Week 6 shattered whatever sense of predictability we thought we had left. We saw No. 8 BYU firmly claim the throne after a masterclass win over Iowa State, while explosive quarterback duels and massive road statements—like Arizona dropping 52 in Morgantown and Houston dismantling Kansas State—completely re-engineered the middle of the pack.
As the contenders separate themselves from a basement tier buried in defensive meltdowns and off-field distractions, we head into a massive slate featuring two ranked matchups and deep-rooted historic rivalries. Strap in, because the margin for error has officially shrunk to zero.
Here is the definitive hierarchy as we roll into Week 7 of the Big 12 football season.
The Consensus Big 12 Power Rankings
Each voter awards 16 points to their No. 1 team, 15 points to No. 2, and so on down to one point for No. 16. With three ballots, a team can earn a maximum of 48 points.
| Rank | Team | Points | Caleb | Matt | Zack |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BYU | 48 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | Utah | 44 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 3 | Texas Tech | 42 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| 4 | Houston | 40 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| 5 | Oklahoma State | 35 | 5 | 5 | 6 |
| 6 | Arizona | 34 | 6 | 6 | 5 |
| 7 | Baylor | 29 | 7 | 7 | 8 |
| 8 | Cincinnati | 26 | 8 | 8 | 9 |
| 9 | Kansas State | 23 | 9 | 12 | 7 |
| 10 | Arizona State | 20 | 10 | 11 | 10 |
| 11 | Iowa State | 17 | 14 | 9 | 11 |
| 12 | UCF | 15 | 12 | 10 | 14 |
| T-13 | TCU | 12 | 13 | 14 | 12 |
| T-13 | West Virginia | 12 | 11 | 15 | 13 |
| 15 | Kansas | 8 | 15 | 13 | 15 |
| 16 | Colorado | 3 | 16 | 16 | 16 |
TCU and West Virginia finish tied at 12 points. As always, we leave the tie intact rather than manufacture a tiebreaker.
BYU is the clear No. 1, Utah and Texas Tech lead the chase, and Houston is close enough to make this a legitimate four-team conversation at the top.
But don’t overlook the middle. Oklahoma State, Arizona, Baylor and Cincinnati have established a relatively consistent pecking order, while Kansas State, Arizona State, Iowa State and UCF remain separated by only a handful of points.
The Individual Rankings
Caleb
- BYU | The Cougars remain undefeated and showed their depth by winning without star running back LJ Martin. Their consistency makes them the team to beat in the Big 12 right now.
- Utah | Utah stays near the top after defeating Kansas 41–24. The Utes are undefeated and have looked strong on both sides of the ball, with quarterback Devon Dampier leading an explosive offense.
- Houston | Houston earns the No. 3 spot after dominating Kansas State 35–16 on the road. The Cougars controlled the game and have established themselves as a serious Big 12 contender with another convincing conference win.
- Texas Tech
- Oklahoma State
- Arizona
- Baylor
- Cincinnati
- Kansas State
- Arizona State
- West Virginia
- UCF
- TCU
- Iowa State
- Kansas | The Jayhawks showed some offensive fight but struggled to slow down Utah’s attack. They’ll need a conference win to climb out of the bottom tier.
- Colorado | Colorado sits last in this ranking after a difficult stretch that included a 29–7 loss to Texas Tech. The Buffaloes need more consistent offense and a quality conference win to move up.
Matt
- BYU | The Cougars take over my top spot after a clinical 24–10 win over Iowa State. They completely suffocated the Cyclones’ offense and proved they don’t just win ugly—they win with elite execution, making them the only 3–0 team in conference play.
- Utah | Utah handled their business with a 41–24 victory over Kansas. Morgan Scalley’s defense gave up some chunk plays through the air, but the Utes’ offense answered the bell every single time Kansas tried to threaten an upset.
- Texas Tech | The Red Raiders don’t drop because of anything they did wrong, but rather due to a Week 6 bye while BYU and Utah were busy securing impressive conference wins. They remain a tier-one title contender as they rest up.
