The Big 12 Conference is the most chaotic league in all of college football year after year. Just ask last season's four-way tie for first place in conjunction with the downfall of expected juggernauts like Utah, Oklahoma State, and (to a lesser extent) Kansas State. This season, we're six weeks through the calendar and can cautiously state that the landscape and hierarchy are beginning to take shape.
Texas Tech is the clear frontrunner. I mean, come on, of course they are. They hold dominant wins over Utah and a Houston team that -- while likely a fraudulent undefeated team -- had looked much improved from a year before up until they hosted an active buzzsaw in Southern Texas.
BYU isn't too far behind, with an unbeaten record of its own and the second-highest standing in the AP Poll rankings (depending on how much weight you want to give to those). So why am I still blabbering? Why haven't I just dropped to the power rankings already? How long can a disembodied wall of text stall for time like this? Good questions, here are this week's edition of Big 12 Power Rankings.
Week 7 Big 12 Power Rankings
Yeah, they're the obvious pick, and that's absolutely why they stand alone at the pinnacle of the Big 12 Conference to this point in the season. No matter their quarterback, no matter the opponent, no matter anything, the Red Raiders may be the league's most talented team on paper, and have proved they're the best team week after week. Welcome to the AP Top 10, and enjoy your stay at the top.
BYU seems to perpetually fly under the radar. No matter the results on the field, no matter the resume, no matter the record, everyone in the nation seems to be sitting there waiting for the Cougs to slip up so they can drop the team back to the depths, where preconceived notions mandate they belong. But the Cougars are 5-0 under Kalani Sitake. Bear Bachmeier looks excellent. This team is the second best bunch until proven otherwise.
Were the Sun Devils a bit overrated in the preseason? Yeah, probably. But despite a close loss in SEC country, ASU has looked every bit the part of a contender for the conference title by season's end. Hold off from making any definite declarations until after they face off against Utah this coming weekend.
Winner gets third place (barring a BYU upset) in this weekend's battle with Arizona State. And there are plenty of reasons to believe in the Utes to shake off the Texas Tech loss and climb back into contention. An experienced coach seems to have his team back from the grave they were layed to rest in back in 2024, and this year's holy war could be a top 25 battle (as God intended).
Hello, Cincinnati! Just a week ago, Iowa State seemed like the clear number two in the league, but suddenly we're forced to confront our own understanding of the game of football. The Bearcats' only slip-up all year has been a 3-point loss to Nebraska. Call them opportunistic, call them lucky, call them whatever you like, Cincy is a top 5 team in the Big 12 this week.
Something about Iowa State has been uncharacteristically bipolar this season. Seemingly on alternating weekends, the 'Clones will go from taking down K-State in Ireland to narrowly escaping Arkansas State from dominating Arizona to crashing against Cincinnati. They finally got caught against Cincinnati, and Matt Campbell's job now is to keep the ship from capsizing now that they're stuck in the storm.
Hey, good job, TCU. You remain one of the strongest competitors in the entire league, and that was confirmed against Colorado this past weekend. The Buffaloes are clearly out of control, and no threat this season, but that shouldn't take anything away from a TCU squad that is playing the part of a serious threat for those above them.
That was a close call against Kansas State, but you know what? I believe the Wildcats are better than their record suggests, and I believe Baylor also deserves a bit more credit than they often receive in the greater landscape of the Big 12 Conference. Good teams win close games, and that's why you stand a touch above your spot last week, Bears.
We'll learn a lot about the Jayhawks this weekend against Texas Tech. Losses against Mizzou and Cincinnati are only looking better by the week, but good teams are measured by who they beat, not who they lose to. A win at Texas Tech opens Pandora's Box in this league, and Kansas shouldn't be overlooked in that matchup.
Sorry, Houston. Nobody wants to face Texas Tech right now, and you were the unfortunate squad who ran across the tracks as the freight train passed. The Cougars weren't competitive against the Red Raiders, nor have they given much reason to expect a sever shift in direction from last season.
11. Arizona Wildcats
12. Kansas State Wildcats
13. UCF Knights
14. Colorado Buffaloes
15. West Virginia Mountaineers
16. Oklahoma State Cowboys