BYU’s unbeaten start now sits at the top of the Big 12 pecking order.
A 24-10 home win over Iowa State on Friday night pushed the Cougars to No. 1 in this week’s rankings, and they did it without running back LJ Martin. BYU still found enough offense and kept the Cyclones to 10 points, which is enough to separate it from the pack for now. The reward is a massive matchup against Notre Dame.
Utah stays right behind the Cougars at No. 2 after handling Kansas 41-24 at home to keep its own perfect record intact. BYU’s latest win gave the Cougars the edge this week, but the Utes have kept rolling and now head to Colorado with another chance to stay near the top.
Texas Tech was idle in Week 6 and slips to No. 3, not because of anything it did wrong, but because BYU and Utah keep stacking wins. The Red Raiders are still unbeaten and still very much in the race, and a visit from Arizona State gives them a chance to reclaim some of that top-tier shine.
Houston made one of the loudest moves of the week. The Cougars went on the road and beat Kansas State 35-16, then jumped two spots in the rankings. Now they get Oklahoma State in a game that could shake up the upper half of the conference again, especially with the Cowboys sitting just behind them.
Oklahoma State didn’t lose this week - it beat UCF 42-28 at home to stay unbeaten in Big 12 play - but Houston’s rise pushed the Cowboys down a spot. That makes Saturday’s trip to Houston feel even bigger, with the rankings and the field about to line up directly against each other.
Arizona also kept climbing after putting together one of the weekend’s biggest offensive statements. The Wildcats beat West Virginia 52-31 on the road and moved up a spot before heading into their bye. That kind of scoring burst is exactly why TCU people have reason to take notice before the Frogs visit Tucson in November.
Baylor didn’t play in Week 6, but the Bears still slid two places as other teams added wins around them. They’re 4-1 overall and unbeaten in conference play, and the next test is a rivalry game against TCU in the Revivalry.
Cincinnati spent the week off and moved up one place, giving the Bearcats a little more room near the middle of the standings. The upcoming trip to West Virginia should say plenty about where they really stand.
Iowa State’s loss at BYU nudged the Cyclones down a spot. They couldn’t consistently pressure the undefeated Cougars, and now they get a bye to sort it out.
Kansas State dropped a game to Houston, 35-16, and is still looking for its first conference win. The Wildcats actually move up one place because UCF slid, but there’s no hiding the need for a response. Kansas comes to town in the Sunflower Showdown, and both teams enter at 0-2 in Big 12 play.
Arizona State bounced back with a 30-12 win over Hawai‘i. The result strengthens the Sun Devils’ overall record while leaving them at 1-1 in the conference, and it earned them a two-spot climb. Texas Tech is next, which will be a far tougher measure.
UCF lost for the second straight conference game, falling 42-28 at Oklahoma State. The Knights kept themselves within range offensively, but they couldn’t match the Cowboys and now head into a bye.
West Virginia had a rough night in a 52-31 home loss to Arizona and has now dropped its first three conference games. The defense has to stiffen up, and quickly, with Cincinnati coming to town next.
TCU stayed put at No. 14 during its bye after opening Big 12 play with two losses. The Horned Frogs head to Baylor needing the extra week to turn into something more productive on the field. A rivalry win would be a badly needed reset, and freshman Ace Theus has given them at least one encouraging thing to build on.
Colorado remains at No. 15 after its bye and is still chasing its first conference win. Utah comes to Boulder next, and the Buffaloes will need a much sharper outing to have any shot at an upset.
Kansas rounds out the list after a 41-24 loss at Utah. The Jayhawks are still searching for their first conference victory, but they get a chance to change that Saturday at Kansas State in a game that sends both teams into the Sunflower Showdown at 0-2 in Big 12 play.
For TCU, the coming stretch doesn’t offer much room to breathe. Baylor is first, and after that the Frogs will keep running into opponents that can make the rest of the schedule much harder to navigate unless they start finishing closer games the right way.
In Other News...
BYU Red Zone Failure Just Got Even More Frustrating
A late-game red-zone trip against Iowa State turned into another reminder of how thin the margin can be for BYU when communication breaks down at the wrong moment. On a critical fourth down, quarterback Bear Bachmeier misheard offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick and checked into the wrong play, and the Cougars came away empty after a turnover on downs.
Aaron Roderick later acknowledged the miscommunication and said he took responsibility for a failed fourth-down call earlier in the game, which only added to the frustration around a drive that had real stakes. Iowa State head coach Jimmy Rogers also said his team dealt with headset communication issues in the third and fourth quarters, a detail that underscored how messy the game got when both sides were fighting not just the opponent, but the equipment and the noise around it. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Has A Huge Chance To Change The Big 12 Race
BYUs rise to the top of the Week 6 Big 12 power rankings has put the Cougars in a spot they could hardly have imagined a few weeks ago. With Utah sitting right behind at No. 2, the conference picture suddenly feels crowded at the top, and the recent results around the league have only sharpened the focus on how quickly the race can change.
The next stretch matters just as much as the current standings, because the rankings are built not only on what teams have already done but on what they still have in front of them. Three reporters ballots helped shape the order, and BYU now has a chance to turn a strong start into something more lasting if it can handle the challenges ahead in Big 12 play. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Vs Notre Dame Just Became A Massive Home Stage For The Cougars
A rare November spotlight is about to hit Provo, and the secondary market says fans know it. The BYU-Notre Dame game has become the priciest ticket in a crowded weekend slate of top 25 matchups, with a get-in price of $450 and some seats listed for more than $13,000 on SeatGeek. For a program that has spent plenty of time fighting for national respect, this is the kind of stage that makes LaVell Edwards Stadium feel bigger than ever.
The stakes explain the demand. This is BYUs first top 10 matchup at home, and it arrives with real College Football Playoff implications attached. Other marquee games around the country are drawing strong prices too, including Ohio State-Indiana and Alabama-Tennessee, but this one stands out because it puts the Cougars at the center of the weekend conversation. For BYU, it is more than a big ticket market - it is a chance to turn a home crowd into a postseason argument. [Read more 🡒]