The Big 12 is walking into November with real College Football Playoff juice, and the conference’s biggest week may be just getting started.
Five Big 12 teams are ranked right now: No. 3 Utah, No.
7 BYU, No. 13 Texas Tech, No.
17 Houston and No. 24 Arizona.
That alone tells the story. But this weekend pushes things even further, because two of those ranked teams are set to meet with a spot in the Big 12 Championship Game on the line - along with a possible CFP berth.
The first official College Football Playoff rankings arrive this week, and that’s where the conference finally gets its first real read on how the committee sees it compared with the polls. All season, the Big 12 has been chasing respect while the SEC and Big Ten have soaked up most of the attention, even as the league has stacked up quality football across the country.
Texas Tech is still very much alive in the playoff race at 7-1. The Red Raiders’ path is clear enough: West Virginia, Oklahoma State, Baylor and TCU are all still .500 or better, and finishing 11-1 by winning out would give the committee something to seriously consider.
BYU, also 7-1, took a hit after its upset of No. 2 Notre Dame, but the Cougars still have the biggest statement game left on the board.
No. 3 Utah is the obstacle that matters most, both for a trip to Dallas and for any CFP hopes.
The Holy War will be the highest-ranked matchup in the history of the rivalry, and BYU has a three-game winning streak in the series it wants to protect while also knocking Utah out of the unbeaten ranks.
Utah, meanwhile, has spent 2026 blowing past preseason expectations. At 8-0, the Utes get BYU this week in a game that carries far more than rivalry bragging rights.
A win would not only damage BYU’s playoff dream with a second loss, it would keep Utah’s own dream season rolling under new coach Morgan Scalley. It would also give Devon Dampier’s dark-horse Heisman push a major boost.
Arizona and Houston are both 6-2 and still have a route to Dallas, though their CFP paths are tougher. Oklahoma State is an odd but real wild card in the mix, with a chance to get to Dallas at 9-3 if it wins out and beats Texas Tech along the way.
Tuesday’s rankings should tell us plenty. Utah, Texas Tech and BYU all have cases to land in the Top 10 and sit in strong position for playoff spots. Houston should be in the conversation too, with time left to move up before December.
For the Big 12, the possibility of landing two teams in the CFP has never looked more real than it does in 2026. Texas Tech, Utah and BYU appear to be the conference’s best bets, but nothing is locked in yet. With four weeks left, the committee still has plenty to sort through, and it starts with the first rankings this week.
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What makes this one especially interesting is how much turnover sits inside a roster that still expects to defend, rebound and play with the same edge. Junior guard Mercy Miller, senior transfer Dedan Thomas Jr. and forward Joseph Tugler are among the names to watch, while the group also includes other notable transfers and a highly ranked freshman center, giving Houston a new look without lowering the standard. For a team trying to stay near the top of the league, the opener is less about easing in and more about finding out how quickly the new pieces fit. [Read more 🡒]
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Houston's Big 12 Push Now Comes Down To One Rising Question
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The concern, though, is whether the Cougars can keep that momentum if the game turns into a test through the air. Houstons offense has carried plenty of the load, but the defense has shown vulnerability in pass coverage, and that is the area Cincinnati will surely try to probe. For a team with Big 12 ambitions, this next stretch is less about the record it has already built and more about whether the pieces are in place to hold up when opponents start forcing Houston into uncomfortable spots. [Read more 🡒]