The Big 12 race in 2025 was dominated by Texas Tech while others tried but failed to knock them off the pedestal. The Red Raiders have embraced this new NIL and Revenue Sharing era more than any other team in the conference, and it's shown in the talent they've stockpiled. While Texas Tech enters the season as favorites to win the league to many, there are teams better suited to push them this season.
Aside from the race for the Big 12 Championship, the storylines in the conference are going to be incredibly entertaining. Coaches like Deion Sanders and Dave Aranda may be on the hot seat while there isn't a league that produces more dark horses than the Big 12.
Can anyone catch the Red Raiders? Ranking all 16 Big 12 teams entering Week 0
16. Iowa State Cyclones
New head coach Jimmy Rogers has an impossible task at hand in his first season as the Cyclones head coach as he replaces Matt Campbell. Once Matt Campbell took the Penn State job, he gutted the Iowa State roster and coaching staff leaving very little for Rogers to work with. While Jimmy Rogers is an excellent coach, it's hard to place any expectations on this team for at least this season.
15. Kansas Jayhawks
Lance Leipold showed a ton of early promise, but after back-to-back 5-7 seasons, this is a critical year. Andy Kotelnicki returning as offensive coordinator should help the offense as Isaiah Marshall takes the starting quarterback role. The defense returns 3 starters in the secondary and 1 at linebacker, which may end up being a welcome change after the unit ranked 80th in points allowed per game.
14. Colorado Buffaloes
Deion Sanders' first season without his sons and Travis Hunter was a mess, leading many to think this could be his last season as Colorado's head coach if things go poorly. Former top recruit Julian Lewis takes over at quarterback after showing flashes last season, and offensive coordinator Brennan Marion should help the unit improve. The overall size of this team and the lack of talent in the trenches are the biggest concerns, which will be concerning in conference play.
13. UCF Knights
Scott Frost's first season back at UCF didn't capture the magic of 2017 as the Knights finished just 5-7 with a 2-7 record in league play. The Knights were lucky that Bob Chesney took over at UCLA with Nico Iamaleava in place, as it allowed them to scoop up JMU star Alonza Barnett III, who will be a steady hand for the offense. The defense could improve into the top 50 with 6 returning starters to go with a deep transfer class.
12. Cincinnati Bearcats
This offseason, it seemed like losing Brendan Sorsby would crush Cincinnati, but it may have been a blessing in disguise. JC French IV takes over at quarterback after a solid season at Georgia Southern, but with Sorby, Tawee Walker, and Cyrus Allen all gone, the unit will take a step back. The Bearcats face the 4 ranked teams in the conference in a brutal schedule draw, which will keep this team from having a solid record.
11. West Virginia Mountaineers
Rich Rodriguez's first season back in Morgantown showed this rebuild is a work in progress as the Mountaineers finished 4-8. Oklahoma transfer Michael Hawkins Jr has the electric rushing ability that could fit the system perfectly if he can develop as a passer. The biggest issue overall may be the fact that the Mountaineers don't return a single starter on defense, which could be great or a total flop.
10. Baylor Bears
After a 12-2 finish in 2021, Dave Aranda has gone just 22-28, putting him on the hot seat heading into the season. Sawyer Robertson is off to the NFL, and Aranda's fate lies with hoping DJ Lagway can find the promise he showed early in his time in Florida. The biggest task for Aranda is improving his defense, which ranked 122nd in points allowed, and if that repeats, there will be no reason to keep him.
9. Arizona Wildcats
After a rough first season leading Arizona, Brett Brennan proved he's a solid long-term fit, posting a 9-4 record. The offense returns a ton of talent headlined by QB Noah Fifita, RB Ismail Mahdi, and two of Fifita's top 4 targets from last season. The determining part of this team will be the defense, which returns just 4 starters after allowing just 19.3 points per game last season.
8. Arizona State Sun Devils
Kenny Dillingham had the pieces to take Arizona State back to the College Football Playoff, but Sam Leavitt's injury derailed the season. Now Dillingham's newest project is Kentucky transfer Cutter Boley, and if he can play clean football, the Sun Devils have the weapons to field an explosive offense. Each season, Kenny Dillingham has shown he can get transfers to mesh together, which will always help the team exceed preseason expectations.
7. Utah Utes
Kyle Whittingham wasn't going to be coaching the Utes, but when he took the Michigan job, it changed the outlook for Utah. Devon Dampier returns at quarterback, but the offense was gutted around him, including his offensive coordinator leaving for Michigan. Morgan Scalley should keep the defense at a solid level, but John Henry Daley, Smith Snowden, and some of the other losses are steep to overcome.
6. TCU Horned Frogs
Sonny Dykes opens the season in Dublin with a chance to embarrass Bill Belichick and North Carolina once again. Josh Hoover leaves for Indiana, but Dykes appears to have a ton of belief in Harvard transfer Jaden Craig with the way he's spoken about his former QB's turnovers. The biggest key this season is going to be finding balance, as the rushing offense ranked 100th while the defense ranked 72nd in points against.
5. Kansas State Wildcats
Chris Klieman retired this offseason, clearing the path for Collin Klein to return to Kansas State as head coach. The coaching change should only help Avery Johnson, who looked the best we've seen when Klein was his offensive coordinator. The biggest question will be the defense, which returns just 3 starters with big losses, including elite linebacker Austin Romaine.
4. Houston Cougars
It only took Willie Fritz two seasons to build Houston into a 10-win team, and now they enter the season as a dark horse to make the College Football Playoff. Conner Weigman is back under center while Willie Fritz reunites with Makhi Hughes, who rushed for 1,378 yards when the two were together at Tulane. The schedule is manageable for Houston, and if the Cougars can knock off Texas Tech in their Big 12 opener, it could determine the Big 12 Championship race.
3. Oklahoma State Cowboys
Oklahoma State enters the season under new leadership as North Texas head coach Eric Morris replaces Mike Gundy. The offense should bring excitement to Stillwater as Drew Mestemaker, Caleb Hawkins, and Wyatt Young could be the most explosive trio in the Country. The lone question is if the talent will hold up as the group jumps up a level, as Oklahoma State on paper could be incredibly exciting.
2. Texas Tech Red Raiders
After a trip to the College Football Playoff, Texas Tech appeared to get better with the addition of Brendan Sorsby, but he will not play football after his gambling scandal. The offense will instead be led by Will Hammond, coming off a torn ACL, while the Red Raiders have a solid insurance plan in Tommy Castellanos. The defense has the talent to be the best in the conference if all the transfers gel, and it'll be needed if Hammond is slow to regain form.
1. BYU Cougars
If BYU hadn't faced Texas Tech twice last season, the Cougars would've gone to the College Football Playoff, as it was the source of their only two losses. Bear Bachmeier should only improve after he was thrust into the starting role when Jake Retzlaff was dismissed and was still a star for the Cougars. The star duo of Bachmeier and LJ Martin, paired with the veteran filled defense, makes this the most complete roster in the conference.
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