Latest AP Top 25 rankings prove the Big 12 is disrupting the pro-SEC agenda

Another week, another edition of the AP Poll. And BYU football is standing firm at 8 despite some severe shakeup, with the number 1, 6, and 10 ranked teams from last week's top 25 losing. What a strange feeling to see the stretch-Y as a staple in the top-10 (now four weeks in a row), and there's still a case to be made that the undefeated Cougars could be under-ranked.

Kalani Sitake's program is right where many projected them to be at the start of the season, and have crucially held up their end of the bargain to make their scheduled clash with Notre Dame one of the biggest matchups in all of college football.

It's the 8th-ranked Cougars hosting the 2nd-ranked Fighting Irish, and ESPN's College GameDay will be in town to preview the first-ever top-10 matchup at LaVell Edwards Stadium.

Let's take time to appreciate the moment, with the understanding that this pillar of perfection could be demolished by Saturday.

But beyond the national implications of the BYU-Notre Dame game, the Big 12 Conference is making quite the impact across the landscape of college football, boasting five representatives in Week 7's top-25 -- three of which stand proud in the top-11.

Those muscular flagbearers are 8th-ranked BYU, 10th-ranked Texas Tech, and 11th-ranked Utah. Each a contender for the Big 12 Championship; each possessing aspirations to deliver their league its first at-large bid in the 12-team CFP format.

The Big 12 Conference is no joke in 2026 -- that much is clear.

The Big 12 is no "lesser conference"

According to AP voters, the Big 12 Conference has at least five teams deserving of digits by their logo. If we count all votes cast, here are where the league's top teams fall.

8 BYU
10 Texas Tech
11 Utah
18 Oklahoma State
20 Houston
27 Arizona (outside the top 25)

Though the SEC currently leads all conferences with an absurd 9 representatives, the Big Ten has 6, and the Big 12 has the third-highest sum at 5. I'd also argue that Arizona's resume is far stronger than that of 22 LSU, 24 SMU, and 25 Northwestern, as the Wildcats' only loss on the year was a road game against 8th-ranked BYU at full strength.

The Big 12 is a far deeper bunch this year than many anticipated, currently boasting three unbeaten teams and a frightening row of squads in the 4-through-8 range: upset-makers.

And the numbers back up the Big 12's relative strength, giving the league the second-highest rating of any in the nation and a comfortable gap between themselves and the shallow Big Ten.

We're not quite halfway through the season, so many things could change between today and the final College Football Playoff rankings, but one thing is clear: the Big 12 Conference is among the best in the nation and deserving of your respect.

That is becoming undeniable.

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