Big 12 football is back, and we are taking a look at what the league could look like this year.
Big 12 Football is back, and we’re taking a look at what the conference could look like. With the Week 0 game between Kansas State and Iowa State already played, we have some idea of what the season could look like. I’ve made this list based on rosters, last season’s performance, and schedule strength. Let’s dive in.
First Place: Arizona State
Roster: Strong
Last Year: Big 12 Champions.
Schedule Strength: Strong
Arizona State is the reigning Big 12 Champion. They were light-years ahead of the competition. They dominated in the Big 12 title game and thoroughly deserved the Big 12 title.
Second Place: Iowa State
Roster: Strong
Last Year: Tied for first place.
Schedule Strength: Strong
Iowa State had a great game against Kansas State. The Cyclones were dominant and won a lot of games last season, but couldn’t get it done in the Big 12 Championship game, losing 45-17 against Arizona State.
Third Place: BYU
Roster: Strong
Last Year: Tied for first place.
Schedule Strength: Strong
BYU had a great start to last year, winning its first nine games. Back-to-back losses to Kansas and then Arizona State derailed their hopes of winning the Big 12. The Cougs finished off the year with a dominant 36-14 win over Colorado.
Fourth Place: Colorado
Roster: Moderate
Last Year: Tied for first place.
Schedule Strength: Moderate
The Colorado Buffaloes were looking pretty good last year. They had a good season that fell apart late. A bad loss to BYU in the Alamo Bowl showed Colorado’s weaknesses.
Fifth Place: Texas Tech
Roster: Moderate
Last Year: Big 12 Champions.
Schedule Strength: Moderate
Texas Tech last year was up and down. Big wins against Arizona State and West Virginia were overshadowed by losses to Colorado, TCU, and Baylor. It was a rough year, and Texas Tech didn’t have the strongest strength of schedule.
Sixth Place: Kansas State
Roster: Moderate
Last Year: 8th Place
Schedule Strength: Moderate
Kansas State showed some promise last year before losing badly to BYU. Three turnovers in about a minute and a half doomed the Wildcats. Kansas State will look to bounce back and clean up mistakes. There needs to be some problem-solving after the rough showing in Ireland against Iowa State.
Seventh Place: Utah
Roster: Moderate
Last Year: 13th Place
Schedule Strength: Moderate
Utah had a tough season last year. It was their first season in the Big 12, and some growing pains were expected. Utah has a new quarterback and some potential.
Eight Place: TCU
Roster: Moderate
Last Year: 6th Place
Schedule Strength: Moderate
TCU is one of those teams that is up and down by year. This year might have a regression for them, but it could be a good year. It will be hard to top the teams in front of them.
Ninth Place: West Virginia
Roster: Moderate
Last Year: 9th Place
Schedule Strength: Moderate
West Virginia is a variable team. Some years they are good and some years they are not so good. This year will be a big one. West Virginia could have a breakout year and win some big games, but there are a few very good teams ahead of them.
Tenth Place: Baylor
Roster: Moderate
Last Year: 8th Place
Schedule Strength: Moderate
Baylor was struggling to start last season. A big loss to BYU was followed by a five-game winning streak. Baylor will look to bounce back and get some positive momentum in 2025.
I see this being the top ten for the 2025-26 Big 12 football season. There is a chance I could be wrong, and I am ready to see how it plays out. We are less than a week away!
It will be interesting to see how your predictions play out. Thanks for a great article!