Big 12 Football Power Rankings: Utah hosts Texas Tech in huge league showdown

Matthew Idler, AP Photo
Utah quarterback Devon Dampier (4) hands the ball off to Utah back Wayshawn Parker (1) during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025, in Laramie, Wyo.Here’s our weekly power rankings of Big 12 teams with a look at their schedules and matchups.
1. No. 17 Texas Tech (3-0, 0-0 Big 12)
Last results: Behren Morton threw four touchdown passes to lead No. 21 Texas Tech to a 45-14 victory against Oregon State.
Game On: Saturday at No. 16 Utah (3-0, 0-0 Big 12), 10 a.m. MT (FOX)
What’s Up? Play in the Texas Tech-Oregon State game was stopped for 2 1/2 hours minutes into the game due to bad weather. … Texas Tech is 2-0 against Utah all-time, with back-to-back wins at Lubbock in 1972 (45-2) and 1973 (29-22).
2. No. 16 Utah (3-0, 0-0 Big 12)
Last results: Devon Dampier led four consecutive touchdown drives in the second half and No. 20 Utah beat Wyoming 31-6 Saturday in Laramie.
Game On: Saturday vs. No. 17 Texas Tech (3-0, 0-0 Big 12), 10 a.m. MT (FOX)
What’s Up? Utah led Wyoming 3-0 at halftime in the first meeting between the two schools since 2010. .. Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City will be the site for Fox’s “Big Noon Kickoff” show.
3. No. 12 Iowa State (4-0, 1-0 Big 12)
Last results: Abu Sama’s 4-yard touchdown run with 8:34 to play helped No. 14 Iowa State hold off Arkansas State 24-16.
Game On: Bye (Next game is Sept. 27 vs. Arizona)
What’s Up? Carson Hansen led Iowa State with 116 yards rushing on 18 carries and Rocco Becht finished 14 of 25 for 265 yards, one touchdown and one interception. … The Cyclones put together a nine-play, 58-yard drive to run out the final 3:47.
4. BYU (2-0, 0-0 Big 12)
Last results: A 27-3 victory at home against Stanford on Sept. 6.
Game On: Saturday at East Carolina (2-1, 0-0 American), 5:30 p.m. MT (ESPN2)
What’s Up? BYU is No. 1 in the country in defensive yards per play allowed at 2.12. … East Carolina leads the overall series with the Cougars 2-1 and won the last meeting 27-24 at Provo in 2022.
5. TCU (2-0, 0-0 Big 12)
Last results: Josh Hoover threw for 337 yards and four touchdowns as TCU beat FCS Abilene Christian 41-21.
Game On: Saturday vs. SMU (2-1, 0-0 ACC), 10 a.m. MT (ESPN or ESPN2)
What’s Up? TCU was playing for the first time since beating North Carolina and Bill Belichick 48-14 on Sept. 1. … The Horned Frogs lead the “Battle for the Iron Skillet” with SMU 53-43-7 but the Mustangs won the last meeting 66-42 at Dallas last season.
6. Arizona (3-0, 1-0 Big 12)
Last results: Ismail Mahdi ran for 189 yards, Noah Fifita had two touchdown runs as Arizona earned a 23-17 victory against Kansas State.
Game On: Bye (Next game is Sept. 27 at Iowa State)
What’s Up? The Wildcats have opened 3-0 for the first time since 2015. … Arizona led 17-3 at halftime but allowed Kansas State to tie the game 17 with 10:36 to play in the third quarter.
7. Arizona State (2-1, 0-0 Big 12)
Last results: A 30-yard touchdown pass from Sam Leavitt to Jordyn Tyson in the second quarter keyed Arizona State’s 34-15 victory against Texas State.
Game On: Saturday at Baylor (2-1, 0-0 Big 12), 5:30 p.m. MT (FOX)
What’s Up? Arizona State finished with 443 total yards and shut down Texas State, which averaged 47.5 points in its first two games. … The Wildcats won the only previous meeting with Baylor 34-13 at Tempe in 1990.
8. Baylor (2-1, 0-0 Big 12)
Last results: Bryson Robertson ran for 135 yards and two touchdowns as Baylor finished its non-conference schedule with a 42-7 victory against Samford.
