Texas Tech comes off its bye with hopes of continuing its run to the Big 12 Championship.

The Red Raiders' win over Utah in Salt Lake City was a statement to the conference. The defense shut down Utah’s potent running game, and Texas Tech used a strong fourth quarter to dominate with a 34-10 victory.

Senior quarterback Behren Morton exited the game against the Utes due to a head injury. Despite missing the rest of the game, the bye week has given him time to rest, and he is not expected to miss any playing time.

Freshman quarterback Will Hammond played in relief of Morton and played very well. He put up better stats than Morton, but Coach Joey McGuire is still sticking with Morton for an in-state showdown with Houston.

The Cougars may not be as talented as the Red Raiders, but Houston is a very scrappy team, and Texas Tech will need to make sure they don’t fall into a trap.

The next three games for the Red Raiders (at Houston, vs Kansas, at Arizona State) will be the hardest stretch of the season for the team. If they can get through it 3-0 or 2-1, it should set them up for a spot in the Big 12 Championship

2. Arizona State (4-1) - Last Week: 2

Last Friday’s game against TCU was as must-win as it got for Arizona State. 

They trailed 17-0 in the second quarter, but Coach Kenny Dillingham and his team used their resilience to get back into the game.

It’s the second time this season the Sun Devils have trailed 17-0, with their first being against Mississippi State. Unlike that game, however, ASU would be able to complete the comeback attempt and seal a 27-24 win.

In front of a sold-out crowd at Mountain America Stadium, with the students wearing black, sophomore quarterback Sam Leavitt and junior wide receiver Jordyn Tyson unleashed on the Horned Frogs' defense.

The only disappointing thing the Sun Devils will take away from this is that the game should not have been as close as the final score indicated. ASU was far and away the better team, but red zone playcalling ended up being their biggest weakness.

Defensive Coordinator Brian Ward has faced criticism from fans due to being too aggressive on final drives, which cost the Sun Devils the Peach Bowl and their game against the Bulldogs earlier this season. But Ward’s defense had an outstanding second half with three turnovers – the final one being an interception that sealed the win.

After a sluggish start to the season, where many began to wonder if ASU would have the same success it did last year, it has rebounded with three consecutive victories and a re-entry into the Top 25.

Coach Dillingham’s squad will head to their bye week before they play arguably the hardest stretch of games in the entire conference, beginning with a road game against Utah.

3. Iowa State (5-0) - Last Week: 4

There had been a lot of doubters for Iowa State heading into the past week.

Despite being 4-0, their resume in hindsight was not as good as once thought. A three-point win against a very disappointing Kansas State team and a 24-16 victory over Arkansas State had many wondering if Iowa State was a Big 12 contender.

A week before their last game against Arizona, the Cyclones were -6.5 point favorites, but by the time kickoff arrived, the line had gone down to -3.5.

However, for now, the doubters in Ames, Iowa, have been silenced following a dominant 39-14 win at home.

In front of a white-out crowd at Jack Trice Stadium, Iowa State gave junior quarterback Noah Fifita fits throughout the game, and junior quarterback Rocco Becht made some great throws to help the Cyclones cruise to an easy win.

A great win for Coach Matt Campbell, whose team moves to 5-0 on the season, the most wins in the Big 12 at this moment.

Iowa State will head to Nippert Stadium to play Cincinnati. Surprisingly, despite being the No. 14 team in the country, the Cyclones enter the game as +1.5 point underdogs.

This is mainly on the heels of Cincinnati’s impressive showing in their 37-34 win over Kansas, but it gives Iowa State a chip on its shoulder for the matchup.

4. Utah (4-1) - Last Week: 5

Utah needed a bounce-back game badly following its loss at home against Texas Tech.

Despite the Big 12 being a conference of chaos itself, West Virginia is a team that most teams do not fear, and it essentially gave the Utes a tune-up game.

What we saw from Utah was how they looked in their first three games of the season. Junior quarterback Devon Dampier was accurate as ever, throwing the ball, with the run game for the Utes being the driving force of the offense.

It may not be looked at as much since the Mountaineers have looked sluggish, but it’s a much-needed game to regain momentum for Coach Kyle Whittingham’s team.

Utah still has high expectations for the season, and even with the loss at home to the Red Raiders, this is still a season that is far from over. Although Dampier will need to make more plays with his arm against tougher competition, the key will be the rushing attack.

The Utes will hit their bye week and get ready for another huge matchup at home, this time hosting No. 25 Arizona State.

5. BYU (4-0) - Last Week: 6

It was a wild offseason for BYU. So for them to be sitting at 4-0 and ranked No. 23 is something they will take every day of the week.

It was not a pretty win for the Cougars, as they went down to the wire with Colorado, but BYU's defense was able to get an interception to seal the win.

Freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier has looked better over the past couple of games. He hasn’t been a game changer, but the Cougars' offense has been solid and, more importantly, he hasn’t turned the ball over.

