Big 12 Power Rankings: TCU moves up after spoiling Belichick’s college debut

Chris Seward, AP Photo
North Carolina defensive back Kaleb Cost (21) tackles TCU wide receiver Joseph Manjack IV (14) after he made a catch during the first half of an NCAA college football game Monday, Sept. 1, 2025, in Chapel Hill, N.C.Here’s our weekly power rankings of Big 12 teams with a look at their schedules and matchups.
1. No. 12 Arizona State (1-0)
Last results: Jordyn Tyson caught 12 passes for 141 yards and two touchdowns as No. 11 Arizona State took care of Northern Arizona 38-19.
Game On: Saturday at Mississippi State (1-0), 4:30 p.m. MT (ESPN2)
What’s Up? The Sun Devils ran for 201 yards against Northern Arizona, with quarterback Sam Leavitt and Kyson Brown accounting for 73 yards each. … Arizona State won the only other meeting with Mississippi State, taking a 30-23 victory in Tempe last year.
2. TCU (1-0)
Last results: TCU routed North Carolina 48-14 at Chapel Hill in Bill Belichick’s college debut for the Tar Heels.
Game On: Bye
What’s Up? North Carolina scored the first seven points but TCU reeled off 41 straight points after that. … The Horned Frogs host Abilene Christian on Sept. 13 at 6 p.m. MT on ESPN+
3. No. 25 Utah (1-0)
Last results: Devin Dampier passed for 206 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 87 yards and another score as Utah hammered UCLA 43-10.
Game On: Saturday vs. Cal Poly (1-0), 4 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
What’s Up? UCLA leads the overall series with Utah 12-10 but the Utes have won seven of the past eight games. … Saturday will be the first meeting between the Utes and Cal Poly.
4. BYU (1-0)
Last results: Freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier accounted for five touchdowns (three passing, two rushing) in just one half of work as BYU destroyed Portland State 69-0.
Game On: Saturday vs. Stanford (0-1), 8:15 p.m. MT (ESPN)
What’s Up? Running back LJ Martin ran for a career-high 131 yards on just eight carries and Will Ferrin tied a school record with a 56-yard field goal. … The Cardinal lead the overall series with BYU 2-1 but the Cougars won the last meeting 35-26 at Stanford in 2022.
5. No. 16 Iowa State (2-0)
Last results: Rocco Becht completed his first 14 passes set a school record by completing 19 of 20 passes for 278 yards and three touchdowns as No. 22 Iowa State blasted South Dakota 55-7.
Game On: Saturday vs. Iowa (1-0), 10 a.m. MT (FOX)
What’s Up? The Cyclones opened 2-0 for the fourth time under coach Matt Campbell. … Iowa leads the series with Iowa State 47-24 but the Cyclones have won two of the past three games for the Cy-Hawk Trophy, including 20-19 in Iowa City last season.
6. No. 24 Texas Tech (1-0)
Last results: Behren Morton threw for 201 yards and four touchdowns before exiting after a sack in the second quarter of No. 23 Texas Tech’s 67-7 defeat of Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
Game On: Saturday vs. Kent (1-0), 10 a.m. MT (TNT)
What’s Up? The Red Raiders led 47-0 at halftime and the game was shortened to a pair of eight-minute quarters in the second half after a 90-minute weather delay. … Texas Tech and Kent are meeting for the first time in a college football game.
7. Kansas (2-0)
Last results: Jalon Daniels threw for 280 yards and four touchdowns and played just one series in the second half as Kansas routed Wagner 46-7.
Game On: Saturday at Missouri (1-0), 1:30 p.m. MT (ESPN2)
What’s Up? Alabama transfer Emmanuel Henderson caught six passes for 130 yards and two scores for Kansas. … In one of the nation’s closest rivalries Missouri leads the overall series with Kansas 56-55-9. … The Tigers have won five of the past six meetings, with the Jayhawks last victory coming in 2008.
8. West Virginia (1-0)
Last results: West Virginia held Robert Morris to 123 yards of total offense in running away with a 45-3 victory.
