Texas Tech has taken over the top spot in the Big 12 in ESPN’s updated Football Power Index after a chaotic Week 7, bumping Utah from No. 1 in the conference rankings.
The Red Raiders moved up two places nationally to No. 9 and landed at 19.4 in FPI after a convincing 53-25 win over Arizona State on Saturday. That victory pushed Texas Tech to 6-0 and kept its profile growing as one of the league’s leading College Football Playoff contenders.
Utah, which had been ahead of Texas Tech entering the week, slid three spots to No. 13 with a 17.4 rating after escaping Colorado 27-24 in Boulder. The Utes and Red Raiders are now separated by more than just the eye test in ESPN’s model.
Then there’s BYU, which may be the most eye-catching name in the mix.
The Cougars stayed at No. 14 nationally with a 17.4 rating even after knocking off No. 2 Notre Dame 28-24 in Provo. BYU is also 6-0 and owns one of the strongest wins in the sport, but ESPN’s FPI still has the Cougars behind both Texas Tech and Utah in the conference pecking order.
Houston is the fourth Big 12 team in the FPI top 18, coming in at No. 18 with a 14.8 rating after edging Oklahoma State 35-32.
So the Big 12’s top tier now looks like this after Week 7:
No. 9 Texas Tech - 19.4
No. 13 Utah - 17.4
No. 14 BYU - 17.4
No. 18 Houston - 14.8
Texas Tech’s jump stands out most. The Red Raiders entered the week one spot behind Utah, but while Texas Tech handled Arizona State, Utah had to sweat out a late win over Colorado. ESPN’s latest numbers reflect that contrast.
With Texas Tech, Utah and BYU all sitting at 6-0, the Big 12’s upper class remains crowded and strong heading into the second half of the season.
In Other News...
Rece Davis Turns BYU Win Into Bigger Officiating Fight
The fallout from BYUs win over Notre Dame kept moving well after the final whistle, with ESPNs Rece Davis taking aim at the officiating mistake that ended the game with the Irish out of time for one last snap. The Big 12 later acknowledged the error, saying one second should have remained on the clock and promising a review of the replay officiating process, which only added to the sense that the finish was about more than just one result.
Davis also tied the episode into a broader conversation that has been simmering around the College Football Playoff expansion debate, using the clock mishap as another example of why the sport keeps getting pulled into bigger questions about fairness and control. For BYU, the win stands, but the way it ended has ensured the discussion will linger well beyond one Saturday night. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Just Got The Statement Win Fans Dreamed About
Bear Bachmeier gave BYU the kind of all-around performance that can change the way a season feels, helping the Cougars outlast Notre Dame in a 28-24 win that should resonate well beyond one Saturday. The sophomore quarterback was effective as a passer and a runner, and the offense found another steady presence in tight end Walker Lyons, who kept showing up as a reliable target when the game tightened up.
The result pushed BYU all the way to No. 2 in the Associated Press Top 25, a sign of how much national respect the Cougars earned with the victory. For a team trying to prove it belongs in the top tier, the bigger question now is how this performance carries over, because statement wins only matter if they become part of a pattern. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Just Turned The Big 12 Race Into Something Much Bigger
A wild Saturday across college football sent the AP poll into a spin, and BYU found itself at the center of it. Five of the top seven teams lost on the same day for the first time in the history of the poll, a shakeup driven by results all over the country as Miami moved to No. 1 after a double-overtime win against Florida State and the Cougars climbed to No. 2 after upsetting Notre Dame.
The bigger picture for BYU is how much larger its season has suddenly become. What had been a strong run inside the Big 12 now comes with national relevance, especially after a slate that also saw Ohio State beat Indiana, Tennessee knock off Alabama, Florida upset Texas and Auburn topple Georgia. The rankings changed fast, and with them the spotlight on a BYU team that has turned a conference race into something far more consequential. [Read more 🡒]