The Big 12 has officially thrown its preseason playbook out the window.
Five weeks into the season, the conference has produced exactly what we expected: chaos, parity and very few easy answers.
The top of the league is beginning to take shape, but even there, we can’t completely agree. BYU and Texas Tech have separated themselves from the pack, while Utah remains firmly entrenched among the conference’s elite.
Behind them, however, things get messy.
Oklahoma State, Baylor, Houston and Arizona are separated by just three points in our consensus rankings. Kansas State is viewed dramatically differently by our panel, while TCU has become one of the biggest points of disagreement after falling to 0–2 in Big 12 play.
And then there is Colorado, which has officially taken residence at the bottom after another brutal conference loss.
Here’s how the 16 teams stack up heading into Week 6.
The Consensus Big 12 Power Rankings
| Rank | Team | Caleb | Matt | Zack | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BYU | 1 | 3 | 1 | 46 |
| 1 | Texas Tech | 2 | 1 | 2 | 46 |
| 3 | Utah | 3 | 2 | 3 | 43 |
| 4 | Oklahoma State | 5 | 4 | 6 | 36 |
| 5 | Baylor | 4 | 5 | 8 | 34 |
| 5 | Houston | 7 | 6 | 4 | 34 |
| 7 | Arizona | 6 | 7 | 5 | 33 |
| 8 | Cincinnati | 8 | 9 | 9 | 25 |
| 9 | Iowa State | 9 | 8 | 11 | 23 |
| 10 | Kansas State | 12 | 12 | 7 | 20 |
| 11 | Arizona State | 11 | 11 | 10 | 19 |
| 12 | UCF | 10 | 10 | 14 | 17 |
| 13 | West Virginia | 14 | 13 | 13 | 11 |
| 14 | Kansas | 13 | 14 | 15 | 9 |
| 15 | TCU | 16 | 16 | 12 | 7 |
| 16 | Colorado | 15 | 15 | 16 | 5 |
1. BYU
Caleb:
BYU stays No. 1 after a gritty 17–10 win over TCU on the road. The Cougars are undefeated and now 2–0 in Big 12 play. They also have a quality conference win over Arizona, giving them one of the league’s strongest resumes.
Matt:
Winning in Fort Worth is never easy, and it wasn’t pretty—the Cougars ground out a 17–10 victory with just 216 total yards of offense. More concerningly, LJ Martin suffered an injury during the game. Bear Bachmeier’s late rushing touchdown saved the day, but the offensive limitations and injuries slide them just behind Utah.
Zack:
Bear Bachmeier didn’t throw the ball well at all against the Horned Frogs, but he did all the damage necessary on the ground. The Cougars didn’t look quite as dominant as I expected, but they covered the spread, and for now, they’re still the team to beat in the Big 12. Now they host Iowa State, who is riding the momentum of a big win over West Virginia.
1. Texas Tech
Caleb:
Texas Tech remains near the top after beating Colorado 29–7. The Red Raiders are undefeated and 2–0 in conference play.
Matt:
The Red Raiders just went into Boulder and completely suffocated Colorado. Trailing 7–3 at halftime, Joey McGuire’s defense locked the gates, forced four second-half interceptions, and rattled off 26 unanswered points. They look like the most complete, clutch team in the conference right now and earn my No. 1 spot.
Zack:
The Red Raiders struggled early in Boulder, trailing the Buffaloes 7-3 at halftime, but they turned it on in the second half to walk away with a convincing win. Surprisingly, it was the defense that came through, pulling down 4 interceptions, and now they get a week off to rest.
3. Utah
Caleb:
Utah remains one of the Big 12’s best teams despite having a bye this week. The Utes are undefeated and already have a road win over Iowa State.
Matt:
I’m only dropping the Utes because Texas Tech forced our hand with a dominant conference road win. The Utes are still incredibly dangerous, Wayshawn Parker is an absolute stud, and they remain the most feared defensive unit in the league.