- Houston
- Oklahoma State
- Arizona
- Baylor
- Cincinnati
- Iowa State
- UCF
- Arizona State
- Kansas State
- Kansas
- TCU
- West Virginia | A brutal 52–31 home loss to Arizona sends the Mountaineers tumbling into the bottom two. Allowing 52 points at home is unacceptable, and a miserable 0–3 start in Big 12 play has completely derailed their season.
- Colorado | Colorado spent their bye week completely engulfed in off-field drama regarding Julian Lewis’s benching and rumored departure. Sitting idle while the rest of the conference moves forward leaves the Buffaloes stranded in the Big 12 basement.
Zack
- BYU | The Cougars played a solid, balanced game against Iowa State, and now they host the #2 Notre Dame Fighting Irish. If BYU wins that game, they won’t just be considered the Big 12 Favorite, but they’ll instantly be in the National Champion contender conversation.
- Texas Tech | A week off keeps the Red Raiders here, and now they get ready to host Arizona State. The Sun Devils haven’t been impressive thus far this season, so Texas Tech should handle them just fine.
- Utah | The Utes jumped out to an early lead against Kansas, but the Jayhawks made it interesting. Utah needed two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to pull away, but now they’re still at #3 in the conference for me. Now they head to Boulder for what should be an easy win against Colorado.
- Houston
- Arizona
- Oklahoma State
- Kansas State
- Baylor
- Cincinnati
- Arizona State
- Iowa State
- TCU
- West Virginia
- UCF
- Kansas | The Jayhawks put up their best effort against Utah, but they couldn’t keep it interesting late. Traveling to Manhattan to take on Kansas State in a rivalry game isn’t the easiest way to recover from a loss, either.
- Colorado | The week off means Colorado stays put at the bottom. Now they have to host Texas Tech.
The Big Three: BYU, Utah and Texas Tech
BYU is the unanimous No. 1, but the debate over second place is much closer. Utah earns 44 points, Texas Tech earns 42, and Houston follows at 40.
All three of us agree that BYU belongs at the top. The differences begin when we decide which undefeated contender deserves to follow the Cougars.
Caleb — No. 1 BYU
The Cougars remain undefeated and showed their depth by winning without star running back LJ Martin. Their consistency makes them the team to beat in the Big 12 right now.
Matt — No. 1 BYU
The Cougars take over my top spot after a clinical 24–10 win over Iowa State. They completely suffocated the Cyclones’ offense and proved they don’t just win ugly—they win with elite execution, making them the only 3–0 team in conference play.
Zack — No. 1 BYU
The Cougars played a solid, balanced game against Iowa State, and now they host the #2 Notre Dame Fighting Irish. If BYU wins that game, they won’t just be considered the Big 12 Favorite, but they’ll instantly be in the National Champion contender conversation.
The agreement is remarkable. BYU receives all three first-place votes and every available point.
Caleb emphasizes the Cougars’ depth. Matt focuses on defensive execution and their conference record. Zack looks ahead to Notre Dame and the potential national implications.
Different arguments, same conclusion: BYU has earned the throne.
Utah Is Second, but Texas Tech Is Right on Its Heels
Caleb — No. 2 Utah
Utah stays near the top after defeating Kansas 41–24. The Utes are undefeated and have looked strong on both sides of the ball, with quarterback Devon Dampier leading an explosive offense.
Matt — No. 2 Utah
Utah handled their business with a 41–24 victory over Kansas. Morgan Scalley’s defense gave up some chunk plays through the air, but the Utes’ offense answered the bell every single time Kansas tried to threaten an upset.
Utah’s 44 points are enough to hold second place, but Zack’s third-place vote keeps the Utes from running away with it.
The biggest question is how much to take away from Kansas making the game competitive. Utah ultimately won by 17, but the Jayhawks made the Utes work for it.
Houston’s placement is the most aggressive top-three call from Caleb. Neither Matt nor Zack has the Cougars above fourth.
Matt — No. 3 Texas Tech
The Red Raiders don’t drop because of anything they did wrong, but rather due to a Week 6 bye while BYU and Utah were busy securing impressive conference wins. They remain a tier-one title contender as they rest up.
