West Virginia made the kind of jump that gets everyone’s attention in a hurry, and the Mountaineers are now sitting sixth in the Big 12 football power rankings as Week 4 of the 2026 season arrives.
At the top, BYU stays put after opening 3-0 overall and 1-0 in conference play, but Texas Tech is right behind after edging Houston 28-26. Kansas State slides to third despite remaining unbeaten, while Houston drops into fourth after the narrow loss in Lubbock.
The biggest mover in the league is West Virginia, which surged after a 3-0 start and now has a chance to keep climbing with Oklahoma State coming to town. The note on the Mountaineers is simple: Rich Rod might have the Mountaineers humming already, and can prove it against OSU.
Texas Tech’s win over Houston keeps the Red Raiders in the hunt near the top, even if they are not being treated like the same kind of force they were in 2025. Still, they remain a favorite to get to Arlington. Kansas State, meanwhile, needed Avery Johnson to finally show off his running ability to survive a scare from Tulane, and now the Wildcats head to Cincinnati for a matchup of 3-0 teams.
Arizona checks in fifth after beating Northern Illinois 42-17, though the Wildcats took a while to put that one away. Utah holds seventh after a 33-0 shutout of Utah State, though the blunt assessment remains: Wake me up when the Utes play a warm body.
Arizona State is eighth after opening conference play with a win, but the situation around Cutter Boley remains a talking point after he went from lighting up the stat sheet to not being allowed to pass against Kansas. Oklahoma State sits ninth, still rolling into what suddenly looks like a much more interesting next game.
Baylor moves up to 10th after a 36-19 win over Louisiana Tech and now gets Colorado, which is the team taking the biggest tumble. The Buffs fall to 14th after a 41-7 loss at Northwestern, and the line attached to that result says plenty: Guess you can't Depend on the Buffs to show up for a game on the lakefront.
Iowa State is 11th, with the only certainty being that Bowling Green is really, really bad. Cincinnati lands 12th despite being 3-0, and the Bearcats now face Kansas State in what could be one of the most one-sided 3-0 matchups in quite some time, and not in Cincinnati’s favor.
TCU comes in 13th and heads to UCF, with the thought being that the Horned Frogs’ recent offensive success may not translate in Big 12 play, though that idea gets put on hold for a week because UCF is the opponent. Kansas sits 15th during its open week, with the blunt read that the Jayhawks may not be the worst team in the conference, but they are definitely not a good team. UCF rounds out the rankings at 16th.
In Other News...
Micah Hudson's Slow Start Is Becoming A Real Texas Tech Concern
Texas Tech has been getting plenty of answers from Kenny Johnson at the X receiver spot, but the same cannot be said for the Z position. Through the early part of the 2026 season, the Red Raiders have gotten just six combined catches for 61 yards from the three players listed there, leaving a noticeable void in an offense that needs production across the board.
Micah Hudsons slow start is the biggest reason that spotlight has lingered. The junior and former five-star recruit has managed only three catches for 44 yards in three games, still searching for the kind of breakthrough season many expected when he arrived. For a Texas Tech passing game leaning on Johnson as its leading receiver, the question now is how long the Red Raiders can keep waiting for Hudson to turn promise into production. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Tech Got An Early Answer On A Key Defensive Newcomer
Texas Tech got an encouraging first look at Trey White on Sept. 18, when the defensive newcomer made his debut after recovering from knee surgery just three weeks earlier. White wasted little time getting involved, finishing with two tackles and a sack in the victory against Houston, giving the Red Raiders an immediate glimpse of how he can fit into the rotation once he settles in.
White was part of a broader defensive reset in the game, with safety Brenden Jordan also making his season debut and transfers Jamond Mathis and Davin Martin logging their first starts. Jordan and linebacker Ben Roberts paced the defense with 10 tackles apiece, a sign that Texas Tech is still sorting out its pieces but may be finding answers in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
Darrion Williams Just Gave Texas Tech Real Hope For Next Season
A McLennan County judge gave Darrion Williams and 30 other players a temporary reprieve this week, keeping them eligible to play while their lawsuit against the NCAA moves forward. For Texas Tech, that matters well beyond a single roster decision, because Williams now remains in the picture for the 2026-27 season while the legal process plays out.
The Red Raiders are also waiting on separate eligibility rulings for other players hoping to gain a fifth year, which leaves the staff in something of a holding pattern as it tries to plan ahead. Until those decisions are settled, Texas Tech can at least breathe a little easier knowing Williams is not immediately out of the mix, even if the bigger fight is still unfolding. [Read more 🡒]