ESPN’s first crack at the 2026 College Football Power Index did the Big 12 no favors.
When the numbers dropped, the conference was barely visible in the top 25. Texas Tech landed at No. 10, BYU came in at No. 20, and that was it for the league among the highest-ranked teams.
At the top of the board, Ohio State opened at No. 1 overall with 28.7 points. Texas followed at 26.9, then Notre Dame at 25.9. The conference breakdown was just as lopsided: the SEC took nine spots, the Big Ten grabbed seven, and the ACC outpaced the Big 12 with three teams - Miami, Clemson and Iowa.
Texas Tech’s placement makes sense on paper. The Red Raiders are dealing with the departures of linebackers Jacob Rodriguez and David Bailey, which leaves the defense more exposed against veteran offenses.
Even so, they still look like a Big 12 favorite because of what returns around them, including running back Cameron Dickey and tight end Terrance Carter Jr. That gives Will Hammond a steadier runway after Brendan Sorsby’s exit in the middle of a chaotic offseason gambling scandal.
The respect is there elsewhere, too: six Red Raiders made Phil Steele Preseason All-Americans, and eight more were named to his First Team All-Big 12 list.
BYU’s No. 20 ranking feels light for a team that has done enough to earn more trust. Kalani Sitake is back for the foreseeable future, and the Cougars enter 2026 with the kind of continuity that matters in this league.
They were one game away from the program’s first Big 12 title in 2025, and they bring back enough to stay in the mix. Defensive coordinator Jay Hill is gone, but tackle Keanu Tanuvasa and linebacker Isaiah Glasker return to anchor a defense that should be deep in Year 1 under new coordinator Kelly Poppinga.
Offensively, BYU has a strong starting point with running back LJ Martin and quarterback Bear Bachmeier. The schedule is no picnic either, with nine straight weeks of football and matchups against Notre Dame on Oct. 17 and Utah on Nov.
The Big 12 doesn’t show up again until Utah at No. 31 under Morgan Scalley. Arizona follows at No. 34 and Houston at No. 35, each with enough pieces to look like a contender.
Outside of Texas Tech and BYU, ESPN’s first pass at the 2026 FPI wasn’t wildly off base for the Big 12. But the broader picture still isn’t flattering.
With so many teams sitting below the top 30, the league has work to do in 2026 if it wants these preseason numbers to start looking kinder. And with the Big 12 sitting at 1-8 overall in the history of the College Football Playoff, that’s a hurdle the conference can’t afford to ignore.
In Other News...
BYU Suddenly Has A Major Defensive Question Before Camp
BYUs defense was already headed into a transition after Tanner Walls move to the NFL, and Faletau Satuala was supposed to be one of the players helping steady the back end. Instead, the safetys offseason has put a fresh layer of uncertainty on a unit that was expected to lean on him as a leader heading into 2026, especially after the Cougars 12-2 breakthrough last fall.
The concern now is less about what Satuala has already shown than when BYU will have him back on the field. A foot fracture suffered in an offseason workout has left him in doubt for the start of training camp in August, and for a defense trying to build on its best season in more than two decades, losing a player with his experience and production would be a significant early setback. [Read more 🡒]
Sitake Just Sent A Surprising Message About The Utah Rivalry
Big 12 media days offered an unusually measured tone from both sides of the Utah-BYU rivalry, with Kalani Sitake and Morgan Scalley showing public respect for each other and for the programs they lead. For a matchup that has long carried extra emotion, the message from the two coaches was less about stirring the pot and more about reminding everyone how much the game means when it is handled the right way.
That approach matters because the rivalry has too often been defined by the worst behavior around it, even as the players themselves have shown how much overlap there can be between the two schools. Keanu Tanuvasas move from Utah to BYU is the latest example of how the line between enemy and teammate can blur, and it adds another layer to a series that already feels personal before the opening kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
LJ Martin Holds The Key To BYUs 2026 Ceiling
LJ Martin has spent the offseason in a familiar spot for BYU, at the center of the conversation about how high this team can climb in 2026. The reigning Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year finished last season as the conferences leading rusher despite playing through injury, and the expectation around Provo is that a healthy Martin gives the Cougars a different kind of ceiling entering fall camp.
Martin is also chasing a place in program history, with the all-time rushing mark still within reach if he keeps producing at the level he showed a year ago. Big 12 coaches already have him pegged as a preseason Offensive Player of the Year, which only adds to the pressure and the possibility around what BYUs offense could become if he stays on track. [Read more 🡒]