The Big 12 is coming into the 2026-27 season with real weight behind it, and the AP preseason poll makes that clear. Six league teams are in the Top 25, with one more just outside, giving the conference a familiar look: deep, dangerous, and hard to sort out.
Arizona is the league’s highest-ranked team at No. 5 after last season’s run to both the Big 12 regular-season and tournament titles. Tommy Lloyd’s program has already established itself as one of the country’s steadier powers, and the poll says voters expect the Wildcats to stay right in the national title mix.
Houston follows at No. 10, which is hardly a surprise after the Cougars’ continued climb under Kelvin Sampson. JoJo Tugler is back to lead what should be another elite defensive group, and Houston enters the season with expectations to be in the Big 12 race again.
Kansas comes in at No. 17, a ranking that stands out a bit more than the others. Bill Self adds No. 1 recruit Tyran Stokes in Lawrence, but the spot also points to some uncertainty after a stretch that didn’t meet the Jayhawks’ usual standard. Even so, betting against Kansas in October has never been a smart habit.
Iowa State and Texas Tech sit right behind them at Nos. 18 and 19. The Cyclones get veteran guard Tamin Lipsey back, while Grant McCasland’s Red Raiders keep stockpiling talent through the transfer portal and arrive with another roster that looks built to contend.
BYU closes out the ranked Big 12 teams at No. 25, giving Kevin Young another preseason Top 25 squad as the buzz keeps growing in Provo. TCU also stays in the conversation after receiving votes, keeping itself on the edge of the national picture as another possible NCAA Tournament team.
The overall picture is tough to miss: Arizona leads the way, but the Big 12 is loaded again. With six ranked teams and more lurking nearby, the league’s path looks every bit as crowded as it is strong.
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 🡒]