Zack:
The Utes had the week off, so they stay at #3 for me. Now they travel to Manhattan to take on Kansas State, who is also coming off a bye.
4. Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State lands at No. 4 in our consensus rankings despite being ranked anywhere from fourth to sixth.
That’s a good indication of how tight things are behind the top three.
Caleb has the Cowboys fifth, Matt fourth and Zack sixth. Nobody has Oklahoma State outside the top six, making them one of the more stable teams in our rankings despite the slight disagreement over exactly where they belong.
5. Baylor
Baylor is where the consensus starts getting interesting.
Caleb has the Bears fourth. Matt has them fifth. Zack has them eighth.
That three-spot difference doesn’t seem enormous, but it matters in a conference where several teams are clustered together.
Baylor’s 34 points leave them tied with Houston, with Baylor winning the consensus tiebreaker because of the stronger average placement.
5. Houston
Houston may actually be the biggest “we’re not sure what to make of them” team in the top half.
Zack loves the Cougars at No. 4.
Matt has them sixth.
Caleb has them seventh.
That’s still a fairly tight range, but it illustrates how quickly Houston has climbed into the Big 12 conversation.
7. Arizona
Arizona sits just one point behind Baylor and Houston with 33 consensus points.
Caleb has the Wildcats sixth, Matt seventh and Zack fifth.
That’s another example of a team that everyone sees similarly even if nobody has them in exactly the same spot.
8. Cincinnati
Cincinnati is almost the definition of consensus.
Caleb: No. 8.
Matt: No. 9.
Zack: No. 9.
There isn’t much disagreement here. The Bearcats are clearly viewed as a team in the next tier of the conference, sitting ahead of the teams that have generated more questions than answers.
9. Iowa State
Iowa State checks in at No. 9, but Zack is considerably less enthusiastic about the Cyclones than Caleb and Matt.
Caleb has Iowa State ninth.
Matt has them eighth.
Zack has them 11th.
The upcoming matchup with BYU should tell us quite a bit about whether Iowa State belongs in the upper half of the conference or somewhere closer to the middle.
10. Kansas State
This is one of the biggest disagreements on the entire board.
Caleb: No. 12.
Matt: No. 12.
Zack: No. 7.
That five-position gap is the largest difference among teams in the top half of our consensus rankings.
Zack clearly believes Kansas State deserves considerably more respect than the other two voters are willing to give the Wildcats.
And now we get to find out.
Kansas State travels to face Utah, giving the Wildcats a chance to make Zack look very smart—or very wrong.
11. Arizona State
Arizona State is another team where our panel is remarkably consistent.
Caleb: 11.
Matt: 11.
Zack: 10.
That’s about as close as it gets.
The Sun Devils aren’t generating much disagreement, which generally means they’re right where everyone expects them to be in the conference hierarchy.
12. UCF
UCF is another interesting split.
Caleb and Matt both have the Knights at No. 10.
Zack has them all the way down at No. 14.
That four-position gap drops UCF to No. 12 in the consensus rankings.
13. West Virginia
West Virginia’s placement is relatively straightforward.
Caleb has the Mountaineers 14th.
Matt has them 13th.
Zack has them 13th.
The Mountaineers have fallen into the bottom quarter of the league, and there isn’t much disagreement about their current standing.
14. Kansas
Kansas lands at No. 14 despite Caleb being the most optimistic voter at No. 13.
Matt has the Jayhawks 14th, while Zack puts them 15th.
Interestingly, all three voters agree that Kansas has a chance to change the conversation quickly.
Zack:
The Jayhawks absolutely dominated Middle Tennessee State, but that’s not impressive enough to move up in the rankings. That would definitely change if they can pull off a win on the road against Kansas State this weekend.
15. TCU
This is another massive disagreement.
Caleb: No. 16.
Matt: No. 16.
Zack: No. 12.
After losing 17–10 to BYU and falling to 0–2 in Big 12 play, TCU has become one of the biggest fallers in the conference.