Game On: Saturday at Ohio, 2 p.m. MT (ESPNU)
What’s Up? West Virginia ran for 393 yards against Robert Morris, with Jahiem White totaling 93 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. … The Mountaineers are 12-5 all-time against Ohio, winning the last matchup 20-3 at Morgantown in 2001.
9. Arizona (1-0)
Last results: Arizona forced five turnovers in a 40-6 victory against Hawaii.
Game On: Saturday vs. Weber State (0-1), 7 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
What’s Up? Wildcats quarterback Noah Fifita threw for a touchdown and ran for another. … Arizona had at least five sacks and five takeaways in a game for the first time since 2016.
10. Kansas State (1-1)
Last results: Avery Johnson threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Joe Jackson with 42 seconds to play as No. 17 Kansas State avoided an upset with a 38-35 victory against FCS North Dakota.
Game On: Saturday vs. Army (0-1), 5 p.m. MT (ESPN)
What’s Up? Johnson passed for 318 yards and three touchdowns for the Wildcats. … Army leads the overall series with Army 2-0 with the last meeting a 41-14 Cadets victory at Manhattan in 1987.
11. Baylor (0-1)
Last results: Sawyer Robinson threw for 419 yards and three touchdowns but Baylor fell to Auburn 38-24.
Game On: Saturday at No. 17 SMU (1-0), 10 a.m. MT (The CW)
What’s Up? Auburn rushed for 307 yards against Baylor, including 137 from quarterback Jackson Arnold. … Baylor leads the overall series with SMU 39-36-7 and has won the past 13 meetings, the last a 40-13 win at Waco in 2016.
12. Colorado (0-1)
Last results: Colorado was outgained 463 yards to 305 yards in a 27-20 home loss to Georgia Tech.
Game On: Saturday vs. Delaware (1-0), 1:30 p.m. MT (FOX)
What’s Up? Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King ran for a 45-yard touchdown with 1:07 to play for the deciding score against Colorado. … New Buffaloes quarterback Kaidon Salter, a transfer from Liberty, was 17 of 28 for 159 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 43 yards and another score.
13. UCF (1-0)
Last results: Tayven Jackson threw a 33-yard touchdown pass to DJ Black with 1:03 to play to rally UCF to a 17-10 victory against Jacksonville State.
Game On: Saturday vs. North Carolina A&T (0-1), 5 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
What’s Up? Jackson, a transfer from Indiana, was 17 of 24 for 282 yards and two touchdowns for the Golden Knights, who trailed 10-3 early in the fourth quarter. … North Carolina A&T opened the season with a 24-21 loss at Tennessee State.
14. Oklahoma State (1-0)
Last results: Oklahoma State held UT-Martin to just 225 total yards of offense in a 27-7 victory.
Game On: Saturday at No. 6 Oregon (1-0), 1:30 p.m. MT (CBS, Paramount+)
What’s Up? New starting quarterback Hauss Hejny, a transfer from TCU, threw a touchdown pass and ran for a score one quarter against UT-Martin before suffering an injury. … Oregon won the only previous meeting with the Cowboys, a 42-31 victory in the 2008 Holiday Bowl.
15. Cincinnati (0-1)
Last results: Nebraska’s Malcolm Hartzog Jr. Intercepted a Brendan Sorsby pass in the end zone with 34 seconds left to preserve a 20-17 victory for the Huskers.
Game On: Saturday vs. Bowling Green (1-0), 1:30 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
What’s Up? Sorsby ran for 96 yards and two touchdowns but was just 13 of 25 for 69 yards through the air. … Bowling Green leads the overall series with the Bearcats 4-0, including a 38-0 shutout at Cincinnati in 1994.
16. Houston (1-0)
Last results: Conner Weigman threw three touchdown passes in his Houston debut as the Cougars topped Stephen F. Austin 27-0.
Game On: Saturday at Rice, 5 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
What’s Up? Weighman, a Texas A&M transfer, threw touchdown passes of 11 yards to Tanner Koziol) and 39 yards to J’Marion Burnette as Houston built a 17-0 halftime lead vs. UT-Martin. … Houston leads the overall series with Rice 34-12 but the two teams have split the past two meetings.