Texas Tech’s 42 points put the Red Raiders third in the consensus rankings, despite having no game to add to their résumé in Week 6.
The key difference is that Matt and Zack rank Texas Tech second and third, respectively, while Caleb has the Red Raiders fourth. That is why Tech sits between Utah and Houston.
Houston’s Statement Moves the Cougars Into the Top Four
Houston’s road win over Kansas State was one of the defining results of Week 6.
The Cougars are fourth with 40 points, just two behind Texas Tech and four behind Utah. All three of us have Houston in fourth or better, making it one of the most consistently respected teams in the conference.
Caleb is the most enthusiastic, ranking Houston third. Matt and Zack both have the Cougars fourth.
Caleb
Houston earns the No. 3 spot after dominating Kansas State 35–16 on the road. The Cougars controlled the game and have established themselves as a serious Big 12 contender with another convincing conference win.
That’s a tight consensus, and it puts Houston within striking distance of the top three. Another strong conference performance could easily move the Cougars up the board.
Oklahoma State and Arizona Lead the Next Tier
Oklahoma State finishes fifth with 35 points, while Arizona sits sixth with 34. The difference is just one point.
Oklahoma State’s placements are 5th, 5th and 6th. Arizona’s are 6th, 6th and 5th. In other words, all three of us have these teams almost exactly where the consensus puts them.
Arizona’s explosive 52-point performance against West Virginia gives the Wildcats momentum, while Oklahoma State continues to occupy a stable position in the upper half of the conference.
The Wildcats are one of the most interesting teams in the rankings because their ceiling looks increasingly high, but we still has them just outside the top five.
Baylor and Cincinnati Are the Consensus Middle-Class Leaders
Baylor takes seventh with 29 points, followed by Cincinnati at eighth with 26.
There is almost no disagreement here.
Baylor is ranked seventh by Caleb and Matt, while Zack has the Bears eighth. Cincinnati is eighth on two ballots and ninth on the third.
That puts both teams in a narrow range and suggests our panel sees them as legitimate contenders in the middle tier, but not yet as teams ready to challenge BYU, Utah, Texas Tech or Houston.
Kansas State, Arizona State and Iowa State: The Rankings Get Messy
This is where our ballots start to diverge.
Kansas State finishes ninth with 23 points, but Zack ranks the Wildcats seventh while Matt has them 12th. Caleb puts them ninth.
Arizona State lands 10th with 20 points, with the Sun Devils ranked 10th by Caleb and Zack and 11th by Matt.
Iowa State comes in 11th with 17 points, but the Cyclones have the widest range in this group. Matt ranks Iowa State ninth, Zack has them 11th, and Caleb drops them to 14th.
The Cyclones’ loss to BYU clearly affected Caleb more than the other two of us. Matt still sees Iowa State as a top-10 team, while Caleb has them near the bottom of the middle tier.
Kansas State faces a similar challenge. Its consensus position is ninth, but Zack’s seventh-place ranking and Matt’s 12th-place ranking show that we disagree about how much the Wildcats should be penalized after losing to Houston.
UCF Sits 12th as TCU and West Virginia Tie
UCF finishes 12th with 15 points, followed by TCU and West Virginia in a tie for 13th.
UCF’s placements range from 10th to 14th. Matt is the highest on the Knights, while Zack has them 14th.
TCU and West Virginia both finish with 12 points, but their ballots are quite different. Caleb has West Virginia 11th, while Matt puts the Mountaineers 15th. Zack ranks TCU 12th, whereas Matt has the Horned Frogs 14th.
The tie is a good reflection of the uncertainty in this part of the conference. None of these teams has separated itself enough to earn a clear consensus advantage.
The Bottom Tier: Kansas and Colorado
Kansas finishes 15th with eight points, while Colorado remains last with just three.
Colorado’s ranking is the most unanimous placement outside the top of the board: all three of us have the Buffaloes 16th.
Caleb — No. 15 Kansas
The Jayhawks showed some offensive fight but struggled to slow down Utah’s attack. They’ll need a conference win to climb out of the bottom tier.
