Welcome back to our Big 12 Power Rankings, where four writers — Caleb, Craig, Matt, and Zack — combine their ballots to create a consensus Top 16 for the conference each week. The system is simple: a No. 1 ranking earns 16 points, a No. 2 earns 15, and so on down to one point for the final spot. Add it all up, and the result is our official standings — a mix of agreement, disagreement, and plenty of debate.
For the second week in a row, we landed in an unusual spot at the very top: Texas Tech is our unanimous No. 2, but that consistency across all ballots gave the Red Raiders just enough points to remain at No. 1 overall, despite not receiving a single first-place vote. It’s a reminder of how balanced the Big 12 is shaping up to be — even when the staff can’t agree on a top dog, the math works out in Tech’s favor.
What really stands out this week is the diversity across the rankings. We had an insane number of ties: Arizona State and Iowa State at No. 2, Kansas and Kansas State at No. 7, and Cincinnati and West Virginia at No. 10. That kind of clustering shows how difficult it is to separate these teams right now. Still, there were some places where we nearly saw eye-to-eye — like Texas Tech at No. 2, Baylor consistently hovering in the middle tier, and UCF unanimously stuck in the basement. On the flip side, there are wild splits too: Caleb has Arizona as high as No. 8, while Matt and Craig are much lower, and Zack pushed Iowa State all the way to the top spot while Caleb and Craig had the Cyclones at No. 3.
Comparing Week 1 to Week 2
The biggest takeaway from Week 1 to Week 2 in the Heartland Sports Big 12 Power Rankings is the shake-up in the middle of the pack. Arizona State and Iowa State are now tied for second after both posted strong showings, while Utah climbed into the top four with an impressive performance. On the flip side, Baylor took the biggest hit of the week, falling from fourth to ninth, while BYU made a notable jump from ninth up to sixth. TCU also surged forward, moving into the top five, showing early signs of being a legitimate contender. Meanwhile, at the bottom of the rankings, UCF and Oklahoma State continue to struggle for footing, holding steady in the final two spots as both programs search for early-season momentum.
And as always, don’t forget to scroll to the bottom of the page to see each of our individual ballots — and let us know where you agree or disagree with Caleb, Craig, Matt, and Zack.
2025 Heartland Sports Big 12 Power Rankings – Week 2
| Ranking | Points |
| 1. Texas Tech | 60 |
| 2. Arizona State | 55 |
| 2. Iowa State | 55 |
| 4. Utah | 52 |
| 5. TCU | 49 |
| 6. BYU | 41 |
| 7. Kansas | 39 |
| 7. Kansas State | 39 |
| 9. Baylor | 36 |
| 10. Cincinnati | 24 |
| 10. West Virginia | 24 |
| 12. Arizona | 21 |
| 13. Colorado | 17 |
| 14. Houston | 14 |
| 15. Oklahoma State | 10 |
| 16. UCF | 7 |
Individual Rankings
Caleb
1. Arizona State | The Sun Devils took care of business Saturday and looked pretty good. With Mississippi State coming up we should get a better glimpse of what this team is made of.
2. Texas Tech | The Red Raiders lit up the scoreboard Saturday. Tech showed that they should be one of the top teams in the Big 12 race come November.
3. Iowa State | With a big win two weeks ago against the Wildcats, then taking care of business again this past saturday, ISU showed they are a top team in the big 12.
4. Utah
5. BYU
6. TCU
7. Kansas
8. Arizona
9. West Virginia
10. Kansas State
11. Cincinnati
12. Colorado
13. Baylor
14. Houston
15. Oklahoma State |The Cowboys started off hot but the offense really struggled after losing Hauss Hejny. With the ducks coming up we should know just what this team is made of.
16.UCF | The Knights had a close win against Jax State. Tayven Jackson had a pretty good night with 282 yards. Im still not bought in on this team having much success, though.
Craig
1. Arizona State | The Sun Devils looked dominant at times but overall didn’t have the best showing against Northern Arizona. Despite the mediocre opener, I still think the Sun Devils are the team to beat.
