Let the 2026 season begin.
When it comes to the Big 12, it will be TCU opening first, traveling to Dublin for a showdown against an ACC competitor in North Carolina this weekend. The other 15 Big 12 programs open the regular season the following week.
Four Big 12 teams are ranked in both national polls, so it is no surprise they are also the top four in our Big 12 preseason power ranking.
And off we go. Here's the ranking for this week, with the team's 2025 record in parentheses.
1. Texas Tech (12-2, 8-1)
You have to put the Red Raiders here until somebody knocks them off. Brendan Sorsby drama aside, Texas Tech still has plenty of talent despite draft departures. The nonconference schedule is weak. Coach Joey McGuire's team could be tested by Houston on Sept 18, but the challenges
in the schedule are few. It is hard not to see Texas Tech in the conference title game again.
First up: vs. Abilene Christian, Sept. 5.
2. BYU (12-2, 8-1)
Last season, the Cougars went undefeated against everybody not named Texas Tech. They have one of the best coaches in the country and have a quarterback who has already been tested in Bear Bachmeier. They also boast one of the best running backs in the country in L.J. Martin. And that's just for starters. Texas Tech is not on the schedule. The biggest obstacle should be the game at rival Utah.
First up: vs. Utah Tech, Sept. 5.
3. Houston (10-3, 6-3)
The Cougars were perhaps the most improved team in 2025 and return 10 offensive starters, including quarterback Conner Weigman and wide receiver Amare Thomas. Houston has a favorable schedule, so it wouldn't be surprising if it found a way to the championship game.
First up: vs. Oregon State, Sept. 5.
4. Utah (11-2, 7-2)
It is hard to know what to make of Utah, with veteran coach Kyle Whittingham departing for Michigan. Longtime defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley has taken over, and he's a product of the system, so maybe not much changes. Utah also returns its quarterback Devon Dampier, which is always a good place to start.
First up: vs. Idaho, Sept. 3.
5. Arizona (9-4, 6-3)
The Wildcats made a big leap in 2025 in the second year of the Brent Brennan era. They are one of the few programs in the conference returning a quarterback, Noah Fifita. The defense looks solid once again, so Arizona could easily take yet another step and challenge for a Big 12 title. It's also a team that feasts on opponent turnovers.
First up: vs. Northern Arizona, Sept. 5.
6. Arizona State (8-5, 6-3)
The Sun Devils have talent after replenishing their roster with quality additions from the transfer portal. Coach Kenny Dillingham's team faces the most difficult schedule in the Big 12. They start with road games at Texas Tech and BYU. The only week off comes after the game against Kansas in London; ASU plays nine straight weeks after that. Wide receiver and defensive backs are the deepest units.
First up: vs. Morgan State, Sept. 5.
7. Oklahoma State (1-11, 0-9)
The Cowboys are riding an 18-game losing streak in the Big 12. Yep, winless the last two seasons. But Stillwater has renewed excitement after the school parted ways with longtime coach Mike Gundy midway through last season. Eric Morris took over, bringing several key players with him from North Texas, including sophomore quarterback Drew Mestemaker, who threw for 4,379 yards a year ago.
First up: At Tulsa, Sept. 5.
8. TCU (9-4, 5-4)
Senior Jaden Craig, a transfer from Harvard, looks to be the replacement for quarterback Josh Hoover, who headed to the greener pastures of Indiana. How quickly Craig adapts to power conference play will go a long way in determining what kind of season the team has. The defensive line looks to be the calling card, led by tackles Markis Deal and Ansel Din-Mbuh.
First up: vs. North Carolina (in Dublin), Aug. 29.
9. Kansas State (6-6, 5-4)
The team is in transition, with Collin Klein taking over for Chris Klieman. He is one of the most decorated players in school history and excelled at quarterback from 2009 to 2012. His team is led by a seasoned quarterback in Avery Johnson, who can be spectacular but has also been wildly inconsistent. The Wildcats have a fairly easy schedule. No Texas Tech. No BYU, and no Utah.
First up: vs. Nicholls, Sept. 5.
10. West Virginia (4-8, 2-7)
Running the ball should be the Mountaineers' strong suit, with the addition of Jacksonville State transfer Cam Cook, who led the country with 1,659 rushing yards in 2025. The offensive line has been overhauled, bolstered by six transfers who started at their previous school. The team has no returning starter on defense, though.
First up: vs. Coastal Carolina ,Sept. 5.
11. Kansas (5-7, 3-6)
The Jayhawks lost five of their last six games in 2025. The new version of the Jayhawks includes running back Dylan Edwards, who is at his third school and spent the last two at Kansas State. The biggest question mark is the quarterback position after the departure of Jalon Daniels, who was in Lawrence for six years and is currently on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers roster.
First up: vs. Long Island, Sept. 4.
12. Cincinnati (7-6, 5-4)
The Bearcats lost their last five games last season, so maybe it's a good thing it will have a very new cast of characters in 2026. The roster includes more than 40 newcomers, including the probable starting quarterback, J.C. French from Georgia Southern. The schedule is tough, with games against Texas Tech, BYU, Houston, and Utah, all of whom are nationally ranked.
First up: vs. Boston College, Sept. 5
13. Baylor (5-7, 3-6)
The Bears lost five of their last six, finishing as perhaps the most disappointing team in the Big 12 in 2025. They're staking their success in 2026 on Florida transfer D.J. Lagway, who will start at quarterback. His father starred in Waco, Texas, and he grew up going to Baylor games. This looks like a make-or-break season for head coach Dave Aranda, who has had just two winning seasons in six tries.
First up: vs. Auburn (in Atlanta), Sept. 5.
14. Central Florida (5-7, 2-7)
The Knights are one of the many teams in the conference with a newcomer at quarterback in Alonzo Barnett III, a transfer from James Madison who led that team to a Sun Belt title and a College Football Playoff berth. Special teams are a potential weakness, though. UCF gets five home conference games and is 47-12 at home over the last nine years.
First up: vs. Bethune-Cookman, Sept. 3.
15. Colorado (3-9, 1-8)
Deion Sanders created quite the stir when he first arrived, but his star has dimmed. It has been another season of transfer portal overhaul for the Buffs. In addition, DT Ezra Christensen was denied an injunction and won't be eligible to compete, and the Buffaloes were counting on him. It could be a long season in Boulder.
First up: at Georgia Tech, Sept. 3.
16. Iowa State (8-4, 5-4)
This is likely to be the biggest fall-off in the conference. Chalk that up to the departure of popular coach Matt Campbell, who took the job at Penn State. That resulted in 55 players hitting the transfer portal. New coach Jimmy Rogers has his work cut out for him after coming over from Washington State.
First up: vs. Southeast Missouri, Sept. 5.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Big 12 Power Rankings has few surprises
