The Great Divide: Texas Tech Stays on Top, Oklahoma State Still Searching in Week 8 Big 12 Power Rankings

Week 8 of our Big 12 Power Rankings brings plenty of movement across the middle of the board — but the top and bottom remain unchanged. Once again, our panel of four — Caleb, Craig, Matt, and Zack — are unanimous at just two spots: Texas Tech remains the clear No. 1 after dismantling Kansas, and Oklahoma State once again anchors the bottom at No. 16. Beyond those bookends, though, things get messy.

This week’s rankings feature another tie. At the No. 2 spot, we’ve BYU and Utah both earning 61 points in our scoring system (first-place votes earn 16 points, second earns 15, and so on). Texas Tech leads the way with a perfect 64 points, but there’s a noticeable drop-off to Cincinnati, which lands fourth with 50. That’s a steep gap between the league’s elite trio and the rest of the pack — though several teams are fighting to close it.

While there was general agreement on programs like Houston, Iowa State, and Arizona State, other teams caused some real debate. Kansas, Baylor, and Kansas State saw wide variation across ballots, reflecting just how unpredictable the middle of the conference has remained. Even TCU and Colorado drew mixed reactions after inconsistent performances.

2025 Heartland Sports Big 12 Power Rankings – Week 8

Ranking	Points
1. Texas Tech	64
2. BYU	62
2. Utah	62
4. Cincinnati	50
5. Houston	48
6. Arizona State	43
7. Iowa State	35
8. Baylor	32
9. TCU	31
10. Arizona	29
11. Kansas State	28
12. Kansas	21
13. Colorado	20
14. UCF	14
15. West Virginia	9
16. Oklahoma State	4

Comparing Week 7 to Week 8

The Week 8 Big 12 Power Rankings saw some noticeable shakeups behind the still-dominant Texas Tech Red Raiders, who remain a unanimous No. 1. The biggest headline comes from Utah’s rise, jumping from fifth to a share of second place with BYU after both teams posted impressive wins. Meanwhile, Cincinnati continued its steady climb, moving from sixth to fourth, and Houston made one of the largest leaps of the week — climbing five spots from tenth to fifth following its strong performance.

On the other end of the spectrum, several teams took a hit. TCU slid from third all the way down to ninth, while Arizona State fell from fourth to sixth despite a solid showing earlier in the month. Kansas also dropped a few spots after being overwhelmed by Texas Tech, and Oklahoma State once again finds itself firmly at the bottom with just four points. Overall, Week 8 brought more separation at the top, a tightening middle tier, and a clear indication that Texas Tech, BYU, and Utah have pulled away from the rest of the Big 12 pack.

Individual Rankings

Caleb 

1. Texas Tech | The Red Raiders rolled Kansas as they continue to dominate the Big 12.

2. BYU | The Cougars continue to find ways to win tough games. With a double OT win over Arizona, BYU continues to show they are a top team in the conference. 

3. Utah | The Utes had probably the biggest win of the weekend in the Big 12 with a 42-10, stomping of Arizona State. Utah proved they still belong in the conference championship conversation.

4. Cincinnati

5. Houston

6. Arizona

7. Arizona State

8. TCU

9. Iowa State

10. Kansas

11.  Baylor

12. Colorado

13. Kansas State

14. UCF

15. West Virginia | The Mountaineers looked the best they have so far in Big 12 play…as they sat idle with the week off.

16.Oklahoma State | Highlight of the OSU season is section 231!

Craig 

1. Texas Tech | The Jayhawks were no problem at all for Texas Tech. They remain the best team in the conference. 

2. BYU | It took two overtime’s but BYU remains undefeated. This team reminds me a lot of their team from a year ago. Will they have a better finish down the stretch this season? 

3. Utah | The Utes have snuck their way into my top three teams. Big matchup this week against BYU to see if they really belong here. 

4. Cincinnati 

5. Houston

6. Arizona State 

7. Kansas State 

8. TCU

9. Baylor

10. Iowa State 

11. Arizona 

12. Kansas 

13. UCF

14. Colorado 

15. West Virginia | Hate to drop a team on a bye week, but with the second worst record in the conference I don’t really have a choice. 

16. Oklahoma State | College football can still be fun when your team is bad. Just ask the thousands of shirtless fans at Boone Pickens stadium. 

Matt 

1. Texas Tech |  No change. That 42–17 win over Kansas reaffirmed their dominance in the conference.

2. Utah | Their 42–10 win over ASU was emphatic and strengthens their case of being a challenger.

3. BYU | A double-OT win in a hostile environment underlines their resilience. 

4. Houston 

5. Iowa State 

6. Cincinnati

7. Arizona State

8. Baylor

9. TCU 

10. Kansas State

11. Colorado

12. Kansas

13. UCF

14. West Virginia 

15. Arizona | After losing in double OT at home the Wildcats are sitting at 1-2 in conference play.

16. Oklahoma State | Cowboys remain last. Their issues continue, and the loss to Houston only deepens the trouble.

Zack

1. Texas Tech | The Big 12 is starting to feel like the Red Raiders at the top and then everybody else following. Other teams are winning games, but Tech is destroying every opponent. 

2. Utah | The Utes continue to look like a legit contender in the conference as they rolled over Arizona State. Perhaps a rematch with the Red Raiders is in order for the Big 12 Championship.

3. BYU | It took double overtime, but the Cougars got it done against Arizona. Their toughest game of the season is on the horizon though

4. Cincinnati

5. Arizona State

6. Houston

7. Arizona

8. Baylor

9. Iowa State

10. Kansas State

11. Colorado

12. TCU

13. Kansas

14. UCF

15. West Virginia | A week off means no movement for the Mountaineers, but they have UCF up this weekend, so maybe they can swap places.

16. Oklahoma State | The Cowboys continue to show small glimpses of improvement, but they’re still nowhere near getting a conference win.

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