Welcome to our Week 9 Big 12 Power Rankings update! For those who are new here or need a refresher, here’s a quick breakdown of how this all works: Each week the four of us — Caleb, Craig, Matt and Zack — submit our ranked order of the 16 Big 12 teams. Points are assigned based on position (16 points for 1st, 15 for 2nd, and so on down to 1 point for 16th), and then the totals are tabulated to form the collective “consensus” ranking you’ll see below. At the bottom of the page you can view each of our individual rankings in full (so you can see how each of us voted and where we diverged).
This week, just like last, we’re unanimous at only two spots — and they’re holding steady. However, the top spot chaged this week. BYU, powered by it’s win over Utah in the Holy War, leaps to the top spot that was vacated with Texas Tech’s loss to Arizona State. The bottom spot is still Oklahoma State Cowboys. Both of those teams earned that unanimity for very different reasons: BYU kept rolling, while Oklahoma State… well, let’s just say the slide continues. Also of note: we’ve got two ties this week — with Cincinnati Bearcats and Utah Utes sharing the #3 spot, and later down the list, Colorado Buffaloes and Kansas Jayhawks sharing the #12 spot. Cincinnati’s leap up the rankings is perhaps the biggest storyline this week — the Bearcats are firmly entering that contender tier alongside BYU, Utah and Texas Tech.
In terms of consensus and divergence: the four of us were very close on the top three teams this week (BYU, Cincinnati,Texas Tech, Utah) — all of us had those in some order at the top. But once you get into the middle of the league, we split: for example, some of us had Houston ahead of Cincinnati, others reversed them. Likewise, we saw wide variation on teams like Arizona State, Baylor and Kansas State — we couldn’t quite agree on who belonged where. On the bottom part, we were again in lockstep on Oklahoma State at #16, but our views on West Virginia and UCF diverged significantly. Enough from the intro — scroll down for the full breakdown of Week 9 rankings.
2025 Heartland Sports Big 12 Power Rankings – Week 9
| Ranking | Points |
| 1. BYU | 64 |
| 2. Texas Tech | 55 |
| 3. Cincinnati | 53 |
| 3. Utah | 53 |
| 5. Arizona State | 51 |
| 6. Houston | 47 |
| 7. TCU | 38 |
| 8. Iowa State | 32 |
| 9. Kansas State | 29 |
| 10. Arizona | 27 |
| 11. Baylor | 26 |
| 12. Colorado | 19 |
| 12. Kansas | 19 |
| 14. UCF | 18 |
| 15. West Virginia | 9 |
| 16. Oklahoma State | 4 |
Comparing Week 8 to Week 9
There’s been plenty of movement in the Heartland Sports Big 12 Power Rankings heading into Week 9 — including a brand-new team at the top. BYU leapfrogs Texas Tech to claim the No. 1 spot after taking down Utah in an emotional rivalry win, while the Red Raiders slip to second following their loss at Arizona State. That result also helped boost the Sun Devils, who climbed from No. 6 to No. 5 and now look like a legitimate midseason threat in the conference race. Cincinnati made one of the biggest jumps of the week, surging from fourth place into a tie for third with Utah thanks to a convincing road win at Oklahoma State. The Bearcats are now firmly in the mix with the league’s top tier of contenders.
The middle of the pack also saw some reshuffling. Houston held steady near the top six, but TCU climbed a couple of spots after its hard-fought win over Baylor, while the Bears fell from eighth to 11th. Kansas State continues its quiet rise, moving into the top ten, while Arizona slipped slightly following another close loss. Near the bottom, Colorado and Kansas are now tied at No. 12 — reflecting both teams’ inconsistency in conference play — and Oklahoma State remains anchored in last place again this week. Overall, Week 9 brought more separation among the top contenders, but also showed just how volatile the Big 12’s middle tier remains.
Individual Rankings
Caleb
1. BYU | The Cougars continue to impress as they reach 7-0. They find ways to keep pulling out wins it’s going to be a tall task to stop this team.
