No surprises in the top or bottom of the rankings — BYU is still the unanimous No. 1, and Oklahoma State remains cemented at No. 16 after yet another lopsided loss. The Cougars continue to look like the Big 12’s most complete team, and the Cowboys… well, they’re still searching for a pulse. But between those two extremes lies a logjam of movement and debate. Texas Tech, Cincinnati, and Utah are all jockeying for position behind BYU, each drawing legitimate arguments to be the league’s second-best team. After Utah at No. 4, however, the point totals take a nosedive — the sign of a conference with a clear upper tier and a muddled middle.
That middle, of course, is where things get spicy. Houston and Arizona State are bunched tightly together in most ballots, and there’s surprising consensus on TCU hovering around the mid-table range. But from there, it’s chaos. Kansas State, Iowa State, Baylor, and Kansas were all separated by razor-thin margins, depending on which version of their team showed up last weekend. Meanwhile, the bottom four — Colorado, UCF, West Virginia, and Arizona — continue to shuffle like musical chairs, depending on who loses by less. In other words, the top and bottom may be settled, but everywhere in between, there’s still plenty of movement left before the Big 12 picture comes into focus.
2025 Heartland Sports Big 12 Power Rankings – Week 10
| Ranking | Points |
| 1. BYU | 64 |
| 2. Texas Tech | 58 |
| 3. Cincinnati | 57 |
| 4. Utah | 52 |
| 5. Houston | 49 |
| 6. Arizona State | 43 |
| 7. Kansas State | 38 |
| 8. TCU | 37 |
| 9. Iowa State | 30 |
| 10. Baylor | 25 |
| 11. Arizona | 24 |
| 12. Kansas | 18 |
| 12. UCF | 18 |
| 14. Colorado | 17 |
| 15. West Virginia | 10 |
| 16. Oklahoma State | 4 |
Comparing Week 9 to Week 10
Not much has changed at the very top or bottom of our Big 12 Power Rankings, but the middle continues to churn like a washing machine. BYU once again stands alone at No. 1, unanimously holding all first-place votes after another convincing performance, while Oklahoma State remains cemented in the basement at No. 16. Just behind BYU, though, the race tightened even more — Texas Tech gained ground on the Cougars, while Cincinnati made a modest climb after another steady showing. Utah, meanwhile, slipped slightly in the point totals despite maintaining a strong overall position, suggesting some voters may be cooling a bit on the Utes as others around them continue to rise.
The real movement came in the middle of the table. Houston made a noticeable leap, cracking the top five, while Arizona State slid a few spots after dropping their game to the Cougars. Kansas State surged back into relevance, jumping from ninth to seventh, while TCU and Iowa State traded places yet again. At the lower end, the margins remain razor-thin — Baylor, Arizona, Kansas, and UCF are all packed tightly together, separated by just seven total points. Even as BYU and Oklahoma State continue to bookend the standings, the weekly shuffling in between highlights just how unpredictable this Big 12 season has become.
Individual Rankings
Caleb
1. BYU | The Cougars are the clear top dog so far. They continue to go out each week and impress.
2. Cincinnati | The Bearcats have been a total shocker this season. They bounced back after a week one loss and has rolled through their last 7 games.
3. Texas Tech | The Red Raiders with an easy one this week as they crushed OSU. Tech had 2 QBs with over 100 yards passing as they cruised over the Cowboys.
4. Houston
5. Utah
6. Arizona State
7. Arizona
8. TCU
9. Kansas State
10. Iowa State
11. Colorado
12. Kansas
13. Baylor
14. UCF
15. West Virginia | Who can win a game first WVU or OSU?
16.Oklahoma State | OSU lost their 14th straight Big12 game.
Craig
1. BYU | The Cougars improve to 8-0 and remain the only undefeated team in the conference after making light work of Iowa State on the road.
2. Cincinnati | The Bearcats continue to impress each week. They’ve got a tough one coming up on the road against Utah.
3. Texas Tech | The Red Raiders bounced back from their loss with a dominant win over Oklahoma State. BYU in a couple of weeks is their only tough remaining game.
4. Utah
5. Houston
6. Kansas State
7. Arizona State
8. TCU
9. Baylor
10. Iowa State
11. UCF
12. Arizona
13. Kansas
14. West Virginia
15. Colorado | The Buffaloes fall back to the bottom two of my rankings after getting routed by Utah and moving to 3-5 on the season.
16. Oklahoma State | Any hope of going to a bowl game (there was none) is now gone for the Pokes. The question now is whether or not they will win a conference game for the first time in two seasons.
Matt
1. BYU | The Cougars continue to set the conference standard with a 41–27 win over Iowa State, displaying balance and composure even when the Cyclones threatened early. Bear Bachmeier and the offense keep finding ways to win, and BYU now looks like the Big 12’s most complete team.
2. Utah | The Utes 53–7 demolition of Colorado was the statement bounce-back they needed after their rivalry loss. Their defense completely suffocated Colorado, while quarterback Brayden Ficklin showed dual-threat dominance, reminding everyone that Utah still belongs near the top of the league.
3. Texas Tech | The Red Raiders responded to their first setback of the season with a dominant 42–0 shutout of Oklahoma State, leaving no doubt about their bounce-back ability. The offense clicked again, and the defense completely dismantled an OSU team that couldn’t find any rhythm.
4. Cincinnati
5. Houston
6. TCU
7. Arizona State
8. Kansas State
9. Iowa State
10. Baylor
11. Kansas
12. Colorado
13. UCF
14. West Virginia
15. Arizona | A close call against Houston turned into another frustrating loss for the Wildcats, who just can’t finish games late. Competitive in stretches but unable to close, Arizona remains near the bottom with its fifth conference loss.
16. Oklahoma State | The Cowboys hit a new low with a 42–0 shutout loss to Texas Tech, their seventh straight defeat and third game this season without an offensive touchdown. At this point, OSU looks lost on both sides of the ball, and their fight to avoid rock bottom continues in November.
Zack
1. BYU | After trailing Iowa State 24-10 late in the first half in Ames, Iowa, the Cougars roared back to outscore the Cyclones 31-3 the rest of the way. BYU gets a week off before traveling to Lubbock to take on Texas Tech for their toughest challenge of the season.
2. Texas Tech | One week after their first loss of the season, the Red Raiders did exactly what was expected as they dominated Oklahoma State from start to finish. Next week they travel to Manhattan, Kansas, to take on the Kansas State Wildcats, who are feeling good after a dominant victory over Kansas, so the Red Raiders need to take care of business to keep moving forward.
3. Utah | The Utes are still in the running for a Big 12 Championship appearance after absolutely dominating Colorado in Boulder. In order to do that, though, they have to beat Cincinnati at home this next weekend.
4. Cincinnati
5. Houston
6. Arizona State
7. Kansas State
8. TCU
9. Iowa State
10. Arizona
11. Baylor
12. UCF
13. Kansas
14. Colorado
15. West Virginia | Well, the Mountaineers played TCU close, so you could call that improvement, but they still haven’t won a conference game. Now they have a tough road matchup with Houston.
16. Oklahoma State | As expected, they laid a stinker in Lubbock against Texas Tech. Maybe they can play better in Lawrence against Kansas next weekend.
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