining Big 12 teams to watch, thanks to an exciting offense paced by Michael Hawkins Jr. and Cam Cook. The Mountaineers snapped their losing streak by rallying with 10 points in the final four minutes, including the game-winning field goal as time expired.

Saturday’s matchup with TCU should be interesting — the Horned Frogs are solid defensively but struggle to score, the opposite of West Virginia. A Mountaineer victory would move them to within one win of bowl eligibility going into November.

10. TCU Horned Frogs (3-3, 1-2 Big 12)Previous ranking: No. 15 (⬆️ 5)Last week: Beat Baylor, 17-6Next game: Saturday vs. West Virginia, 10 a.m. MDT (ESPN2)

TCU absolutely needed a win after its slow start to the season, and the Horned Frogs delivered with a victory over their rival, Baylor. It’s impressive, given how well the Bears had been playing prior to last weekend’s matchup — perhaps the Horned Frogs can use that effort to springboard them to more success in the back half of the schedule.

That begins Saturday when TCU hosts West Virginia in a matchup of teams in the bottom half of the Big 12 standings. With games against Arizona, Utah and Texas Tech waiting in November, the Horned Frogs can’t afford a loss this week if they want to become bowl eligible.

11. Baylor Bears (4-2, 2-1 Big 12)Previous ranking: No. 7 (⬇️ 4)Last week: Lost to TCU, 17-6Next game: Saturday at Kansas, 11 a.m. MDT (TNT)

It’s tough to get a good read on Baylor — one week, the Bears look like they could be a factor in the Big 12 chase, and the next week, they struggle. The 11-point loss to TCU falls into the latter category, as Baylor dropped its first conference game of the year.

Like TCU, the Bears have a killer stretch at the end of the regular season — they face BYU, Texas Tech and Houston in back-to-back-to-back weeks. Baylor needs to find some consistency over the next three weeks if it hopes to 1) reach bowl eligibility and/or 2) keep itself an active participant in the Big 12 chase.

12. UCF Knights (3-3, 1-2 Big 12)Previous ranking: No. 11 (⬇️ 1)Last week: ByeNext game: Saturday vs. No. 2 BYU, 1:30 p.m. MDT (Fox)

UCF had an advantageous bye week, getting to rest for an extra week before BYU, fresh off a victory over Notre Dame, comes to Orlando. Can the Knights, who’ve been competitive in games they were expected to lose, spring an upset?

BYU is the third straight ranked team UCF is facing. After that, the schedule eases up a bit, and the Knights could get on a roll. Four of their final six games are at home.

13. Cincinnati Bearcats (4-2, 1-2 Big 12)Previous ranking: No. 8 (⬇️ 5)Last week: Lost to West Virginia, 45-42Next game: Saturday vs. No. 8 Texas Tech, 10 a.m. MDT (FS1)

A couple of weeks ago, the Bearcats were unbeaten and looking like they could factor into the Big 12 chase, even if they weren’t among the favorites. Two straight losses, though, including a setback against West Virginia, has Cincinnati searching for answers heading into a tough stretch.

Over the next three weeks, the Bearcats will host Texas Tech and Utah, then hit the road to face Houston. That’s all before Cincinnati plays at BYU to end the regular season. Getting to six wins and bowl eligibility won’t be easy.

Texas Tech running back Quinten Joyner (0) runs with the ball while Arizona State defensive back Jessiah McGrew (23) attempts to tackle during game, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026, in Lubbock, Texas. | Annie Rice, Associated Press 14. Arizona State Sun Devils (3-3, 1-2 Big 12)Previous ranking: No. 10 (⬇️ 4)Last week: Lost to No. 10 Texas Tech, 53-25Next game: Saturday vs. Kansas State, 1:45 p.m. MDT (ESPN2)

Things are not looking good for Kenny Dillingham and his Sun Devils squad after their second straight blowout loss in Big 12 play. Arizona State gave up 53 points to Texas Tech two weeks after allowing Baylor to score 55, and there are plenty of conference teams who can take advantage of that kind of porous defense.

For a program two years removed from winning the Big 12 title, the realistic goal this year isn’t a conference title, it’s becoming bowl eligible. To make the postseason, the Sun Devils can ill afford a loss to Kansas State, especially with a trip to BYU the next week.

15. Colorado Buffaloes (2-4, 0-3 Big 12)

It’s another loss, but Colorado’s effort against Utah gives them a little boost in the power rankings this week. The Buffaloes couldn’t overcome their slow start — they trailed 13-0 at halftime — but they managed to make the fourth quarter interesting and had chances to earn the win.

Quarterback Isaac Wilson wasn’t perfect, but he showed glimpses for Colorado when he faced his former team. Can Wilson and the Buffaloes build off that in the back half of the season?

16. Kansas Jayhawks (2-4, 0-3 Big 12)Previous ranking: No. 12 (⬇️ 4)Last week: Lost to Kansas State, 35-24Next game: Saturday vs. Baylor, 11 a.m. MDT (TNT)

There are times when Kansas looks much more competitive than its record — for a while, the Jayhawks were giving Utah a game two weeks ago, and this past weekend, they got out to a 10-point first quarter lead against Kansas State. The problem is, Kansas isn’t able to sustain those successful moments.

The Jayhawks have one of the more favorable back-half schedules in the Big 12 this year, with only one more ranked team, BYU, remaining, and possibly a second in Oklahoma State. The next month, there are opportunities for Kansas to string together some wins.

Kansas State running back Joe Jackson (4) is tackled by Kansas cornerback Austin Alexander (0) during game Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026, in Manhattan, Kan. | Charlie Riedel, Associated Press