Believe it or not, football season is almost over.
We’re already ten weeks in, and the playoff picture is becoming crystal clear. Unfortunately, the Buffs aren’t in it. After getting completely embarrassed
by the Utes in Salt Lake City, Colorado’s season appears to be in serious danger.
Just to put things into perspective, let’s rank the Big 12’s best teams as of Week Ten and see where the Buffs land.
16: Oklahoma State
For the tenth week in a row, the Cowboys find themselves in last on this list, fresh off of a beatdown by Texas Tech. They have no coach or identity, and aren’t particularly good at anything. OSU needs to nail their head coaching hire this offseason to get this formerly prestigious program back on track.
15: West Virginia
Along with Oklahoma State, WVU is the only other Big 12 team yet to win a conference game, sitting at 0-5. This is an important rebuilding year for the ‘Eers during Rich Rodrigues’ first year back in Morgantown. Expectations were low, especially after losing RB Jaheim White for the season due to injury, and they aren’t exceeding them. This season is already over for WVU for all intents and purposes, and it wasn’t a total failure because they beat Pitt, so that’s a plus!
14: Colorado
Sorry, guys. You don’t get to get away with having -2 yards of total offense in the first half of a football game and not find yourself near the very bottom of a list like this. Colorado’s utter beatdown by the Utes was a complete embarrassment. This team has many glaring issues, both in personnel and coaching, and Deion Sanders has the not-so-easy task of trying to get his program headed in the right direction again and fast.
13: UCF
UCF is another team in a rebuilding year, which finally picked up its first win of the season after crushing WVU two weekends ago. The Knights were supposed to be awful in 2025, but are actually seemingly surpassing a lot of the external expectations put on them. QB Tayven Jackson looks promising and the team has been hanging in with some of the conference’s heavy hitters, as Scott Frost looks to take his team back to the glory days of 2017, but not this season.
12: Kansas
For the second year in a row, Kansas has fallen far short of expectations. With QB Jalon Daniels returning, people thought the Jawhawks might be able to string together some impressive wins during their 2025 campaign, but that hasn’t come to fruition. Last weekend’s blowout loss to K-State at home cements this season as a disappointment for KU.
11: Arizona
Much like the Buffs, Arizona has hung in with some of the Big 12’s best teams, just to let them off the hook at the end. After almost beating Houston and BYU, the Wildcats shouldn’t be taken lightly. Noah Fifita has bounced back from his nightmarish 2024 season, while the rest of the offense has morphed into a power-running machine behind talented running backs and one of the nation’s most underrated offensive lines.
10: Baylor
After losing to Cincinnati in convincing fashion, Baylor’s football program looks to be on the verge of a big change. QB Sawyer Robertson is a legitimate star, but the Bears still haven’t been able to stack wins despite that. Dave Aranda’s seat is only getting hotter, while the fans and brass in Waco grow increasingly more impatient.
9: Kansas State
The Wildcats’ season started in perhaps the worst possible way, but they are finally figuring things out and getting back on track. After blowing out Kansas and TCU in back-to-back weeks, K-State is once again a team to fear. Unfortunately for the Buffs, they’ll have to face QB Avery Johnson and company later in the year, with both teams potentially having bowl eligibility on the line.
8: Iowa State
Injuries have derailed what was supposed to be a magical season for the Cyclones, as the team has suffered back-to-back losses and has fallen right out of conference title contention. QB Rocco Becht has regressed in recent weeks, as ISU’s extremely hurt secondary has been getting exposed. All eyes will shortly turn to head coach Matt Campbell, with perhaps the craziest coaching carousel in college football history looming.
7: TCU
TCU has proven to be a good football team, but not a great one. QB Josh Hoover molds perfectly with Sonny Dykes’ air-raid offense, and the Frogs can torch unsuspecting teams through the air. Unfortunately, that’s about all they can do. If TCU’s offense gets outgunned, they’re in serious trouble.
6: Arizona State
The last two weeks have seen the Sun Devils suffer extremely high highs and very low lows. They pummeled the Red Raiders two weekends ago, but went on to lay an egg against Houston at home last Saturday. Quarterback Sam Leavitt is now injured as well, which is a massive problem, as he’s the heartbeat of this team. We’ll have to wait and see if a Leavitt-less ASU team can hold its own against Iowa State this weekend.
5: Houston
I owe Houston an apology. I’ve been low on this team all season long, especially in these power rankings, waiting for them to finally prove their worth against a good opponent, which they did by beating Arizona State in Tempe. QB Conner Weigman is electric and provides a massive spark to the entire offense. Willie Fritz has turned this defense into one of the most formidable units in the Big 12. The Coogs are legit good. It’s time to give them their flowers.
4: Utah
We all saw how scary this Utah team can be last weekend when they curbstomped Colorado. Despite having two losses in conference play, this is a football team that should absolutely be considered one of the best in the Big 12. QB Devon Dampier is one of the most dynamic players in the country, and the Utes are fully equipped to dominate in the trenches on both lines. They should never be taken lightly.
3: Cincinnati
If you had Cincinnati breaking out this season on your bingo card, you’re lying. The Bearcats were able to build off their momentum in 2024 by returning key players and taking a massive step forward in 2025. The Cincy offense is shockingly deep, with no lack of depth of talent at skill positions. Plus, they have one of the best edge rushers in the nation in Dontay Corleone. If UC can beat BYU in a couple of weeks, they should be battling for a playoff spot in Arlington this December.
2: Texas Tech
On paper, Tech is probably the most talented team in the Big 12. However, a loss to Arizona State two weeks ago and key injuries are holding them back from being the top team in this power ranking. QB Behren Morton has been battling a nagging injury, and backup Will Hammond tore his ACL last weekend in Stillwater. With uncertainty at QB looming for the Red Raiders, there’s no telling how this weekend’s game against K-State will go for TTU.
1: BYU
In only their third season ever being in a power conference, the Cougars have started 8-0 in back-to-back seasons. Head coach Kalani Sitake has turned BYU into a wagon both on the field and in recruiting. Five-star true freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier has been every bit as advertised, while the Cougars have seemingly only improved in the trenches. With games against both Texas Tech and Cincinnati looming, BYU’s task of staying at the top of the conference isn’t going to be easy.