BYU is still a team that is a mystery box. They have a great team all around, with most of last season’s team still here. It’ll be interesting to see if Bachmeier can continue his solid play to elevate the team.

The Cougars will have a shorter week as they host West Virginia on Friday. The expectation is that it should be an easy victory, given how the Mountaineers have looked in their past two games.

6. TCU (3-1) - Last Week: 3

TCU missed a golden opportunity to assert itself as a contender in the Big 12.

The Horned Frogs got off to a 3-0 start to the season, and in their conference opener, they had a 17-0 lead over Arizona State, the reigning champions of the conference.

But similar to their conference opener against UCF in 2024, things fell apart for Coach Sonny Dykes’ club. The Sun Devils would cut the lead to 17-14 by halftime, and they would eventually come back to win 27-24.

TCU did have some injuries; senior running back Kevorian Barnes missed his second straight game with a lower leg injury. Senior wide receiver Eric McCalister, who had 254 yards in the Horned Frogs' previous game against SMU, exited with a hamstring injury and didn’t return.

However, losses like this are frustrating to the Horned Frogs fanbase, as the team had very high expectations heading into the season. They were ranked for the first time since the beginning of 2023. 

After a promising start, things went downhill for TCU quickly. Their offense couldn’t get much traction going and turned it over three times in the second half, and their defense gave up plenty of yards to sophomore quarterback Sam Leavitt, but the Horned Frogs played excellent defense in the red zone.

TCU will return home to face Colorado this Saturday.

7. Cincinnati (3-1) - Last Week: 9

What we saw in Lawrence, Kansas, last Saturday was as Big 12 as Big 12 Football gets.

Cincinnati and Kansas combined for 1200 total yards in a game where defenses were virtually nonexistent.

In a new era in the conference where defense has become an emphasis, it’s nice to have one game where the offense just air it out on each other and pile on points.

For Coach Scott Satterfield’s club, it was a statement win. After scoring 17 points in week one, the Bearcats have averaged 47 points a game during the past three games, all of which were wins.

Junior quarterback Brendan Sorsby had one of the best games of his collegiate career. He threw for 388 yards and two touchdowns, and added 52 yards on the ground.

Senior wide receiver Cyrus Allen and junior wide receiver Caleb Goodie were major weapons for Sorsby throughout the game. And Cincinnati added 215 yards on the ground.

The biggest test for the Bearcats will come this Saturday, when they host No. 14 Iowa State. A win here could indeed shake up the conference.

Even though a case could be made that the Cyclones' defense is much stronger than the Jayhawks. Another strong performance by Sorsby will have the rest of the conference on watch.

8. Baylor (3-2) - Last Week: 8 

A close game through three quarters against one of the worst teams in your conference is not a cause for celebration. But Baylor’s offense is electric to watch.

Senior quarterback Sawyer Robertson continues his strong play of 2025, adding a five-touchdown performance on the road. It was one he needed to have after a game against Arizona State, where he played well, but not to the standards he holds for himself.

The biggest concern for the Bears in this game was their defense. Going against a team that just fired their head coach and lost their starting quarterback, Oklahoma State’s offense moved the ball without much problem, as they had 448 total yards.

Baylor led only by eight heading into the fourth quarter before they were able to put the game away.

The Bears’ defense has arguably been its biggest weakness so far this season, and it could be a problem down the line if Baylor wants to compete in the conference this season.

Coach Dave Aranda’s squad will return home for a 12:00 p.m. ET matchup against Kansas State.

9. Kansas (3-2) - Last Week: 7

You have to feel bad for Kansas fans a little bit after what happened this past Saturday.

Senior quarterback Jalon Daniels had the best passing game of his collegiate career, while senior wide receiver Emmanuel Henderson Jr. had over 200 yards receiving.

However, much like we’ve seen in the past, the Jayhawks' defense was the team's downfall. After taking a 34-30 lead with just under two minutes left, Cincinnati would go down the field and score a touchdown to seal the win.

It’s a game that Kansas will be thinking about for a while, and it could be a decisive loss for the Jayhawks, considering they are a fun team to watch.

Coach Lance Leipold’s team will head to Orlando this Saturday for a matchup against UCF. This will be a crucial bounce-back game for the Kansas team.

10. Houston (4-0) - Last Week: 10

The good news for Houston is that they are still undefeated and have already matched the same number of wins they had in 2024. The bad news is that their last win wasn’t the best win for Coach Willie Fritz’s squad.

Going into a matchup against a winless Oregon State, the Cougars were double-digit favorites headed into this game. But Houston went down early and trailed 24-10 with under 10 minutes remaining.

The Cougars showed the resilience they have gained under Coach Fritz and came back to force overtime, winning the game 27-24.

The run game for Houston was pretty quiet, but junior quarterback Connor Weigman has given the Cougars what they haven’t had in a while. An aerial attack. 

Weigman finished with 273 yards through the air and was able to lead the comeback. This is a game that Houston would have likely lost last season, mainly because they didn’t have the quarterback play they have now.