But Zack clearly isn’t ready to bury the Horned Frogs.
Caleb:
TCU drops to No. 16 after losing 17–10 to BYU. The Horned Frogs are now 0–2 in conference play and have struggled to generate offense, putting them at the bottom of the Big 12 for now.
Matt:
Welcome to the bottom. While the defense played well enough to win against BYU, this offense is entirely painful to watch right now. Falling to 0–2 in the Big 12 with a complete identity crisis on the offensive side of the ball lands the Horned Frogs in the basement for me.
16. Colorado
There isn’t much debate about the bottom of the Big 12.
All three of us have Colorado at No. 15 or No. 16, and the Buffaloes finish dead last in the consensus rankings with just five points.
Caleb:
Colorado falls to No. 15 after losing to Texas Tech 29–7. The Buffaloes are now 0–2 in Big 12 play and have lost three straight, making them one of the conference’s biggest fallers.
Matt:
The nightmare continues. The drama around Julian Lewis is 100% a distraction to a team that was already struggling. After leading 7–3 at half, the offense completely imploded with 4 interceptions in the second half. Without a run game to lean on, bowl eligibility is starting to look like a steep hill to climb.
Zack:
Despite a solid first half against Texas Tech, the Buffaloes crumbled in the second half behind 4 interceptions. At least they get a week off before they host Utah.
Caleb
1. BYU | BYU stays No. 1 after a gritty 17–10 win over TCU on the road. The Cougars are undefeated and now 2–0 in Big 12 play. They also have a quality conference win over Arizona, giving them one of the league’s strongest resumes.
2. Texas Tech | Texas Tech remains near the top after beating Colorado 29–7. The Red Raiders are undefeated and 2–0 in conference play.
3. Utah | Utah remains one of the Big 12’s best teams despite having a bye this week. The Utes are undefeated and already have a road win over Iowa State.
4. Baylor
5. Oklahoma State
6. Arizona
7. Houston
8. Cincinnati
9. Iowa State
10. UCF
11. Arizona State
12. Kansas State
13. Kansas
14. West Virginia
15. Colorado | Colorado falls to No. 15 after losing to Texas Tech 29–7. The Buffaloes are now 0–2 in Big 12 play and have lost three straight, making them one of the conference’s biggest fallers.
16. TCU | TCU drops to No. 16 after losing 17–10 to BYU. The Horned Frogs are now 0–2 in conference play and have struggled to generate offense, putting them at the bottom of the Big 12 for now.
Matt
1. Texas Tech | The Red Raiders just went into Boulder and completely suffocated Colorado. Trailing 7–3 at halftime, Joey McGuire’s defense locked the gates, forced four second-half interceptions, and rattled off 26 unanswered points. They look like the most complete, clutch team in the conference right now and earn my No. 1 spot.
2. Utah | I’m only dropping the Utes because Texas Tech forced our hand with a dominant conference road win. The Utes are still incredibly dangerous, Wayshawn Parker is an absolute stud, and they remain the most feared defensive unit in the league.
3. BYU | Winning in Fort Worth is never easy, and it wasn’t pretty—the Cougars ground out a 17–10 victory with just 216 total yards of offense. More concerningly, LJ Martin suffered an injury during the game. Bear Bachmeier’s late rushing touchdown saved the day, but the offensive limitations and injuries slide them just behind Utah.
4. Oklahoma State
5. Baylor
6. Houston
7. Arizona
8. Iowa State
9. Cincinnati
10. UCF
11. Arizona State
12. Kansas State
13. West Virginia
14. Kansas
15. Colorado | The nightmare continues. The drama around Julian Lewis is 100% a distraction to a team that was already struggling. After leading 7–3 at half, the offense completely imploded with 4 interceptions in the second half. Without a run game to lean on, bowl eligibility is starting to look like a steep hill to climb.
