The Big 12 has been a league built on turnover, but Texas Tech may be the team that finally snaps the conference’s recent run of chaos. Six different programs have claimed the Big 12 Championship Game over the last six years, and the Red Raiders are the latest to get their hands on the trophy after a 34-7 win over BYU in last season’s finale.
Now they enter 2026 as the clear favorite to do it again.
Texas Tech is listed at -105 to win the Big 12, which gives it an implied probability of 51.22% to repeat as conference champion. That kind of price says plenty about how the market sees this race: the Red Raiders are the team to beat, and the gap between them and the rest of the field is real.
The biggest reason is defense. Texas Tech allowed just 12.2 points per game last season, the second-fewest mark in the nation behind only Ohio State.
Usually, a defense that strong loses enough pieces to create at least some regression, but Texas Tech brings back 65% of its production, the highest return rate in the Big 12. That gives the Red Raiders a sturdy foundation in a league where continuity matters.
There is still one major question hanging over the offense: quarterback. Brandon Sorsby won’t be available this season because of a gambling-related violation, so the job turns to Will Hammond, who is coming back from an ACL tear.
Even with that injury in the background, Hammond impressed in his eight appearances last season. If he’s not the answer, Texas Tech still has options around him, including running backs Cameron Dickey, J'Koby Williams, and Quentin Joyner.
If you’re looking for a team that could push Texas Tech, Houston stands out at +1500. The Cougars posted numbers last season that were stronger than most people probably realized, especially in EPA and success rate, and the program’s trajectory is moving the right way.
Houston jumped from 4-8 in 2024 to 10-3 in 2025, and it now returns the second-highest percentage of production in the Big 12. If that growth continues, the Cougars have a path into the conversation by season’s end.
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
In Other News...
UCF's New Backfield Could Decide How Far Scott Frost's Offense Goes
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Watson has leaned into the battle, saying he welcomes the competition and sees a fit in Frosts wide zone scheme because of his versatile running style. With multiple options now in the mix, UCFs challenge is less about finding bodies and more about finding the right combination to lift a ground game that needs to take a step forward. [Read more 🡒]
UCF Defense Has A Reason For Real Hope This Season
Alex Grinch spent this offseason looking for the kind of stability UCFs defense has often lacked, and the clearest place to find it may be right up the middle. The Knights are trying to toughen the defensive interior with veteran edge and a linebacker group that now has more continuity, thanks in part to the return of familiar faces such as Lewis Carter and Jayden Bellamy. For a unit that wants to play with more consistency snap to snap, keeping experienced pieces in place matters almost as much as any schematic tweak.
Cole Kozlowski could be the biggest reason that optimism feels real. The linebacker made an immediate impact after arriving from a mid-major program and earned All-Big 12 Third Team honors last season, and his pending return gives UCF another proven presence in the middle of the defense. If the Knights are going to turn that offseason hope into actual improvement, the interior is where it likely starts, and Kozlowskis availability is the detail that could shape how far this group can go. [Read more 🡒]