Spring has come and gone, and college football programs have largely locked in their rosters for the 2025 season at this point. While position battles won't be decided until July, we now have a pretty good sense of where each team stands heading into the new year.
That means it's time to put together a power ranking of the Big 12. We already saw what Vegas thinks of the conference, but which teams figure to be actually be the best in the conference this year? Let's dive in.
#1: Arizona State Sun Devils
Last year's record: 11-3 (7-2)
Big 12 rank: 1st
A year ago, the Sun Devils were picked to finish last in the Big 12, but they went on to win the conference and earn a first round bye in the first ever 12-team College Football Playoff. Considering that the last team to win this conference in consecutive seasons is now in the SEC, and that it hasn't happened five seasons, Arizona State faces some stiff odds to repeat.
However, it's hard to bet against them right now. Head coach Kenny Dillingham kept his staff together and, outside of running back Cam Skattebo, returns the bulk of his team's key players from last year. Quarterback Sam Leavitt is the consensus top passer in the Big 12 entering his sophomore season, and he's got upgraded weapons with Jordyn Tyson's return from an injury and several transfers, including Jalen Moss.
#2: Texas Tech Red Raiders
Last year's record: 8-5 (6-3)
Big 12 rank: 7th
Texas Tech was unable to live up to the hype last season, largely due to a young defense that was among college football's worst. They have a new defensive coordinator, though, stealing Shiel Wood from Houston, and they return quarterback Behren Morton.
The Red Raiders also dipped heavily into the transfer portal, reeling in the second best transfer class in the nation, highlighted by six different 4-star defenders and 4-star running back Quinten Joyner from USC to replace the graduated Tahj Brooks. There's no guarantee it will translate to wins, but Texas Tech has done a great job of loading up an already impressive roster.
#3: Kansas State Wildcats
Last year's record: 9-4 (5-4)
Big 12 rank: 8th
Kansas State entered last season as one of the frontrunners for the conference title following Avery Johnson's ascent to starting quarterback. For a while, it looked like they might pull it off, too. The Wildcats started out 7-1, but dropped three of their final four games to miss out on a shot at the title game.
It's a new year, though, and Johnson has remained in Manhattan even after rumored interest from Tennessee following the Nico Iamaleava saga. Head coach Chris Klieman has posted 9+ wins in each of the last three seasons, and he has the Wildcats in good position to do at least that with Johnson on the precipice of stardom.
#4: Iowa State Cyclones
Last year's record: 11-3 (7-2)
Big 12 rank: 2nd
Every single year, Iowa State gets slept on, and every single year they make people look foolish for doubting them. Picked to finish sixth last year, the Cyclones won their first seven games in a row and hit double digit wins for the first time in program history. Getting blown out in the Big 12 title game didn't change how great Iowa State was last year.
Quarterback Rocco Becht is back, as are running backs Carson Hansen and Abu Sama. There is concern at wide receiver, with both Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel joining the NFL, but the Cyclones added two coveted transfers in Chase Sowell and Xavier Townsend. Iowa State figures to be a top contender yet again, but it's fair to wonder if they have enough firepower to keep up in a crowded conference.
#5: BYU Cougars
Last year's record: 11-2 (7-2)
Big 12 rank: 3rd
The biggest non-Arizona State surprise in the Big 12 last year was BYU. Head coach Kalani Sitake entered the year firmly on the hot seat and named Jake Retzlaff the winner of a rather uninspiring quarterback competition. Then, the Cougars started out 9-0 with multiple nail-biter wins along the way.
A wild four-way tie for first place in the Big 12 saw BYU drop to third via a convoluted tiebreaker system, but it was still a big year. Retzlaff, and much of last year's squad, are back in 2025. That said, BYU's conference schedule looks to be much tougher this year, as six of their nine Big 12 games last season came against teams with a losing record. Can they repeat their magical 2024 season? It will be much harder this time around.
#6: TCU Horned Frogs
Last year's record: 9-4 (6-3)
Big 12 rank: 6th
The Horned Frogs had one of the quietest 9-win seasons ever, chugging along all season without ever gaining any real attention. That likely had to do with their less-than-ideal start, as TCU stumbled out to a 3-3 record with bad losses to UCF and Houston. But they won five of their final six, finishing strong despite never really having great odds of reaching the conference championship game.
Head coach Sonny Dykes raised the bar too much in his first season, when TCU made it to the national title game, but 2024 was a good return to form. Quarterback Josh Hoover caught fire down the stretch, and he turned down reported overtures from various teams in the transfer portal, giving TCU a great foundation heading into this season.
#7: Baylor Bears
Last year's record: 8-5 (6-3)
Big 12 rank: 5th
Last year was a make-or-break year for Baylor head coach Dave Aranda, and halfway through the season it looked as if the Bears were going to break. They started out 2-4 and lost their first three conference games, and it looked as if Aranda was a goner.
Then, things clicked, Baylor won their final six games, largely on the strength of quarterback Sawyer Robertson coming into his own as the starter. Aranda managed to keep most of his team intact, most notably Robertson, and the Bears should be just as formidable as they were down the stretch last year.
#8: Utah Utes
Last year's record: 5-7 (2-7)
Big 12 rank: 13th
Kyle Whittingham has been around forever and, aside from Utah's first three years after joining the Pac 12, he's never posted consecutive losing seasons. After falling to 5-7 last season, one that saw Cam Rising once again suffer a season-ending injury, the Utes needed to turn the page offensively.
