The Texas Tech football team has held the top spot in the Big 12 power rankings for the past eight weeks. Brigham Young has been right behind Tech in second position for three weeks.
They finally get to show which team’s best this week.
Once-beaten Tech hosts unbeaten BYU at 11 a.m. CT Saturday, Nov. 8, in the most important game of the season so far in the Big 12. With the Cougars at No. 8 and the Red Raiders at No. 9 in both this week’s US LBM Coaches Poll and The Associated Press Top 25, it’s the first time since 2021 the Big 12 has had a conference game between top-10 teams.
Even big enough for Kirk Herbstreit, Nick Saban and the gang to pull themselves away from Big Ten and SEC action.
ESPN’s College GameDay is going to Lubbock for a football game for the first time since 2008. BYU leads Tech and Cincinnati by one-half game in the Big 12 standings, but the Red Raiders opened as a 10 1/2-point favorite over the Cougars, an indication oddsmakers agree with Tech’s two-month hold on the power rankings.
Here is this week’s power ranking.
1. Texas Tech (8-1, 5-1 in the Big 12)
Last week: 1
This week: Brigham Young
What to know: Texas Tech’s eight victories all have been by at least 23 points, the latest a streak-ending 43-20 conquest of Kansas State.
2. Brigham Young (8-0, 5-0)
Last week: 2
This week: at Texas Tech
What to know: BYU stuck with Kalani Sitake after a 4-9 season in 2017 and a 5-7 season in 2023. The reward? Double-digit wins incoming for the fourth time in Sitake’s 10-year tenure.
3. Utah (7-2, 4-2)
Last week: 4
This week: Open
What to know: Utes are the clear No. 3, having lost to Texas Tech and BYU and having hammered Cincinnati and Arizona State.
4. Cincinnati (7-2, 5-1)
Last week: 3
This week: Open
What to know: Bearcats’ CFP chances are Big 12 title or bust after blowout loss at Utah.
5. Arizona State (6-3, 4-2)
Last week: 5
This week: Open
What to know: We were prepared to drop the Sun Devils based on Sam Leavitt’s season-ending injury. Then Jeff Sims ran for an ASU quarterback record 228 yards in win at Iowa State.
6. TCU (6-2, 3-2)
Last week: 6
This week: Iowa State
What to know: The Horned Frogs’ being last in the Big 12 in rushing offense and next-to-last in pass defense piles too much pressure on the Josh Hoover-to-Eric McAlister show.
7. Houston (7-2, 4-2)
Last week: 7
This week: Friday at Central Florida
What to know: Losing at home to West Virginia and opening as an underdog to UCF suggests the Cougars are closer to the bottom half of the Big 12 than the top.
8. Iowa State (5-4, 2-4)
Last week: 8
This week: at TCU
What to know: The past month has taken the Cyclones from contender for Big 12 title game to contender for ESPN Airtime Filler Bowl.
9. Baylor (5-4, 3-3)
Last week: 10
This week: Open
What to know: That Baylor might want to move on from Dave Aranda is understandable, but are there enough difference-maker coaches in this cycle to go around?
10. Arizona (5-3, 2-3)
Last week: 11
This week: Kansas
What to know: Did you write off Noah Fifita after last year? Because he has 21 touchdown passes to 4 interceptions this year.
11. Kansas State (4-5, 3-3)
Last week: 9
This week: Open
What to know: Atmosphere was revved up for Harley Day, a K-State tradition since 1998. Offense was less revved against Texas Tech defense, a Red Raiders tradition since 2025.
12. Kansas (5-4, 3-3)
Last week: 12
This week: at Arizona
What to know: A bowl’s no sure thing with Arizona, Iowa State and Utah left on the schedule.
13. Colorado (3-6, 1-5)
Last week: 13
This week: at West Virginia
What to know: Deion Sanders suffered the worst loss of his college coaching career on Oct. 25 at Utah, followed by his worst home loss last week against Arizona.
14. Central Florida (4-4, 1-4)
Last week: 14
This week: Houston
What to know: Knights have scored 20 points or fewer in five of their eight games.
15. West Virginia (3-6, 1-5)
Last week: 15
This week: Colorado
What to know: In a lost season, the development of Scotty Fox Jr. bears watching. The past two weeks, he’s had a 300-yard passing game and a hand in 5 touchdowns without a turnover.
16. Oklahoma State (1-8, 0-6)
Last week: 16
This week: Open
What to know: Zane Flores’ return gives Cowboys some hope for the final month.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Big 12 football power rankings heading into Texas Tech vs BYU showdown
Reporting by Don Williams, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal / Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
