Two years ago, if anybody had asked what the new Big 12 would look like, I might have agreed that it would be an exciting league, maybe even an innovative one. I would not have called it intriguing, however,
and I certainly would not have predicted the weekly chaos that has become the norm in this conference. We are now 10 weeks into the season, namely the part where the rubber hits the road. The Big 12 has a designated bottom feeder and a couple of other teams that are bringing up the rear. It also has a handful of teams that are still in contention for a conference championship and maybe even a College Football Playoff berth. And then there’s an absolute logjam in the middle. Arizona (4-3, 1-3) and UCF (4-3, 1-3) were off this past week, and both teams are probably glad about that. Here’s how the rest of teams did this past week and what that means going forward.
BYU (8-0, 5-0) vs Iowa State (5-3, 2-3)
It might be time to acknowledge our Cougar overlords. For the second year in a row, BYU is undefeated and leading the conference standings. Nobody is entirely sure what Kalani Sitake’s formula for success is, but the program has bought into the culture of unity, brotherhood, and trust that he’s selling. This was never more evident than in the Cougars’ 41-27 pasting of Iowa State, a road matchup where BYU trailed for much of the game before finally pulling away in the 4th quarter. QB Bear Bachmeier had over 300 yards passing in the effort, but ironically, it was a pick-6 by safety Faletau Satuala that sealed the victory for the Cougars. This was the third come-from-behind win for BYU this season, but as impressive as the Cougars have been, the team’s luck with turnovers and special teams play might not be sustainable. A huge Week 11 game against a ranked Texas Tech team will be a bellwether for the season and the program.
That game-ending interception was one of three for Iowa State QB Rocco Becht and those mistakes kept the Clones from building on a solid first half in this game. Again. Iowa State has had some bad luck this year, but the inability to close out games in the second half has doomed a season that began with legitimate CFP hopes and wins over both of the Cyclones’ closest rivals. The offense has been inconsistent, the secondary is mostly lost to injury, and Iowa State is also having some serious #NotSoSpecialTeams woes, a thing I’m sure we can all relate to this season.
Baylor (4-4, 2-3) vs Cincinnati (7-1, 5-0)
Until recently, I didn’t know what a bearcat was, but apparently, it’s a small tree-dwelling mammal that smells like buttered popcorn. The current Cincinnati version does not seem nearly as cuddly or harmless. In fact, these Bearcats are on an absolute tear. The 41-20 win over Baylor on homecoming was their seventh consecutive victory this season. With winnable games against Utah and Arizona still to go, things are setting up nicely for a collision with BYU to end the season as well as setting up a possible rematch in the Big 12 title game. Cincinnati, one of only two teams in the conference to have ever made the College Football Playoff, has relied heavily on its running game, one of the best rushing attacks in the nation right now. It also helps that QB Brendan Sorsby has played so clean all season, passing for over 1800 yards and accounting for 27 touchdowns (20 passing, 7 rushing) while throwing just one interception.
On the other hand, Baylor just can’t seem to get out of its own way. By all accounts, head coach Dave Aranda is a good person, soft-spoken and not given to angry outbursts. But when even Aranda uses words like “angry” and “way frustrated” after a loss, it’s a good sign that things have gone awry for the Bears. Against Cincinnati, Baylor managed to climb out of a hole and the Bears were within one score of tying the game when the team lost the plot. The defense promptly gave up two scores late in the game and it was all over bar the recrimination. And now Aranda is once again firmly on the hotseat.
Colorado (3-5, 1-4) vs Utah (6-2, 3-2)
In what can only be considered college football’s equivalent of a late night snuff film, Utah steamrolled Colorado 53-7. The Utes are good. The Buffs are, well, not. The particular details are probably irrelevant, but the numbers from the box score tell their own story. Utah QB Byrd Ficklin impressed in his first start, playing in relief of injured starter Devin Dampier and gaining more rushing yards by himself (151) than Colorado had in total (140) on a day when the Utes rolled up 422 yards.
For the Buffs, the night started poorly and just kept getting worse. The Buffs looked out of sorts and unprepared to play from the start and by halftime, CU was already down 43-0. That this came after a season-turning upset win over Iowa State was especially confusing. Coach Prime did not mince words afterwards:
This is bad. It’s probably the worst beating I’ve ever had, except for when my mama whooped me as a kid. Four hundred and twenty-two yards rushing. You ain’t winning, Three hundred yards, you’re not winning, 250 you’re not winning. It’s not capable. Total offense, 140 yards, you’re not winning. They had 587 yards of total offense; you’re not winning with that. Special teams gave up a fake punt as well as a blocked punt; you’re not winning. So all three phases, we got our butts kicked.