2. Texas Tech | The Red Raiders showed out in week one as they put up 67 points. However, Behren Morton exited the game after taking a sack in the second quarter. Hopefully Morton is okay as this team could be a big threat in the Big 12 this year.
3. Iowa State | After a big win last week, the Cyclones put it to South Dakota to improve to 2-0. Rocco Becht had an amazing game completing 19/20 passes in the win. This team has the potential to make a real run at the conference championship game.
4. Utah
5. BYU
6. TCU
7. Kansas State
8. Baylor
9. Kansas
10. West Virginia
11. Arizona
12. Colorado
13. Cincinnati
14. Houston
15. UCF | The Knights walked away with a victory, but being held scoreless at halftime against Jacksonville State is never what you want to see. Could be a long season for this squad.
16. Oklahoma State | The Pokes showed signs of life at times on offense in their opener. The offense definitely looked better with Hauss Hejny at the helm, so hopefully he is healthy moving forward.
Matt
1. Utah | The Utes absolutely dominated UCLA 43–10, showing they’re still the most complete and battle-tested team in the league. Cam Rising looks sharp, the defense is nasty, and Kyle Whittingham’s group is built for the grind. Utah earns the top spot after the most impressive Power Five win of the week.
2. Texas Tech | A 67–7 demolition of Arkansas-Pine Bluff doesn’t tell us much, but it confirmed the firepower Joey McGuire’s team has. Behren Morton and Micah Hudson looked as advertised, and the Red Raiders still feel like playoff contenders — but Utah’s résumé bumps them down one spot.
3. TCU | The Horned Frogs made the biggest statement of Week 1, hammering North Carolina 48–14. Chandler Morris and the new-look offense looked explosive, while the defense smothered the Tar Heels. That kind of performance vaults TCU right into contender status.
4. Kansas
5. Baylor
6. Iowa State
7. Kansas State
8. Arizona State
9. BYU
10. Cincinnati
11. West Virginia
12. Oklahoma State
13. Houston
14. UCF
15. Colorado | Lost to Georgia Tech 27–20, and the flaws are the same: poor line play, inconsistent QB execution, and little identity on offense. Still more sizzle than substance.
16. Arizona | A 40–6 win over Hawaii looks good on paper, but Hawaii was overwhelmed at the line of scrimmage. After last year’s 4–8 clunker and given the league’s depth, the Wildcats stay at the bottom until they prove otherwise.
Zack
1. Iowa State | The Cyclones absolutely dominated South Dakota this last weekend to move to 2-0. Sure, South Dakota is an FCS school, but they’re a top-5 FCS school, and the game wasn’t even close. Now Iowa State hosts rival Iowa, and a win in that one would really cement their position in the Big 12 rankings.
2. Texas Tech | Nothing special from the Red Raiders as they took care of business against Arkansas-Pine Bluff. They have another easy one this weekend against Kent State, so they can continue to impress with a second consecutive blowout.
3. Arizona State | I don’t usually bump the reigning Big 12 Champ until they suffer a loss or something of that nature, but the Sun Devils struggled against FCS-school Northern Arizona. The run game looked pretty good, but 12 penalties screams a lack of discipline, so they’re going to have to play a lot better moving forward to move up. They are a touchdown favorite on the road against Mississippi State this weekend, so a big win would put that gross Week 1 in the rearview mirror really fast.
4. TCU
5. Kansas State
6. Baylor
7. Utah
8. BYU
9. Kansas
10. Cincinnati
11. Arizona
12. Colorado
13. Houston
14. West Virginia
15. Oklahoma State | The Cowboys looked pretty mediocre in their opening week, particularly when starting quarterback Hauss Hejny went down with a broken bone in his foot, which required surgery, so he’ll be out for a while. Zane Flores—Hejny’s replacement—is going to have to play a heck of a lot better for Oklahoma State to move up the rankings. They have a tough draw this weekend in Eugene as they take on #7 Oregon.
16. UCF | A win is a win, but the Knights barely squeaked out a win over Jacksonville State. They have an easy one against North Carolina A&T this weekend, but they aren’t looking like they’ll have another win for a while…maybe the rest of the season.
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