Despite being 4-0, there is still some skepticism for the Cougars. And this week, we’ll find out whether all of it was warranted.

Houston is set to host No. 11 Texas Tech this Saturday. Without a doubt, the biggest game of the season, with a chance to not only upset a contender within the conference, but also beat an in-state rival.

11. Arizona (3-1) - Last Week: 11

Heading into last week, there was a lot of optimism in Tucson, Arizona. Many believed an upset win against Iowa State was possible.  

The possibility of it happening never came to fruition.

The Wildcats got handed a brutal 39-14 loss to the Cyclones. They had to deal with a hostile environment and a team that, overall, had more talent than they did.

Junior quarterback Noah Fifita struggled through the air, throwing two interceptions and averaging just above five yards per attempt.

Arizona’s defense, which had been one of its biggest strengths in non-conference play, had no answers for the Cyclones' offense, allowing nearly 400 yards.

The lone bright spot for the Wildcats is senior running back Ismail Mahdi. The transfer from Texas State had only a great showing on the ground, giving Arizona something it lacked in 2024.

The Wildcats will return home to Tucson this Saturday for a matchup against Oklahoma State. It gives Arizona another tune-up game and a chance for guys like Fifita to get some confidence.

12. Colorado (2-3) - Last Week: 12

Is this Coach Deion Sanders’s last season in Boulder? It’s not revealed if it is, but things are not looking great.

Colorado lost 24-21 to No. 25 BYU last week at home. The Buffaloes led 14-0 in the first quarter, but failed to get their offense going afterwards.

The absence of former quarterback Shedeur Sanders and wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter from the team has clearly been felt. Senior quarterback Kaidon Salter hasn’t provided the same production, and although junior wide receiver Omarion Miller is emerging as a top target, the offense has not been elevated enough.

Colorado will head down to Fort Worth this Saturday for a matchup against TCU.

The Horned Frogs were Coach Sanders’ first opponent as head coach in 2023. Could it potentially be his last?

The answer is likely no, but he does need to do a lot of work in the offseason to get the Buffaloes back to the national relevance they had last season.

13. Kansas State (2-3) - Last Week: 15

Credit is given where credit is due. Kansas State was a pleasant surprise within the conference by securing a 34-20 win at home against UCF.

The bar for the Wildcats is pretty low, and even if the Knights are a team many people in the conference won’t talk about, it’s still a much-needed win for confidence.

Junior quarterback Avery Johnson had a very efficient day through the air. Most importantly, he didn’t turn the ball over and didn’t minimize Kansas State’s offense.

Junior running back Dylan Edwards finally got his moment to shine. After getting hurt in the Iowa State game and only getting four carries against Arizona, Edwards got a much bigger workload and showed why he’s one of the most explosive running backs in the conference.

With a strong defensive performance as well, it’s nice to see a complete game from Coach Chris Kleiman’s team.

The Wildcats will hit the road to play Baylor. With how the Bears' defense has played this season, it gives the wildcats the possibility to play spoiler. 

14. UCF (3-1) - Last Week: 13

If there was any hope for UCF fans following its performance against North Carolina, last week has brought them back to square one.

The Knights lost 34-20 in a game they weren’t favored to win, but with how their opponent has played this season, it felt like it was a game they could have won.

Junior quarterback Tayven Jackson started the game but got hurt and exited for a few drives. He returned in the second half but didn’t provide the production the Knights were hoping for.

Junior quarterback Jaccuri Brown entered the game in relief and threw only two passes in the game: An 82-yard touchdown pass and an interception.

Coach Scott Frost’s 16-game winning streak with UCF, which dates back to its 13-0 season in 2017, has come to an end.

The Knights will return to the Bouncehouse as they host Kansas on Saturday.

15. West Virginia (2-3) - Last Week: 14

What we saw in Morgantown last week is likely what we will be seeing from West Virginia for most of the season.

The Mountaineers trailed 28-0 at halftime, and most of the seats at Milan Pusker Stadium were emptied by the time the second half began.

You could argue the best aspect of West Virginia from last week was their throwback uniforms.

Sophomore quarterback Nicco Marchiol was injured and missed the game against Utah. Senior quarterback Jaylen Henderson started but was ineffective and was replaced by freshman quarterback Khalil Wilkins.

The main source of offense was the ground game, which gained 261 yards, but without a passing game to complement it, the game was truly doomed from the start.

16. Oklahoma State (1-3) - Last Week: 16

If there is one thing that Oklahoma State deserves credit for, it’s the fact that there was much more life within the team than they had with former head coach Mike Gundy.

The Cowboys' offense played very well. Freshman quarterback Zane Flores had his best game of the season, and Oklahoma State was running everything out of the book.

It still wasn’t enough to win, as Baylor would eventually pull away to the tune of a 45-27 victory, but it’s very encouraging to see the Cowboys play like this.

Oklahoma State has now lost its last 11 consecutive conference games, dating back to the 2023 Big 12 Championship against Texas.

The Cowboys will head down to Tucson, Arizona, to face Arizona on Saturday.