After a statement win over previously unbeaten BYU, Texas Tech unanimously climbs back to the top of our Week 12 Big 12 Power Rankings — and rightfully so. The Red Raiders looked like a complete football team, dismantling the Cougars on both sides of the ball and reestablishing themselves as the Big 12’s most dangerous contender. That victory caused a ripple effect through the upper half of the rankings, with BYU sliding slightly but still very much in championship contention, while Utah continues to loom just behind after a bye week. The top three — Tech, BYU, and Utah — have clearly separated themselves as the league’s legitimate title hopefuls. Meanwhile, Arizona State refuses to fade and continues to lurk just outside that elite tier, waiting for one slip-up from the teams ahead.
Things are far more chaotic in the middle and bottom halves of the conference. We dropped from being unanimous on five teams last week to just three this week — Texas Tech at #1, and Colorado and Oklahoma State holding steady at #15 and #16. That means the rest of the league is a jumble of shifting opinions. We’re tightly aligned on programs like Cincinnati, Arizona State, and Houston, but split wildly on others such as Kansas State, TCU, and Baylor, where we can’t seem to decide if they’re trending up or spiraling down. With two ties this week — Kansas State and TCU at #8, and Arizona and Baylor at #10 — the Big 12’s middle class remains a logjam of teams fighting for bowl positioning and pride.
2025 Heartland Sports Big 12 Power Rankings – Week 12
| Ranking | Points |
| 1. Texas Tech | 64 |
| 2. BYU | 59 |
| 3. Utah | 57 |
| 4. Arizona State | 51 |
| 5. Cincinnati | 48 |
| 6. Iowa State | 40 |
| 7. Houston | 38 |
| 8. Kansas State | 32 |
| 8. TCU | 32 |
| 10. Arizona | 29 |
| 10. Baylor | 29 |
| 12. Kansas | 22 |
| 13. UCF | 16 |
| 14. West Virginia | 15 |
| 15. Colorado | 8 |
| 16. Oklahoma State | 4 |
Comparing Week 11 to Week 12
The Week 12 Big 12 Power Rankings brought a shake-up at the top and some new movement in the middle, even though the bottom of the list remains unchanged. The biggest storyline is clearly Texas Tech reclaiming the No. 1 spot after a dominant win over BYU. The Red Raiders were a unanimous choice this week, flipping positions with the Cougars, who slipped to No. 2 following their first loss of the season. Utah held firm at No. 3 after an idle week, while Arizona State and Cincinnati rounded out the top five with minimal change. The real riser of the week was Iowa State, jumping from 10th to 6th thanks to a strong showing that impressed voters across the board.
Further down, the middle of the conference continues to be a logjam, and that’s reflected in a pair of ties. Kansas State and TCU are deadlocked at No. 8, while Arizona and Baylor share the No. 10 spot. Houston dipped slightly but stayed within striking distance of the upper half of the rankings. The bottom four — Kansas, UCF, West Virginia, Colorado, and Oklahoma State — look nearly identical to last week, with Colorado and Oklahoma State once again unanimous as the final two teams. While the top three (Texas Tech, BYU, and Utah) are establishing themselves as true Big 12 title contenders, everything behind them remains wide open — a reflection of just how unpredictable this league has become as the season heads into the final stretch.
Individual Rankings
Caleb
1. Texas Tech | The Red Raiders rolled over BYU. They looked unstoppable on both sides of the ball.
2. BYU | The Cougars didn’t look good against Tech, Bachmeier looked like a true freshman. I expect BYU to be able to bounce back and get another shot at Tech in the Big12 championship.
3. Utah | Utah has looked impressive this season, with their only two losses coming from the best two teams in the Big12.
4. Arizona State
5. Cincinnati
6. Houston
7. Arizona
8. Iowa State
9. Kansas State
10. TCU
11. Kansas
12. Baylor
13. UCF
14. West Virginia
15. Colorado | Julian Lewis looks good. He looks like he has a bright future ahead, but doesn’t have a good cast around him.
16.Oklahoma State | The Cowboys were idle over the weekend but are looking at a 15-Game Big12 losing streak.
Craig
1. Texas Tech | The Red Raiders solidified their spot at the top with a convincing win over BYU. We all knew before the season started that Texas Tech had one of the best rosters in the country on paper. Eleven weeks into the season they certainly have proved to be one of the best rosters.
2. BYU | The Cougars never could get their offense going against Texas Tech. They can still control their own destiny, but they have a couple of tough games remaining.
3. Utah | The Utes had a bye this week. They stay in my number two spot.
4. Cincinnati
5. Arizona State
6. Kansas State
7. Iowa State
8. TCU
9. Baylor
10. Houston
11. UCF
12. Arizona
13. Kansas
14. West Virginia
15. Colorado | West Virginia gets to keep their bowl hopes alive while Colorado will not be bowl eligible this year. Just a tough season for the Buffaloes.
16. Oklahoma State | No game this week for Oklahoma State.
Matt
1. Texas Tech | A statement win over previously undefeated BYU vaults the Red Raiders to the top spot. Their defense was suffocating, and the offense proved once again it can execute in big games. Texas Tech looks like the most complete team in the Big 12 right now.
2. Utah | The Utes were idle, but their resume still holds strong. They remain firmly in championship contention and have the defense and run game to challenge anyone.
3. BYU | The Cougars finally hit a wall in Lubbock. The loss doesn’t erase their overall body of work, but it exposed cracks in an offense that had previously thrived under pressure.
4. Arizona State
5. Houston
6. Cincinnati
7. Iowa State
8. TCU
9. Arizona
10. Kansas
11. Baylor
12. West Virginia
13. Kansas State
14. UCF
15. Colorado | Competitive for stretches against West Virginia, but still no answers on defense or in the red zone. The Buffs are now reeling after three straight losses.
16. Oklahoma State | Idle and unchanged. The Cowboys’ 15-game Big 12 losing streak remains the defining storyline — and until they win one, they stay here.
Zack
1. Texas Tech | The Red Raiders handled BYU from start to finish, so they reclaim the top spot in the conference. They have a lighter load on Saturday when they host UCF.
2. BYU | The Cougars drop from their top spot—despite never playing Tech close—because so many Big 12 teams had bye weeks. They need a solid outing against TCU on Saturday to prove they belong here.
3. Utah | A bye week doesn’t move Utah, but they’re still in the hunt for a Big 12 Championship appearance. They need to take care of Baylor on Saturday to maintain that dream.
4. Arizona State
5. Cincinnati
6. Iowa State
7. Baylor
8. Kansas State
9. Houston
10. TCU
11. Arizona
12. Kansas
13. West Virginia
14. UCF
15. Colorado | The Buffaloes have fallen so hard, so fast, but now they get a bye week before hosting Arizona State.
16. Oklahoma State | No game, no movement. They’ve got a tough game ahead in hosting Kansas State.
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