Arizona State Climbs Up Big 12 Power Rankings

TEMPE -- The Arizona State Sun Devils bounced back from what could have been a season-defining 42-10 loss to the Utah Utes in week seven.

The 26-22 upset win over Texas Tech in week eight restored hope that the program will represent the Big 12 in the College Football Playoff once again - although more work has to be done over the final five games of the season.

Teams such as Houston, Iowa State, and Kansas were under consideration for a top five spot on the week nine conference power rankings from ASU on SI - but these five were ultimately the ones to be selected.

5. Utah

The Utes fell short in a road game against bitter rival Brigham Young last Saturday - the loss made their prospects of reaching the conference championship game exponentially more challenging, but a path still remains.

Devon Dampier is an undeniable upgrade at quarterback compared to the previous two seasons, while the tackle duo of Caleb Lomu/Spencer Fano is as good as they come. The defense also remains a pillar for Kyle Whittingham.

Don't count Utah out just yet.

4. Texas Tech

The Red Raiders fall from the top spot to number four by virtue of losing to Arizona State last Saturday.

Joey McGuire's team is still very possibly the most talented in the Big 12, and are on track to finish 11-1 in the regular season - but they currently have to sit behind the pair of undefeated teams in the league and the squad they lost to head-to-head.

Senior QB Behren Morton returning in the future is a major development on top of the roster in place.

3. Cincinnati

Cincinnati's lone loss is to Nebraska to this point of the season. Some wins haven't been as convincing as one would prefer, but QB Brendan Sorsby has been a breakout star, the defense has typically performed better than it was expected to, and Scott Satterfield appears to have a strong all-around squad.

2. Arizona State

The Sun Devils are on the verge of re-taking the top spot in the rankings after defeating Texas Tech - the team almost always seems to find a way to win regardless of outside circumstances of game scenario.

The status of Sam Leavitt, Jordyn Tyson and other key players will be monitored over the rest of the week, but defeating Houston this Saturday is ultimately the focus .

1. Brigham Young

The Cougars are currently undefeated - the means of reaching the undefeated mark can be questioned, but they ultimately have yet to lose a game and just secured their most impressive victory of the season.

Freshman QB Bear Bachmeier and the entire team will be tested by Texas Tech Cincinnati, Iowa State, and TCU the rest of the way.

Read more on why the Arizona State men's basketball team will exceed expectations in the 2025-26 season here, and on three major takeaways from the win over Texas Tech here.

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