16. TCU | Welcome to the bottom. While the defense played well enough to win against BYU, this offense is entirely painful to watch right now. Falling to 0–2 in the Big 12 with a complete identity crisis on the offensive side of the ball lands the Horned Frogs in the basement for me.
Zack
1. BYU | Bear Bachmeier didn’t throw the ball well at all against the Horned Frogs, but he did all the damage necessary on the ground. The Cougars didn’t look quite as dominant as I expected, but they covered the spread, and for now, they’re still the team to beat in the Big 12. Now they host Iowa State, who is riding the momentum of a big win over West Virginia.
2. Texas Tech | The Red Raiders struggled early in Boulder, trailing the Buffaloes 7-3 at halftime, but they turned it on in the second half to walk away with a convincing win. Surprisingly, it was the defense that came through, pulling down 4 interceptions, and now they get a week off to rest.
3. Utah | The Utes had the week off, so they stay at #3 for me. Now they travel to Manhattan to take on Kansas State, who is also coming off a bye.
4. Houston
5. Arizona
6. Oklahoma State
7. Kansas State
8. Baylor
9. Cincinnati
10. Arizona State
11. Iowa State
12. TCU
13. West Virginia
14. UCF
15. Kansas | The Jayhawks absolutely dominated Middle Tennessee State, but that’s not impressive enough to move up in the rankings. That would definitely change if they can pull off a win on the road against Kansas State this weekend.
16. Colorado | Despite a solid first half against Texas Tech, the Buffaloes crumbled in the second half behind 4 interceptions. At least they get a week off before they host Utah.
Where We Agree
The most encouraging thing about this week’s rankings is that we are actually pretty close at the top.
The top three are unanimous.
All three voters have BYU, Texas Tech and Utah in their top three.
The only disagreement is the order.
Caleb: BYU, Texas Tech, Utah.
Matt: Texas Tech, Utah, BYU.
Zack: BYU, Texas Tech, Utah.
That’s significant.
Despite the chaos throughout the rest of the conference, there is a clear emerging top tier.
Oklahoma State is also firmly in the next group.
All of us have the Cowboys between fourth and sixth.
That gives Oklahoma State the fourth-highest consensus total and puts the Cowboys in a very comfortable position behind the top three.
Arizona, Cincinnati and Arizona State are also tightly grouped.
Arizona is ranked 5th-7th.
Cincinnati is 8th-9th.
Arizona State is 10th-11th.
There isn’t a massive philosophical disagreement on any of those teams.
Where We Were Way Off
That’s where things get fun.
Kansas State
Nobody illustrates the differences on this panel more than Kansas State.
Caleb: 12.
Matt: 12.
Zack: 7.
That’s a five-position difference.
Zack clearly sees the Wildcats as a legitimate upper-half Big 12 team, while Caleb and Matt remain skeptical.
The Utah game should provide a pretty good test of that disagreement.
TCU
The Horned Frogs produce another major split.
Caleb: 16.
Matt: 16.
Zack: 12.
Two voters see TCU as the worst team in the conference.
The third still sees enough to keep the Horned Frogs four spots higher.
That’s a significant philosophical divide after TCU’s 0–2 start in conference play.
UCF
Caleb and Matt both put UCF in the top 10.
Zack has the Knights 14th.
That’s another four-position disagreement and one of the clearest examples of how differently we’re evaluating the middle of the Big 12.
The Bottom Line
The Big 12 has developed a fascinating hierarchy after five weeks.
BYU, Texas Tech and Utah have separated themselves.
Oklahoma State, Baylor, Houston and Arizona form the next cluster.
Then things get extremely murky.
From Cincinnati through UCF, there is still plenty of room for movement, while Kansas State has an opportunity to validate Zack’s much higher ranking.
At the bottom, Colorado has become the clear No. 16, while TCU is rapidly approaching the same territory despite Zack’s resistance to putting the Horned Frogs there.
The most important takeaway?
We may finally know who the Big 12’s contenders are.
We definitely don’t know who the middle-class teams are.
And that’s exactly what makes the next few weeks so important.