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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Bagayoko, in particular, carries some of the clearest pressure entering the night because Texas Techs frontcourt size and rebounding remain a concern. His presence is expected to help answer both, while Davis and Williams will be counted on to steady the offense and give the Red Raiders balance on both ends. For a team trying to define its identity from the start, the first game is less about polish than about whether those three can set the tone. [Read more 🡒]
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The pass-rush production also carries a little extra meaning for fans following along this season. Supporters can donate money for every Texas Tech sack to benefit Ronald McDonald House Southwest, turning each takedown into more than just a momentum swing on the field. For a defense that has already shown it can change a game, there is now another reason for Red Raiders fans to keep track of every quarterback hit. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Tech Opens With One Rotation Question Fans Can't Ignore
Texas Tech heads into its Nov. 2 opener against Jackson State with the kind of early-season roster puzzle that tends to linger until the first few games sort it out. The Red Raiders have spent the preseason sorting through roles around Cruz Davis, Darrion Williams, Bassala Bagayoko and Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn, with injuries forcing some positional shuffling and leaving the staff to balance fit, depth and continuity at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock.
The broad outlines are clear enough for now, but one rotation question still hangs over the lineup picture and could shape how Texas Tech starts the season on CBS Sports Network. With several players expected to shoulder expanded responsibilities, the Red Raiders are trying to settle on the right mix before conference-level stakes arrive, and the answer may not be fully obvious until the first real minutes are in the books. [Read more 🡒]