Houston (7-1, 4-1) vs Arizona State (5-3, 3-2)
If you’ve been wondering if Houston is for real, wonder no more. The Cougars have won three in a row and the 24-16 win over Arizona State was the first such result for the team since 2017. Now ranked in the Top 25, Houston owes much of its success this season to stellar play from QB Conner Weigman. He scored twice in the game against the Sun Devils, passing for just over 200 yards and adding over 100 yards on the ground. With games against UCF and West Virginia still on the schedule, a 9-win season seems to be in the offing, a far cry from Houston’s first two seasons in the Big 12.
Arizona State is not having a bad season exactly, but the loss to Houston snapped a long winning streak at home, and the Sun Devils have run into the sort of bad luck and sloppy play that was notably absent in their dream run to the College Football Playoff last season. For example, against the Cougars, Arizona State fumbled the ball, had multiple drive-killing penalties, had a player ejected for targeting, and missed a field goal. The Sun Devils were also without the services of their best receiver, Jordyn Tyson, and it looks like both Tyson and QB Sam Leavitt will not be available against Iowa State.
Kansas (4-4, 2-3) vs Kansas State (4-4, 3-2)
We’re already talked about the Sunflower Showdown and Kansas’ 17th straight loss extensively on this site, so the details are unnecessary. It’s enough to note here that KU’s staff and fans are both deeply frustrated by the loss and the general direction of the season. The defense is bad, the offense is inconsistent, and the warm-and-fuzzies are mostly a thing of the past. Expectations for the season have to be adjusted now, but a winnable game against Oklahoma State might help right the ship a bit.
Oklahoma State (1-7, 0-5) vs Texas Tech (7-1, 4-1)
The one loss to Arizona State notwithstanding, Texas Tech has been an absolute juggernaut so far this season. The offense can score seemingly at will and the defense is stout enough to stop most offenses. In a 42-0 beatdown of (granted, unusually bad) Oklahoma State, the Red Raiders scored on offense, defense, and special teams while holding the Pokes to just 182 yards of total offense. You get what you pay for! That said, it feels like the expectations around the program are so high now that Tech has little margin for error. Again, you get what you pay for.
As for Oklahoma State, where to start? The actual scores and statistics in the games don’t seem to matter anymore. The 2025 season is already one of the worst seasons ever for the Pokes. Having one bad season is probably nothing to get worked up about, but two in a row is a sign of a program that is unraveling. How bad is Oklahoma State you ask? Well, the Pokes are on a 7-game losing streak, and are at or near the bottom of the Big 12 in nearly every category, including both scoring offense and defense. Plus, the roster is now so depleted that offensive lineman Gage Stanaland plays tight end on some offensive positions and punter Wes Pahl is the best player on the team.
TCU (6-2, 3-2) vs West Virginia (2-6, 0-5)
The Horned Frogs are one of the better teams in the Big 12 and West Virginia has been one of the worst. But the game between these two old-new Big 12 teams was surprisingly close. It was a strange game, where TCU led 20-7 at halftime but only managed 3 more points late in the fourth quarter as the Frogs held off a furious ‘Eers comeback in the second half for a 23-17 win. Though QB Josh Hoover played well in this game, it was TCU’s stout defense that held up when it counted. Still, the game raised plenty of questions about the Horned Frogs and it’s not clear the rest of the season will provide definitive answers.
For West Virginia, the Rich Rodriguez 2.0 era has not gone as well as hoped. There was a thrilling OT win over arch rival Pitt in the Backyard Brawl, but the rest of the season has been mostly forgettable. That said, the team isn’t awful, it’s just wounded. Indeed, thanks to a series of injuries, the ‘Eers are now on their fourth starting QB of the season, but in Scotty Fox, Jr., they may have found their man. He has now started two straight games, and against TCU, he managed 301 yards passing with two touchdowns, nearly pulling off the win in the process. The Houston game should be a good test for Scotty and his mostly wounded teammates.
It’s almost time for another weekend of Big 12 football, so let’s wrap this up with the current standings, which provide plenty of food for thought, calculation, and misplaced hope too.