They made a change at both coordinator and quarterback, bringing in Jason Beck and Devon Dampier from New Mexico to inject life into the Utah offense. They also added Washington State standout running back Wayshawn Parker. Utah's defense wasn't the issue last year, and should be stout again this season. If the offensive changes pay off, Utah might be the Big 12 heavyweight everyone expected last year.
#9: Kansas Jayhawks
Last year's record: 5-7 (4-5)
Big 12 rank: 10th
Last year was supposed to be Kansas' best team ever, with seasoned veterans in Jalon Daniels and Devin Neal on offense and Cobee Bryant and Mello Dotson on defense. But the Jayhawks struggled to put teams away, with five of their seven losses featuring blown leads in the fourth quarter.
Daniels returns for this year, but the sixth-year quarterback struggled last year with a stronger supporting cast. Still, Lance Leipold is a proven winner, so the Jayhawks can't be completely counted out of the Big 12 race.
#10: West Virginia Mountaineers
Last year's record: 6-7 (5-4)
Big 12 rank: 9th
The Mountaineers are only two years removed from a 9-win season, but they moved on from head coach Neal Brown after last season's mildly disappointing finish. In his place is Rich Rodriguez, a West Virginia alum and former head coach.
Rodriguez has almost completely revamped this roster, dipping heavily into the transfer portal. Opinions are split on how fast he can turn this program around, but Rodriguez has just one losing season in his past 10 years as a head coach. That streak could come to an end in 2025, but Rodriguez's team won't be an easy out.
#11: Houston Cougars
Last year's record: 4-8 (3-6)
Big 12 rank: 12th
Perhaps the best dark-horse candidate to win the conference this year is Houston. Head coach Willie Fritz is a proven winner, but he takes time to rebuild programs. He's held six different head coaching jobs at various levels of college football, and has only once finished with a winning record in his first year. With the exception of Tulane, Fritz followed up with 8+ wins the next year at every stop.
Houston should be next. Connor Weigman comes in at quarterback after injuries derailed him last season with Texas A&M. That should provide a boost to a team that was feisty last year, scoring upsets over Kansas State and TCU. If the defense can take a step forward too, the Cougars might be able to surprise some people.
#12: UCF Knights
Last year's record: 4-8 (2-7)
Big 12 rank: 14th
Few Big 12 teams underperformed as much as UCF last year. Guz Malzahn had a star running back in RJ Harvey and an experienced dual threat quarterback in KJ Jefferson, but things quickly went sideways. After starting off 3-0, the Knights lost five in a row and finished with a dismal 4-8 record.
Malzahn left for the offensive coordinator job at Florida State, prompting UCF to bring back former head coach Scott Frost. While Frost was an unmitigated disaster at Nebraska, he led the Knights to their best season in program history, going 13-0 in 2017. Frost knows how to win in Orlando, but he likely won't be able to do much of it thus year, as there are a lot of holes to fill on this roster.
#13: Colorado Buffaloes
Last year's record: 9-4 (7-2)
Big 12 rank: 4th
How does Colorado go from a four-way tie for first in the Big 12 to being one of the worst teams in the conference? It's simple: the team's success was almost entirely reliant on Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter, both of whom are now in the NFL.
Deion Sanders has once again made extensive use of the transfer portal, with seemingly no interest in high school recruiting, and is relying on Liberty transfer quarterback Kaidon Salter to keep this offense humming. The issue is Salter took a huge step back this year and will now be playing on a team that just lost three starters on the offensive line, as well as their four leading receivers from a year ago.
#14: Cincinnati Bearcats
Last year's record: 5-7 (3-6)
Big 12 rank: 11th
For a moment last year, Cincinnati looked like they were turning the corner under Scott Satterfield. Transfer quarterback Brendan Sorsby was playing efficient football, and running back Cory Kiner had anchored the offense on their way to a promising 5-2 start. Then they dropped five in a row to miss a bowl game.
Sorsby is back, but Kiner is out; Tawee Walker transferred in from Wisconsin, but he's yet to be a full-time starter. Standout defensive lineman Dontay Corleone, who missed most of last season with injuries, is also back. It's tough to figure out which version of last year's Bearcats will show up this year, but for now we'll err on the side of caution.
#15: Arizona Wildcats
Last year's record: 4-8 (2-7)
Big 12 rank: 15th
Brent Brennan's first year as the Wildcats head coach was a miserable one. He inherited a 10-win team and kept several pieces, including quarterback-receiver duo Noah Fifita and Tetairoa McMillan, but it didn't matter. Fifita regressed sharply and Arizona missed a bowl game entirely.
Now, McMillan is off to the NFL and Brennan has two new coordinators. Oh, and the university president and athletics director that hired him are both gone, too. Barring a miraculous return to form from Fifita, the Wildcats look like they're on the brink of a hard reset.
#16: Oklahoma State Cowboys
Last year's record: 3-9 (0-9)
Big 12 rank: 16th
Mike Gundy is an eternal enigma: just when you start to believe in him, he lets you down, and vice versa. After playing in the Big 12 title game in 2023 and boasting Heisman hopeful Ollie Gordon, the Cowboys put up their worst season in Gundy's lengthy tenure in Stillwater.
After some internal drama that involved swapping out nearly the entire coaching staff, Gundy is back for his 21st season as the Oklahoma State head coach. Unlike last year, expectations are extremely low, which is usually when Gundy is at his best. Still, the Cowboys lost a lot of talent and didn't replace much of it this offseason, so it's hard to see a path where Oklahoma State even makes a bowl game.