With Week 0 almost here, college football is back on the calendar, and preseason rankings are still doing what they always do: stirring up arguments before a single snap has been played. One of the latest comes from The Athletic’s Chris Vannini, who released a full 138-team FBS preseason ranking and gave the Big 12 plenty to chew on.
At the top of the league, the conference comes out looking strong. Seven Big 12 teams cracked the top 30, which is a hefty chunk of the league and, as the source material notes, more than double the ACC’s total of three.
Texas Tech sits highest among the Big 12 at No. 9, followed by BYU at No. 11 and Houston at No. 19.
Oklahoma State comes in at No. 22, with Utah just behind at No. 26.
TCU checks in at No. 27 and Arizona at No. 28, giving the league a deep cluster of teams near the top of the board.
That Oklahoma State placement is notable because the Cowboys are being viewed as a trendy team in part because of what Eric Morris has brought in from North Texas. The top end of the Big 12, then, is not just crowded - it’s getting real attention.
The middle of the rankings is where things get a little more debatable. Arizona State lands at No.
45, Kansas State at No. 46, and Baylor at No. 55.
The source material says Kansas State is rated higher there than it would be, while Baylor is the one that really jumps off the page. That No. 55 slot appears to assume the DJ Lagway experiment works out in Waco; if it doesn’t, Baylor would be looking at a much lower spot.
A second tier follows with West Virginia at No. 63, UCF at No.
69, Cincinnati at No. 70, Kansas at No. 74 and Colorado at No.
- Among that group, Cincinnati is described as a little too high, with the view that the Bearcats could wind up worse than Iowa State but not ahead of both Kansas and Colorado.
At the bottom of the Big 12 list is Iowa State at No. 98, and that ranking comes with a clear warning about the challenge ahead for Jimmy Rogers after the major roster turnover from Matt Campbell leaving. The source leaves room for the possibility that Iowa State is the league’s weakest team on a talent basis, but not by such a wide margin that it should be more than 20 spots behind the next-worst Big 12 team.
In Other News...
BYU Just Made A Sudden Football Change Fans Need To Watch
With nine days left before the opener, BYU made a notable football move by restructuring its athletic department and separating the program from the other 20 sports. Head coach Kalani Sitake will now report directly to university vice president Keith Vorkink, while athletic director Brian Santiago remains in charge of the rest of the department. It is a clear sign that football is being handled differently now, and the timing alone makes it a change worth watching as the season approaches.
The shift also follows Sitakes public push for more investment in the football program, which gives the reorganization added significance beyond just a chart update. For a program trying to build momentum heading into a new season, reporting lines may seem like internal business, but they can say plenty about where a university wants to place its priorities. BYU did not make the change in a vacuum, and the next question is how the new setup will shape the way the football program operates once the games begin. [Read more 🡒]
BYUs Projected Depth Chart Reveals Where The Real Camp Battles Stand
BYU has finished its 2026 fall camp, and the next item on the to-do list is the official depth chart, which should arrive soon enough. In the meantime, the projected lineup offers a useful snapshot of where things stand after a month of practices, with Bear Bachmeier penciled in at quarterback and a few familiar names surfacing in the backfield, including LJ Martin and Sione Moa. There are also expected starters and rotation players at receiver, tight end and across the defense, giving a clearer picture of how the staff sees the roster settling in.
The real value of a projected chart this time of year is in the battles it hints at, not just the names it places on top. Some spots appear to be in better shape than others, and the coaches' observations from camp suggest there are still decisions to sort through before the picture becomes official. BYU will soon show which of those competitions were truly settled in camp and which ones are still very much alive heading into the season. [Read more 🡒]
BYU May Have A Difference Maker Back At The Perfect Time
Sione Moas return has become one of the more encouraging developments in BYUs buildup to the season, especially after he worked his way back from acute compartment syndrome in his right leg. He made it through fall camp without any setbacks, and the Cougars are counting on him to be more than just another body in the rotation. His value goes beyond carries, with BYU expecting him to help as a runner, a blocker and a receiver.
For an offense looking to take a step forward, having a healthy Moa available at the right time matters. He has sounded confident about the groups growth and has embraced the kind of role that can quietly change a game, whether it is helping protect the quarterback or giving the attack another option in space. The only real question now is how quickly that versatility shows up once the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]