A new team sits atop the Big 12 power rankings heading into Week 6, and it’s Utah.
The Utes moved into the No. 1 spot in the composite rankings from KSL Sports reporters Steve Bartle, Josh Furlong, and Mitch Harper after a bye week that followed a strong start to the season. Utah is 4-0 overall and 1-0 in Big 12 play, and the Utes have controlled their first four games.
BYU, which had been No. 1, slipped to No. 2 after grinding out a 17-10 road win at TCU in difficult conditions. The Cougars are still unbeaten at 4-0 and 2-0 in conference play.
Texas Tech held steady at No. 3 after improving to 5-0 with a 29-7 road win over Colorado. Oklahoma State stayed put at No. 4 after its bye week, and Houston remained No. 5 following a 27-17 win over UCF.
Arizona made one of the bigger jumps in the top half of the rankings, climbing from No. 7 to No. 6 after a 34-7 win over Cincinnati. Baylor rose four spots to No. 7 after hammering Arizona State 55-19, while Iowa State also moved up four places to No. 8 after edging West Virginia 45-42.
Cincinnati dropped to No. 9 after the loss to Arizona, and West Virginia slid to No. 10 after its tight defeat to Iowa State. Kansas State checked in at No.
11, UCF at No. 12, Arizona State at No.
13, TCU at No. 14, Kansas at No. 15 and Colorado at No.
Utah will try to hold onto the top spot Saturday night when it hosts Kansas at 8:15 p.m. MDT on ESPN.
BYU gets Iowa State on Friday night at 8:15 p.m. MDT on ESPN and KSL NewsRadio.
Here is the Week 6 composite ranking:
- Utah (4-0, 1-0 Big 12)
Last week’s power ranking: No. 2 (Up 1)
Last week: Bye
This week: vs.
Kansas | Saturday | 8:15 p.m. (MDT), ESPN
- BYU (4-0, 2-0 Big 12)
Last week’s power ranking: No. 1 (Down 1)
Last week: BYU 17, TCU 10 (Road Win)
- Texas Tech (5-0, 2-0 Big 12)
Last week’s power ranking: No. 3
Last game: Texas Tech 29, Colorado 7 (Road Win)
This week: Bye
- Oklahoma State (3-1, 1-0 Big 12)
Last week’s power ranking: No. 4
Last week: Bye
This week: vs.
UCF | Saturday | 10 a.m. (MDT), ESPN2
- Houston (4-1, 1-1 Big 12)
Last week’s power ranking: No. 5
Last game: Houston 27, UCF 17
This week: vs.
K-State | Saturday | 1:30 p.m. (MDT), FOX
- Arizona (4-1, 1-1 Big 12)
Last week’s power ranking: No. 7 (Up 1)
Last game: Arizona 34, Cincinnati 7
This week: at West Virginia | Saturday | 10 a.m.
(MDT), TNT
- Baylor (4-1, 2-0 Big 12)
Last week’s power ranking: No. 11 (Up 4)
Last game: Baylor 55, Arizona State 19
This week: Bye
- Iowa State (3-2, 1-1 Big 12)
Last week’s power ranking: No. 12 (Up 4)
Last game: Iowa State 45, West Virginia 42
This week: at BYU | Friday | 8:15 p.m.
(MDT), ESPN & KSL NewsRadio
- Cincinnati (4-1, 1-1 Big 12)
Last week’s power ranking: No. 6 (Down 3)
Last game: Arizona 34, Cincinnati 7
This week: Bye
- West Virginia (3-2, 0-2 Big 12)
Last week’s power ranking: No. 8 (Down 2)
Last game: Iowa State 45, West Virginia 42
This week: vs.
Arizona | Saturday | 10 a.m. (MDT), TNT
- Kansas State (3-1, 0-1 Big 12)
Last week’s power ranking: No. 9 (Down 2)
Last week: Bye
This week: vs.
Houston | Saturday | 1:30 p.m. (MDT), FOX
- UCF (3-2, 1-1 Big 12)
Last week’s power ranking: No. 13 (Up 1)
Last game: Houston 27, UCF 17
This week: at Oklahoma State | Saturday | 10 a.m.
(MDT), ESPN2
- Arizona State (2-2, 1-1 Big 12)
Last week’s power ranking: No. 10 (Down 3)
Last week: Baylor 55, Arizona State 19 (Home Loss)
This week: vs.
Hawaii | Saturday | 7:30 p.m. (MDT), FS1
- TCU (2-3, 0-2 Big 12)
Last week’s power ranking: No. 15 (Up 1)
Last game: BYU 17, TCU 10 (Home Loss)
This week: Bye
- Kansas (2-2, 0-1 Big 12)
Last week’s power ranking: No. 14 (Down 1)
Last week: Kansas 55, Middle Tennessee 0
This week: at Utah | Saturday | 8:15 p.m.
(MDT), ESPN
- Colorado (2-3, 0-2 Big 12)
Last week’s power ranking: No. 16
Last game: Texas Tech 29, Colorado 7 (Home Loss)
This week: Bye
Bartle’s ballot had Utah first and BYU second, while Furlong put BYU at No. 1 and Utah at No. 2. Harper also ranked Utah first and BYU second.
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Utahs first road trip of the season to Ames, Iowa, came with an unexpected guest in the travel party: Ronald A. Rasband, an apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a University of Utah alumnus. His presence caught enough attention that Morgan Scalley made a point of calling it special, and said he also spent time helping the team understand who Rasband is and why his visit mattered.
Rasband has remained a familiar figure around campus beyond this trip. He received an honorary degree from Utahs business college in 2024 and has shown up at other college sports events before, which helped make this another one of those connections between the Utes and a prominent alumnus. For a team on the road, it was a reminder that the programs reach can extend well beyond the sideline. [Read more 🡒]
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The custom helmets have been part of Utahs showcase-game routine since 2016, with 2020 the lone exception, and this years version arrives with the team in a strong spot at 4-0 overall and 1-0 in conference play. For a fan base that already has a built-in reason to dress in white, the new look gives the matchup a little extra theater, even before the game itself provides the bigger answer. [Read more 🡒]
Morgan Scalley Tries To Calm Utah Fears After Iowa State Lapse
Utahs win over Iowa State still had a jarring stretch in the third quarter, the kind of lull that can stick in the minds of fans even when the final margin ends up looking comfortable. Morgan Scalley and Kevin McGiven both pointed to that brief dip in execution, but they framed it as part of a game the Utes otherwise handled well, especially once they got back to making the right adjustments on offense.
Scalleys message was aimed at easing the concern that one sluggish period might say more than it should about the team. Utah left the game with a decisive victory and, more importantly, the sense that it can correct course quickly when things get messy. For a group trying to build on its early-season footing, that ability to respond may matter more than the lapse itself. [Read more 🡒]