Zack — No. 15 Kansas
The Jayhawks put up their best effort against Utah, but they couldn’t keep it interesting late. Traveling to Manhattan to take on Kansas State in a rivalry game isn’t the easiest way to recover from a loss, either.
Caleb — No. 16 Colorado
Colorado sits last in this ranking after a difficult stretch that included a 29–7 loss to Texas Tech. The Buffaloes need more consistent offense and a quality conference win to move up.
Matt — No. 16 Colorado
Colorado spent their bye week completely engulfed in off-field drama regarding Julian Lewis’s benching and rumored departure. Sitting idle while the rest of the conference moves forward leaves the Buffaloes stranded in the Big 12 basement.
Zack — No. 16 Colorado
The week off means Colorado stays put at the bottom. Now they have to host Texas Tech.
There is no debate about the bottom spot. Colorado receives three last-place votes and finishes with three points.
Kansas is also consistently near the bottom, with two 15th-place votes and a 13th-place ranking from Matt. The Jayhawks have a chance to change that narrative, but they need a conference win to begin climbing.
West Virginia, meanwhile, is tied with TCU in the consensus rankings despite Matt’s 15th-place placement. The Mountaineers’ defensive collapse against Arizona is the clearest reason for their slide.
Where We Agree
The biggest agreement is BYU at No. 1. All three of us are convinced the Cougars have earned the top spot, and the 48-point total makes that official.
There is also substantial agreement on the next tier:
- Utah: 2nd, 2nd, 3rd
- Houston: 3rd, 4th, 4th
- Oklahoma State: 5th, 5th, 6th
- Arizona: 6th, 6th, 5th
- Baylor: 7th, 7th, 8th
- Cincinnati: 8th, 8th, 9th
- Arizona State: 10th, 11th, 10th
- Colorado: 16th across all three ballots
These teams have established a relatively stable consensus position. They may move up or down in the coming weeks, but our voters are generally seeing the same strengths and weaknesses.
Where We Were Way Off
1. Kansas State: A five-position spread
- Caleb: 9th
- Matt: 12th
- Zack: 7th
Zack is significantly more optimistic about Kansas State than Matt. The Wildcats’ loss to Houston appears to have affected the voters differently, and this disagreement keeps Kansas State from finishing higher in the consensus.
2. Iowa State: A five-position spread
- Caleb: 14th
- Matt: 9th
- Zack: 11th
Caleb has the Cyclones four spots below Matt. That is a substantial difference and suggests the BYU loss has affected his view of Iowa State more severely.
3. West Virginia: A four-position spread
- Caleb: 11th
- Matt: 15th
- Zack: 13th
Caleb remains relatively high on the Mountaineers despite the Arizona loss. Matt sees them as a bottom-two team, and Zack puts them in 13th.
4. UCF: A four-position spread
- Caleb: 12th
- Matt: 10th
- Zack: 14th
Matt is the highest on UCF, while Zack has the Knights four spots lower. The result is a 12th-place consensus ranking, but the voters are clearly split on the team’s potential.
The Biggest Story: BYU Has the Throne, but the Chase Is Wide Open
Week 7 begins with BYU in control of the Big 12, Utah in second, Texas Tech in third and Houston right behind them.
The top four are separated by only eight points, meaning a single weekend can dramatically reshape the rankings. Utah and Texas Tech are close enough to challenge for second, while Houston has established itself as a serious contender with its win over Kansas State.
Oklahoma State and Arizona lead the next tier, and Baylor and Cincinnati have shown enough consistency to remain comfortably in the top eight. After that, the middle of the conference is a weekly guessing game.
At the bottom, Colorado remains the unanimous last-place team, and Kansas needs a conference win to escape the basement. West Virginia and TCU are tied, while UCF and Iowa State are still trying to find consistency.
The Big 12 has a clear leader, but the race behind the Cougars is far from settled.
BYU owns the throne. Utah and Texas Tech are chasing. Houston is knocking on the door. And the rest of the Big 12 is fighting to keep pace.