Week 4 gave the Big 12 another jolt, and the top of the league still looks unsettled. BYU keeps the No. 1 spot after a bye, Texas Tech stays unbeaten, and Utah’s road win at Iowa State helped keep the Utes near the front. A few teams also made loud moves in the other direction, especially after Cincinnati knocked off Kansas State and UCF beat TCU.
BYU remains the team to beat in these rankings. The Cougars are still undefeated, already have a conference win over Arizona, and have scored at least 28 points in all three of their games.
They get one of the weekend’s best matchups in Week 5, traveling to TCU for a Saturday night game in Fort Worth. The Horned Frogs will be coming off their loss at UCF, while BYU arrives rested.
This week: at TCU, Saturday, Oct. 3, 6 p.m. CT on ESPN
Texas Tech also holds firm near the top after rolling past Sam Houston 49-14. The Red Raiders built a cushion early and never let go, continuing to look like one of the league’s most complete teams through four games. They head to Colorado with a chance to move to 2-0 in Big 12 play.
This week: at Colorado, Saturday, Oct. 3, 6:30 p.m. CT on FOX
Utah stays in the upper tier after a 31-17 road win over Iowa State. The Utes have given up only 41 points across four games and continue to profile as one of the conference’s most reliable defenses. They get a bye before returning to Big 12 action in Week 6.
Oklahoma State made one of the biggest climbs after a 41-24 win at West Virginia. The Cowboys have now won three straight since opening with a loss to Tulsa, and Drew Mestemaker has kept the offense moving in the right direction. The result also snapped Oklahoma State’s 18-game Big 12 regular-season losing streak.
Houston also moves up after responding to its tight loss to Texas Tech with a 42-28 win at Georgia Southern. The Cougars have scored at least 33 points in each of their three victories, and even though they are still looking for their first conference win, the close battle with Texas Tech keeps them high in the rankings. They return home to face UCF.
This week: vs. UCF, Saturday, Oct. 3, 11 a.m. CT on ESPN2
Cincinnati earns a jump after handing Kansas State its first defeat, 31-26, in the Bearcats’ Big 12 opener. The win pushed Cincinnati to 4-0 and gave the résumé a much-needed boost. Next comes another tough road test at Arizona.
This week: at Arizona, Saturday, Oct. 3, 10 p.m. CT on FOX
Arizona is also on the rise after beating Washington State 34-24 on the road. The Wildcats are 3-1 and have won two in a row since losing to BYU. Their offense has shown plenty of promise, and now they return home looking for their first Big 12 win against an unbeaten Cincinnati team.
This week: vs. Cincinnati, Saturday, Oct. 3, 10 p.m. CT on FOX
Kansas State slips after its first loss of the season. The Wildcats were ahead 17-10 at halftime against Cincinnati but couldn’t close it out, falling 31-26 in conference play. The bye week now gives them a chance to sort out what went wrong.
Arizona State had the week off after opening Big 12 play with a win over Kansas. The Sun Devils are rested and get Baylor at home, with another conference victory offering a chance to climb.
This week: vs. Baylor, Saturday, Oct. 3, 9:30 p.m. CT on ESPN
Baylor sits at No. 10 after taking down Colorado 23-13 in its Big 12 opener. The Bears have won three straight since a narrow season-opening loss to Auburn, and their defense handled Colorado well enough to control the second half. A trip to Arizona State is next.
This week: at Arizona State, Saturday, Oct. 3, 9:30 p.m. CT on ESPN
West Virginia drops after Oklahoma State left Morgantown with a 41-24 win. The Mountaineers came in unbeaten, but the Cowboys pulled away after halftime. West Virginia now heads to Iowa State trying to get its first conference win.
This week: at Iowa State, Saturday, Oct. 3, 11 a.m. CT on TNT
UCF gets a boost after beating TCU 21-13 in its Big 12 opener. The Knights forced four turnovers and held the Horned Frogs to 13 points, even while being outgained 343-266. That win gave UCF its first conference victory, and now it goes to Houston with another chance to make a statement.
This week: at Houston, Saturday, Oct. 3, 11 a.m. CT on ESPN2
TCU falls two spots after its 21-13 loss at UCF. The Horned Frogs moved the ball for 343 yards but rushed for only 33, turned it over four times, and never made enough of their yardage edge. BYU now comes to Fort Worth, giving TCU a quick shot to reset the narrative.
This week: vs. BYU, Saturday, Oct. 3, 6 p.m. CT on ESPN
Colorado keeps sliding after a second straight loss, this time 23-13 at Baylor. A week earlier, the Buffaloes were beaten 41-7 by Northwestern. After opening 2-0, their offense has gone quiet the past two games, and now undefeated Texas Tech visits Boulder.
This week: vs. Texas Tech, Saturday, Oct. 3, 6:30 p.m. CT on FOX
Iowa State drops again after losing 31-17 at home to Utah. The Cyclones couldn’t keep up late and are now 2-2 overall after also losing to Iowa earlier in the season. They return home for a meeting with West Virginia.
This week: vs. West Virginia, Saturday, Oct. 3, 11 a.m. CT on TNT
Kansas remains last after a Week 4 bye. The Jayhawks have lost two straight since opening the season with a win over LIU and now turn to Middle Tennessee before conference play resumes.
This week: vs. Middle Tennessee, Saturday, Oct. 3, 11 a.m. CT on ESPNU
In Other News...
Ryan Smith Just Reinforced Why BYU Can Compete In NIL
Ryan Smiths latest comments offered a timely reminder that BYUs place in the NIL era is not built on one splashy donor, but on a broad and energized base of support. The Utah Jazz and Utah Mammoth owner, who is a BYU graduate, talked in a recent interview about his financial backing of Cougars athletics and framed it as part of a much larger effort from alumni who continue to give because the school means something to them.
For BYU, that matters because competing in modern college sports is as much about sustained buy-in as it is about headlines. Smith pointed to the depth of the donor pool around the program, stressing that the support comes from many different people instead of a single source, and his own involvement is tied to his connection to the university as an alumnus. In a landscape where financial muscle often shapes roster building, BYUs case looks stronger when one of its most prominent boosters says the network behind it is bigger than most outsiders may realize. [Read more 🡒]
BYUs Defensive Rotation Is Already Creating A Bigger Opportunity
Through three games, BYU has already shown a clear willingness to spread the workload around, especially on defense, where the snap counts point to a rotation that keeps bodies fresh and options open. The Cougars have also used the bye week to take a longer look at who is ready for more, while on offense the workload has been led by familiar pieces and complemented by targeted usage for players such as wide receiver Legend Glasker.
The bigger question now is how that rotation changes once the season resumes, particularly with injuries forcing the staff to keep sorting through depth. A younger safety like Kennan Pula is among the names positioned to benefit if the coaching staff decides to expand the defensive group even further, and BYUs approach suggests those opportunities may come sooner rather than later. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Is About To Face Its Biggest Big 12 Test Yet
BYU keeps sitting at the top of the Big 12 conversation as the league turns to Week 5, a spot that reflects both the Cougars strong start and how unsettled the conference picture still is. The latest power rankings, compiled from ballots by KSL Sports reporters, also put Utah right alongside BYU near the top, while Oklahoma State climbed to fourth after a road win that has changed the feel of the race early in the season.
The bigger question now is whether BYU can hold that position when the schedule starts to tighten and the leagues midtier challengers begin pressing harder. Power rankings are only a snapshot, but they capture the stakes pretty well in a conference where recent results matter and every week can reshape the order, especially with marquee matchups looming across the Big 12. [Read more 🡒]