Big 12 Football Power Rankings: BYU-Utah is Top 10 showdown
- Cincinnati quarterback JC French IV (4) is sacked during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Utah, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, in Cincinnati.
- BYU running back Sione Moa celebrates his touchdown run during Saturday’s win over Arizona State. October 31, 2026

Tony Wagner, AP Photo
Cincinnati quarterback JC French IV (4) is sacked during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Utah, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, in Cincinnati.
Each week of the college football season the Daily Herald’s Darnell Dickson takes a deep dive into the Big 12: What happened and what’s up next with the league’s 16 teams.
1. No. 3 Utah (8-0, 5-0)
Last results: No. 6 Utah scored 28 points in the second quarter and led 42-6 at halftime in a 49-25 victory at Cincinnati.
Game On: Saturday vs. No. 7 BYU (7-1, 4-1), 10 a.m. MT (ABC)
What’s Up? The Utes have the longest current winning streak in college football at 14 games. … Utah is 8- for the first time since 2010 and has won 10 consecutive Big 12 contests. … The Utes lead the overall series with BYU 59-34-4 but hasn’t picked up a win against the Cougars since 2019 (30-12 at Provo).
2. No. 7 BYU (7-1, 4-1)
Last results: Bear Bachmeier led an 11-play, 95-yard drive with two fourth down conversions in the fourth quarter to help preserve a 27-20 victory against Arizona State.

Courtesy BYU Photo
BYU running back Sione Moa celebrates his touchdown run during Saturday's win over Arizona State. October 31, 2026
Game On: Saturday at No. 3 Utah (8-0, 5-0), 10 a.m. MT (ABC)
What’s Up? Bachmeier threw for 236 yards and a touchdown but threw an interception just before halftime for the second straight game. … BYU has won the past three meetings with Utah, including a 22-21 victory at Salt Lake City in 2024.
3. No. 13 Texas Tech (7-1, 4-1)
Last results: Tommy Castellanos threw two touchdown passes and ran for 117 yards and a score as No. 13 Texas Tech held off No. 22 Arizona 34-26.
Game On: Saturday vs. West Virginia (5-3, 2-3), 7:30 p.m. MT (ESPN)
What’s Up? Texas Tech has tied a school record with its 13th consecutive home win. … J’Koby Williams rushed for 175 yards against Arizona, including a 64-yard touchdown run. … Texas Tech leads the overall series with West Virginia 8-7 and has won six of the past seven matchups, including a 49-0 victory at Morgantown last season.
4. No. 17 Houston (6-2, 3-2)
Last results: Bye
Game On: Saturday vs. Cincinnati (5-3, 2-3), 1:30 p.m. (FOX)
What’s Up? Quarterback Connor Weigman has accounted for 2053 passing yards and 20 touchdowns with only two interceptions. … The overall series with Cincinnati is tied at 15-15. … Houston’s last win in the series came in 2016, a 40-16 victory at Cincinnati.
5. No. 24 Arizona (6-2, 3-2)
Last results: Noah Fifita finished 33 of 45 for 417 yards and a touchdown as No. 22 Arizona lost to No. 13 Texas Tech 34-26.
Game On: Friday vs. TCU (4-4, 2-3), 8:15 p.m. MT (ESPN2)
What’s Up? Isaiah Mizell had his third consecutive 100-yard receiving game with 182 yards against Texas Tech, including a 94-yard touchdown. … Arizona saw its five-game winning streak end. … The Wildcats’ only win in the three-game series with TCU came in 1999, a 35-31 victory at Fort Worth.
6. West Virginia (5-3, 2-3)
Last results: Bye
Game On: Saturday at No. 13 Texas Tech (7-1, 4-1), 7:30 p.m. MT (ESPN)
What’s Up? West Virginia quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. has accounted for 27 total touchdowns (11 passing, 16 rushing) and 2,434 total yards (1,598 passing, 836 rushing). … West Virginia’s last win in the series with Texas Tech came in 2023, a 20-13 victory at Morgantown.
7. Cincinnati (5-3, 2-3)
Last results: Cole Tabb rushed for 131 yards on 14 carries, including a 48-yard touchdown run, in a 49-25 loss to No. 6 Utah.
Game On: Saturday at No. 17 Houston (6-2, 3-2), 1:30 p.m. MT (FOX)
What’s Up? The Bearcats beat a ranked Texas Tech team last week before losing to No. 6 Utah. No unranked team has beaten Top 10 opponents in back-to-back weeks since South Carolina in 2022. … Cincinnati has won the past five meetings with Houston, including a 34-0 win at home in 2024.
8. Oklahoma State (5-3, 3-2)
Last results: Drew Mestemaker was 27 of 42 for 323 yards and five touchdowns as No. 24 Oklahoma State lost a 51-49 decision to Iowa State.