2. Cincinnati – After a tough Week 1 loss, Cincinnati has bounced back in a big way. After a dominating win over OSU it’s clear that the Bearcats should be in the conversation as a top team.
3. Arizona State | ASU pulls off the upset over Texas Tech. After getting embarrassed the week before, the Sun Devils bounced back and showed that they still deserve to be talked about in the Big12
4. Texas Tech
5. Utah
6. Houston
7. Arizona
8. TCU
9. Iowa State
10. Kansas
11. Colorado
12. Kansas State
13. Baylor
14. UCF
15. West Virginia | WVU continues to get embarrassed week after week. New coach, same WVU.
16.Oklahoma State | The most exciting thing about OSU football this season has been section 231 and a banana conga line.
Craig
1. BYU | The Cougars were in a similar spot to a year ago. This time, they look primed to make a run at winning the Big 12. A win over Utah puts them at the top of the conference.
2. Cincinnati | The Bearcats had no problems handling Oklahoma State on the road. Cincinnati has looked really good, but the hardest part of their schedule lies ahead.
3. Arizona State | The Sun Devils are back in the top three after knocking off #7 Texas Tech. This win puts them back in the passenger seat of the Big 12 standings.
4. Texas Tech
5. Utah
6. Houston
7. Kansas State
8. TCU
9. Baylor
10. Iowa State
11. UCF
12. Arizona
13. Kansas
14. Colorado
15. West Virginia | The Mountaineers fall to 0-4 in conference play and are averaging a mere 15 points per game against Big 12 opponents.
16. Oklahoma State | Hey, at least the fans are having fun at Boone Pickens Stadium. Shirtless sections, banana conga line, dudes rock.
Matt
1. BYU | The Cougars earn the top spot after taking down my previous No. 2 Utah in a thrilling rivalry showdown, 24–21. It wasn’t perfect, but BYU continues to find ways to win in big moments — now 3–0 in conference play and 7–0 overall.
2. Utah | A tough loss in Provo doesn’t drop the Utes. The defense kept them in it, but their offense never found rhythm. Utah remains a legitimate title contender, and a rematch with BYU down the road wouldn’t surprise anyone.
3. Texas Tech | The Red Raiders’ undefeated run ends with a 26–22 loss at Arizona State. It wasn’t their sharpest game — turnovers and missed chances doomed them — but their overall body of work keeps them near the top.
4. Houston
5. Cincinnati
6. TCU
7. Arizona State
8. Iowa State
9. Baylor
10. Kansas State
11. UCF
12. Colorado
13. Kansas
14. West Virginia
15. Arizona | Another narrow loss, this time to Houston, keeps the Wildcats near the bottom. They’ve been competitive, but close losses are piling up.
16. Oklahoma State | The Cowboys remain stuck in last after a 49–17 home loss to Cincinnati — their sixth straight defeat. There were flashes of improvement, particularly from freshman RB Rodney Fields Jr., but not enough to change their fate for now.
Zack
1. BYU | The Cougars are well on their way to the Big 12 Championship as one of two undefeated in conference play, but they have a tough matchup in Ames this weekend.
2. Texas Tech | The Red Raiders dropped a close one on the road to Arizona State, but they still have a good chance to make the Big 12 Championship. A palate cleanser against Oklahoma State this weekend will help wash away that loss to the Sun Devils.
3. Utah | A close loss to BYU gives the Utes 2 losses in conference play, but if they run the table, they might sneak into the Big 12 Championship. First, they need to take care of business at home against Colorado on Saturday.
4. Arizona State
5. Houston
6. Cincinnati
7. Arizona
8. TCU
9. Iowa State
10. Kansas State
11. Baylor
12. Colorado
13. Kansas
14. UCF
15. West Virginia | The Mountaineers embarrassed themselves against UCF. The only reason they’re not at the bottom is because of Oklahoma State. Now they host TCU, who is coming off a loss to Baylor, so this could be a rough one again for West Virginia.
16. Oklahoma State | The Cowboys are honestly probably better than West Virginia, but the Mountaineers have won a game (albeit non-conference) more recently. Oklahoma State now has Texas Tech coming off a loss…oof.
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