Game On: Saturday vs. Arizona State (2-1, 0-0 Big 12), 5:30 p.m. MT (FOX)
What’s Up? Sawyer Robinson threw three touchdown passes against Samford and went over 1,000 yards passing for the season. .. Baylor blocked a punt on Samford’s first possession and led 14-0 only 5 1/2 minutes into the game.
9. Houston (3-0, 1-0 Big 12)
Last results: Conner Weigman threw for 222 yards and ran for 83 yards and two touchdowns, both career highs, to lead Houston to a 36-20 victory against Colorado.
Game On: Bye (Next game is Sept. 26 at Oregon State)
What’s Up? Ethan Sanchez made five field goals for the Cougars, tying a school record for most field goals in a game. … Weigman, a transfer from Texas A&M, has thrown four touchdown passes without an interception and added three rushing scores.
10. Kansas (2-1, 0-0 Big 12)
Last results: A 42-31 loss to Missouri on Sept. 6.
Game On: Saturday vs. West Virginia (2-1, 0-0 Big 12), 4 p.m. MT (FS1)
What’s Up? Jalon Daniels is completing 72% of his passes for 679 yards, nine touchdowns and two interception in three games for Kansas. … The Jayhawks last win against West Virginia was in 2022, a 55-42 victory at Morgantown that broke an eight-game losing streak against the Mountaineers.
11. UCF (2-0, 0-0 Big 12)
Last results: Defeated North Carolina A&T 68-7 on Sept. 6.
Game On: Saturday vs. North Carolina (2-1, 0-0 ACC), 12:30 p.m. MT (FOX)
What’s Up? After two games, the Knights have three players with at least 100 yards rushing: Jaden Nixon (150), Myles Montgomery (114) and quarterback Jaccuri Brown (106). … Saturday will be the first meeting between UCF and North Carolina.
12. Cincinnati (2-1, 0-0 Big 12)
Last results: Brendan Sorsby threw five touchdown passes, all in the first quarter, and ran for another score as Cincinnati routed Northwestern State 70-0.
Game On: Bye (Next game is Sept. 27 at Kansas)
What’s Up? With a 35-point first quarter, Cincinnati led Northwestern State 56-0 at halftime. … In addition to Sorsby’s big game, backups Brady Lichtenberg and Samaj Jones threw one touchdown pass each.
13. West Virginia (2-1, 0-0 Big 12)
Last results: Tye Edwards scored on a 1-yard run in overtime as West Virginia defeated Pitt 31-24 in the Backyard Brawl.
Game On: Saturday at Kansas (2-1, 0-0 Big 12), 4 p.m. MT (FS1)
What’s Up? A 2-yard touchdown pass from Mountaineers quarterback Nicco Marchiol to Grayson Barnes with 11 seconds to play to tied the game at 24 to force overtime … West Virginia leads the overall series with Kansas 11-2 and won last year’s meeting 32-28 at Morgantown.
14. Colorado (1-2, 0-1 Big 12)
Last results: In his first start, Ryan Staub finished 19 of 35 for 204 yards and a touchdown as Colorado lost to Houston 36-20 to open Big 12 play.
Game On: Saturday vs. Wyoming (2-1, 0-0 MWC), 8:15 p.m. MT (ESPN)
What’s Up? Colorado was just 4 of 14 on third downs against Houston and had two turnovers. … The Buffaloes lead the overall series with Wyoming 23-3-1, the last meeting a 24-0 Colorado victory at Boulder.
15. Kansas State (1-3, 0-2 Big 12)
Last results: Kansas State managed just 193 total yards in a 23-17 loss to Arizona to open Big 12 play.
Game On: Bye (Next game is Sept. 27 vs. UCF)
What’s Up? Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson was limited to 88 yards on 13 of 29 passing. … Running back Dylan Edwards returned to action after spraining his ankle in the season opener, finishing with 13 yards on four carries.
16. Oklahoma State (1-1, 0-0 Big 12)
Last results: The Cowboys were drubbed 69-3 by No. 6 Oregon on Sept. 6.
Game On: Friday vs. Tulsa (1-2, 0-1 American), 5:30 p.m. (ESPN)
What’s Up? Quarterbacks Zane Flores and Haus Hejny have combined to complete 51% of their passes for 299 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions with four total sacks. … Oklahoma State leads the overall series with Tulsa 44-28-5 and the Cowboys have won 10 straight against the Golden Hurricane, including last year’s 45-10 victory.