Week 5 of our Heartland Sports Big 12 Power Rankings brings the first true shake-up at the very top — and at the very bottom, there’s no debate at all. Each week, four of us — Caleb, Craig, Matt, and Zack — submit our individual ballots, and those votes are tallied to produce the composite rankings you see here. This system allows our readers to see where there’s consensus, where there’s disagreement, and how the collective view of the league evolves as the season unfolds.
For the first time this year, we are unanimous at both ends of the spectrum. Texas Tech has been our consensus No. 1 every week so far, but their 34–10 statement win over Utah in Salt Lake City convinced even the last holdouts to bump them to the very top of their ballots. Meanwhile, Oklahoma State’s 19–12 home loss to Tulsa — its first defeat to the Golden Hurricane in Stillwater since 1951 — cemented the Cowboys as the clear cellar-dwellers. In other words, Tech is everyone’s clear-cut favorite, and OSU is everyone’s clear-cut basement team.
The middle of the league, however, is where things get interesting. After just one tie a week ago, we’re now sitting on multiple deadlocks. BYU’s steady play has them tied with TCU at No. 3; Arizona and Baylor share the No. 7 slot; Cincinnati and Houston are even at No. 11; and Kansas State and West Virginia are knotted at No. 14. That essentially leaves Oklahoma State as the only team occupying a spot by itself at the bottom. These ties underscore how bunched-up the Big 12 has become behind Texas Tech.
As always, some teams generated near-universal agreement and others produced wide splits between our ballots. Utah’s drop to the middle of the top five was fairly consistent across all four of us, as was Kansas’ jump after hammering West Virginia. On the other hand, Arizona State, Baylor, and UCF created some of the biggest divides. Craig moved UCF all the way to No. 7 after its rout of North Carolina, while Matt kept the Knights at No. 11. Caleb had Arizona all the way at No. 5, while Craig dropped the Wildcats to No. 9. These disparities make the composite rankings a great reflection of how different performances resonate with each voter.
Scroll to the bottom of the page to view the complete Week 5 Big 12 Power Rankings and see where your team landed. With multiple ties, two unanimous selections, and several big movers after last weekend’s games, this week’s list might be the most revealing snapshot yet of how the Big 12 race is shaping up.
2025 Heartland Sports Big 12 Power Rankings – Week 5
| Ranking | Points |
| 1. Texas Tech | 64 |
| 2. Iowa State | 55 |
| 3. BYU | 54 |
| 3. TCU | 54 |
| 5. Utah | 49 |
| 6. Arizona State | 46 |
| 7. Arizona | 33 |
| 7. Baylor | 33 |
| 9. Kansas | 30 |
| 10. Cincinnati | 29 |
| 10. Houston | 29 |
| 12. UCF | 27 |
| 13. Colorado | 14 |
| 14. Kansas State | 11 |
| 14. West Virginia | 11 |
| 16. Oklahoma State | 4 |
Comparing Week 4 to Week 5
Texas Tech didn’t just hold onto the top spot in Week 5 — the Red Raiders strengthened it. After routing Utah in Salt Lake City, Tech became the unanimous No. 1 for the first time this season, going from 63 points last week to 64 this week. Iowa State benefitted from Utah’s loss as well, moving into the No. 2 position despite being idle. The middle of the top five saw the biggest reshuffle: BYU jumped from a tie at No. 5 all the way up to a tie for No. 3 with TCU, while Utah slid from second to fifth after its home loss. Arizona State quietly moved up from No. 7 to No. 6 thanks to its win at Baylor.
Further down, the rankings became much more crowded. Arizona and Baylor are now tied at No. 7 after being separated by 11 points last week, and both Cincinnati and Houston share the No. 10 spot. Kansas also climbed from 11th to ninth following its blowout of West Virginia, while UCF rose from 14th to 12th. Kansas State and West Virginia are now tied at No. 14, meaning Oklahoma State remains the lone occupant of the basement. The Cowboys, still sitting at four points after their loss to Tulsa, are firmly entrenched at No. 16.
Individual Rankings
Caleb
1. Texas Tech | The Red Raiders dominated Utah Saturday, the Big12 race went from being wide open to Tech stamping their name as the clear top dog in the conference.
2. TCU | The Horned Frogs continue to impress. With a solid win over SMU, TCU is trying to prove they belong in the Big 12 championship conversation.
3. BYU | After losing their starting quarterback before the season my expectations for BYU were low, but Bear Bachmeier has looked really good so far.
4. Iowa State
5. Arizona
6. Utah
7. Arizona State
8. Kansas
9. Houston
10. Cincinnati
11. Baylor
12. Colorado
13. UCF
14. West Virginia
15. Kansas State | The Wildcats had the week off to try and figure out how to play football.
16.Oklahoma State | This is a bad football team, giving up 400 yards of offense to Tulsa is a terrible look, and with their opponents only getting better it’s likely going to get worse in Stillwater.
Craig
1. Texas Tech | The Red Raiders solidified their spot at the top with a big win over Utah. They may have found their new guy at QB in Will Hammond.
2. Iowa State | No game this week for the Cyclones means no movement up or down.
3. Arizona State | It took a game winning field goal but the Sun Devils got the job done on the road at Baylor.
4. BYU
5. TCU
6. Utah
7. UCF
8. Houston
9. Arizona
10. Baylor
11. Kansas
12. Cincinnati
13. West Virginia
14. Kansas State
15. Colorado | Decent win for Colorado this week over Wyoming. But, I’m still thinking it’s going to be a long conference schedule for the Buffaloes.
16. Oklahoma State | This program is at an all- time low. Not much to say here, the Pokes are without a doubt the worst team in the Big 12.
Matt
1. Texas Tech | There’s no question now. Going on the road and beating Utah by three scores cements the Red Raiders as the league’s front-runner.
2. TCU | Another solid, if unspectacular, win (35–24 over SMU) plus that Week 1 rout of UNC keeps the Frogs climbing.
3. Utah | The Utes drop from my No. 1 after being dominated at home. They’re still a contender, but the aura of invincibility is gone.
4. BYU
5. Iowa State
6. Arizona State
7. Baylor
8. Kansas
9. Cincinnati
10. Houston
11. UCF
12. Arizona
13. Colorado
14. Kansas State
15. West Virginia | Hammered 41–10 at Kansas, the Mountaineers tumble near the bottom.
16. Oklahoma State | A 19–12 home loss to Tulsa — first since 1951 — keeps the Cowboys rooted to the basement.
Zack
1. Texas Tech | The Red Raiders were absolutely dominant late in the game against Utah when it counted. The offense is dynamic at all levels, the defense is scary, and Tech is the clear favorite to win the Big 12 right now.
2. Iowa State | No game for the Cyclones means no movement for them, but they have a potential trap game this weekend against a surprising Arizona team.
3. BYU | The Cougars sneak into my top 3 with a solid win over East Carolina to move to 3-0, and they should be able to take care of business in Boulder on Saturday against Colorado.
4. Utah
5. TCU
6. Arizona State
7. Baylor
8. Cincinnati
9. Arizona
10. UCF
11. Kansas
12. Houston
13. Colorado
14. Kansas State
15. West Virginia | The Mountaineers had an uphill climb since the start of the season, but getting blown out by Kansas sets them back even more. They host Utah this week, which could be ugly, as I expect the Utes to have a nice bounce back after losing to Texas Tech.
16. Oklahoma State | Cowboy football has hit the lowest of lows, truly rock bottom, after losing at home to Tulsa. I don’t see a win left on the schedule.
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