Game On: Saturday at Kansas State (4-4, 1-4), 11 a.m. MT (TNT)
What’s Up? Caleb Hawkins rushed 25 times for 194 yards and two touchdowns for OSU, including a 75-yard touchdown. … Justin Bowick caught seven passes for 124 yards and two scores. … Oklahoma State leads the overall series with Kansas State 43-29 with its last victory coming in 2023 at Stillwater (29-21).
9. Arizona State (4-4, 3-3)
Last result: Cardae Mack ran for 123 yards on 23 carries (5.3 yards per carry) in a 27-20 loss to No. 8 BYU.
Game On: Saturday vs. Colorado (3-5, 1-4), 5:30 p.m. MT (ESPN2)
What’s Up? In his first career start freshman quarterback Jake Fette was 22 of 42 for 166 and two touchdowns. … Fette was sacked six times. … Arizona State leads the overall series with Colorado 10-4 and won last year at Boulder 42-17. … A 35-13 victory against the Buffaloes at Tempe in 2021 was vacated due to NCAA recruiting violations.
10. Iowa State (4-4, 2-3)
Last results: Kyle Konrardy made a 34-yard field goal as time expired to give Iowa State a wild 51-49 victory against No. 24 Oklahoma State.
Game On: Saturday at Baylor (5-3, 3-2), 10 a.m. MT (ESPN+)
What’s Up? Aiden Flora rushed 29 times for 221 yards and two touchdowns for the Cyclones . …Iowa State and Oklahoma State combined for 51 first downs and 1014 total yards. … The Cyclones have won the past two games with Baylor: 43-21 at Ames in 2024 and 30-18 at Waco in 2023.
11. Baylor (5-3, 3-2)
Last results: DJ Lagway threw for 319 yards and four touchdowns to give interim coach Joe Klanderman a 41-9 victory at UCF in his debut.
Game On: Saturday vs. Iowa State (4-4, 2-3), 10 a.m. MT (ESPN+)
What’s Up? Lagway is 129 of 242 (53%) for 1,671 yards, 13 touchdowns and four interceptions for the Bears in his first season in Waco. … Baylor leads the overall series with Iowa State 12-11, with its last win coming in 2022 at Ames (31-24).
12. TCU (4-4, 2-3)
Last results: Jaden Craig ran 17 yards for the go-ahead score with 1:09 to play as TCU defeated Kansas 22-16.
Game On: Friday at No. 24 Arizona (6-2, 3-2), 8:15 p.m. MT (ESPN)
What’s Up? Max Carroll returned an interception 60 yards for a touchdown for the Horned Frogs. … TCU was held scoreless in first half for the first time since a 10-7 victory over Cal in 2018 Cheez-It Bowl. … The Horned Frogs lead the overall series with Arizona 2-1 and have won the past two meetings, including a 49-28 win at Fort Worth in 2024.
13. Colorado (3-5, 1-3)
Last results: Tight end Charlie Williams’ only catch against Kansas State was an 11-yard touchdown in overtime from Isaac Wilson as Colorado earned a 27-24 victory.
Game On: Saturday at Arizona State (4-4, 2-3), 5:30 p.m. MT (ESPN2)
What’s Up? Wilson finished 14 of 21 for 185 yards and a touchdown. … Richard Young rushed for 120 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries for the Buffaloes. … Colorado won the last time the game was played at Tempe 27-24 in 2023.
14. UCF (4-4, 2-3)
Last results: One week after upsetting then-No. 2 BYU in double overtime the Golden Knights got spanked at home 41-9 by Baylor.
Game On: Saturday at Kansas (3-5, 1-4), 1:45 p.m. MT (ESPN2)
What’s Up? Keyone Jenkins was 14 of 21 for 82 yards and an interception before being replaced by Alonza Barnett III at quarterback due to an ankle injury … Jenkins and Barnett were sacked a combined seven times by the Baylor defense. … The Golden Knights saw their four-game home winning streak snapped.
15. Kansas State (4-4, 1-4)
Last results: Blake Barnett was 18 of 28 for 224 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for 40 yards as Kansas State lost to Colorado 27-24 in overtime.
Game On: Saturday vs. Oklahoma State (5-3, 3-2), 11 a.m. MT (TNT)
What’s Up? Dillon Duff started at quarterback but was replaced by Barnett after three-and-outs on the Wildcats’ first three possessions. … Kansas State has won the past two meetings with Oklahoma State: 14-6 at Stillwater in 2025 and 42-20 at Manhattan in 2024.
16. Kansas (2-5, 0-4)
Last results: Kansas went ahead of TCU on a 27-yard field goal 16-14 but lost 22-16.
Game On: Saturday vs. UCF (4-4, 2-3), 1:45 p.m. MT (ESPN2)
What’s up? Kansas is 0-6 in Fort Worth since TCU joined the Big 12 in 2012. .. The Jayhawks have won both matchups with UCF: 27-20 at Orlando in 2025 and 51-22 at Lawrence in 2023.




