Utah has surged to the top of the Big 12 football power rankings according to a report published October 6, 2026. The ranking follows a bye week for the No. 12 Utah squad, which holds a 4-0 record.
The Utah offense has been led by Devin Dampier, who has completed 70% of his passes for 896 yards, nine touchdowns, and one interception, while adding two rushing scores. Utah currently holds a 3-2 all-time series lead over Kansas and has won the last three meetings, dating back to 1993, 1996, and 2025. The Utes are scheduled to play Kansas on Saturday at 8:15 p.m. MT on ESPN.
No. 8 BYU remains high in the rankings with a 4-0 record. The Cougars recently defeated No. 10 BYU 17-10 in Fort Worth, Texas, on Saturday, October 3, 2026. In that game, quarterback Bear Bachmeier ran for two touchdowns, including a game-clincher with two minutes remaining. BYU is scheduled to play Iowa State on Friday at 8:15 p.m. MT on ESPN.
Other notable rankings include No. 11 Texas Tech and No. 18 Oklahoma State, both of whom are entering bye weeks. Texas Tech recently secured a 29-7 victory over Colorado, fueled by four forced turnovers and a pick-six by John Curry. Texas Tech is scheduled to host Arizona State on October 17.
Arizona is ranked fifth at No. 5 with a 4-1 record. Noah Fifita recently recorded two passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown in a 34-7 win against Cincinnati. Arizona is scheduled to play West Virginia on Saturday at 10 a.m. MT on TNT. The Wildcats received 19 votes in the AP poll this week.
The Big 12 power rankings provide a weekly deep dive into the 16 teams in the league. The rankings track both recent results and upcoming schedules for the duration of the college football season.
Upcoming matchups include No. 22 Houston facing Kansas State on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. MT on FOX, and No. 15 Kansas playing at No. 12 Utah on Saturday at 8:15 p.m. MT on ESPN.
