Big 12 Power Rankings ahead of Week 1 kickoff
College football is officially back! Week Zero brought a few surprising results already, but the fun starts for everyone else this weekend. In anticipation of the season's official kickoff, it's time to power rank the Big 12.
BYU Cougars
Kalani Sitake took the Cougars to 12 wins last year, turned down the Penn State job, and returns plenty of starters, including playmaking quarterback Bear Bachmeier. BYU's biggest loss? Defensive coordinator Jay Hill, now at Michigan. But Sitake promoted from within, and the defense should still be nasty enough to keep the Cougars at the top of the Big 12 food chain.
Texas Tech Red Raiders
The Red Raiders looked unstoppable for the majority of last year on their way to a Big 12 title and a playoff berth, but the controversial departure of Brendan Sorsby this summer - and Will Hammond's unexpected pivot from backup to starter while recovering from an injury - makes it hard to still consider Texas Tech the clear frontrunner.
Houston Cougars
Willie Fritz is a turnaround master. Last year, he took a 4-win team to a 10-win team and finished the year ranked. Coaching staff continuity and another year in the system for quarterback Conner Weigman makes Houston a dangerous threat for the Big 12.
Arizona State Sun Devils
Almost all of the 2024 Sun Devils roster is gone now, but Kenny Dillingham has his team positioned for another conference championship. The defense looks primed to be the best yet, and Arizona State added several big names on offense, namely transfer wide receivers Omarion Miller, Reed Harris, and Raiden Vines-Bright. The one wildcard: quarterback Cutter Boley. If he can take a step forward from what he was at Kentucky, the Sun Devils should be able to claim another Big 12
Arizona Wildcats
Brent Brennan’s decision to overhaul his coaching staff after Year 1 paid off. The Wildcats won nine games and quarterback Noah Fifita returned to form under offensive coordinator Seth Doege. Fifita is back for his final year of eligibility and Arizona is hopeful that they can build off of last year’s momentum.
Utah Utes
A new era has begun, as Morgan Scalley ascended to head coach, replacing longtime fixture Kyle Whittingham, now leading Michigan. Scalley lost most of the coaching staff, but the longtime defensive coordinator is still running that side of things. Electric quarterback Devon Dampier remains, though he’s adapting to new teammates and a new offensive coordinator. Still, another big year from him coupled with the defense playing the way they usually do under Scalley should make the Utes legitimate contenders.
Oklahoma State Cowboys
Another end of an era came last year when Mike Gundy was fired early in the season. Replacing him now is Eric Morris, who went 11-2 in his third season at North Texas last year. Morris brings over a large chunk of that roster, too, including Heisman darkhorse quarterback Drew Mestemaker. The combo of Morris and Mestemaker nearly made the playoff last year as a Group of 6 team; this year, under the Big 12 spotlight, they have all the ingredients to shock the world.
TCU Horned Frogs
The only Big 12 team to play a game in Week 0, TCU dropped the ball in spectacular fashion. Head coach Sonny Dykes swapped out his offensive coordinator and quarterback in the offseason, and people were excited for both Gordon Sammis and Jaden Craig, respectively. Neither looked very good in an Ireland loss to North Carolina and a very-much-on-the-hot-seat Bill Belichick.
Kansas State Wildcats
The prodigal son returned this offseason, as former quarterback and coach Collin Klein was hired to be the head coach after Chris Klieman retired. Klein enjoyed great success as the Texas A&M offensive coordinator, and he now reunites with quarterback Avery Johnson, who has failed to live up to the hype he generated the last time Klein was in Manhattan.
Baylor Bears
Baylor has been prone to massive swings under Dave Aranda’s leadership. They won 12 games in 2021 and followed it up with nine wins over the next two years; then won eight games in 2024, and dropped to five last year. With a new defensive coordinator and the addition of former Florida quarterback DJ Lagway, Aranda is hoping for a big turnaround. If not, Baylor’s new athletics director may look for a coaching change.
UCF Knights
Scott Frost’s first year back at UCF didn’t go so well, but he was hired so late in the hiring cycle that it hindered his ability to build a roster properly. Frost said as much at the Big 12’s Football Media Days this summer. Now, with a full offseason to retool things, the Knights are feeling confident of at least getting back to bowl eligibility.
West Virginia Mountaineers
Like Frost, Rich Rodriguez’s homecoming wasn’t an immediate success. The Mountaineers finished 14th out of 16 teams, and five of their losses came by more than two touchdowns. But Rodriguez has overhauled the quarterback room and added several key defensive players, both via the transfer portal and high school. If things click early on, watch out; Rodriguez has turned programs around quickly before.
Kansas Jayhawks
For the first time in what feels like ages, Jalon Daniels will not be on the Jayhawks roster. Head coach Lance Leipold is embracing a bit of a rebuild with Kansas after consecutive 5-7 seasons. The return of offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki might help fast-track the process, but the Jayhawks are firmly under the radar right now.
Cincinnati Bearcats
The headline this summer was the loss of Brendan Sorsby, and the ongoing investigation stemming from it, but Cincinnati lost a litany of starters throughout this offseason. The Bearcats took a step forward last year, reaching a bowl game for the first time in Scott Satterfield’s tenure there, but the mass exodus is sure to set them back to square one.
Colorado Buffaloes
Deion Sanders overhauled his coaching staff in the summer. On defense, Chris Marve comes over after three years with Virginia Tech, while the offense is switching to the Go-Go offense under former Sacramento State head coach Brennan Marion. Former 4-star quarterback Julian Lewis is still in town, but the Buffaloes don’t have much proven talent outside of that. Sanders needs a bounce back after his second one-conference-win season in three years. Between the roster and the schedule, it’s hard to see it happening.
Iowa State Cyclones
The unthinkable happened: Matt Campbell finally left Iowa State. He also brought with him virtually the entire staff - coaches, analysts, trainers, front office, you name it - and most of the players. In his place is Jimmy Rogers, who went 6-6 last year at Washington State. He also won an FCS national championship at South Dakota State, but Rogers is going to have his work cut out for him at a place that is known for being incredibly hard to win, with Campbell being the sole exception.
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