Fox Sports' RJ Young fumbles the bag with the Big 12 Conference with football ranking
On Tuesday, Fox Sports writer RJ Young released his annual ranking of all 136 collegiate football teams for the upcoming 2025-2026 season. When most preseason rankings are released, typically, there are analytical components that contribute to the ranking of each team (% of returning players, incoming freshman talent, transfers, etc.). However, when examining Young's ranking from August 12th, one conference is ranked significantly lower than it should be: the Big 12.
Where did your team land in @RJ_Young's Ultimate 136 CFB Rankings? 📊👀 pic.twitter.com/3IBc8ycost
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) August 12, 2025
Before going into the depths of talent within the Big 12 conference, it's important to note that the first Big 12 appearance on Young's list comes at spot No.19, held by the Kansas State Wildcats. Teams such as the University of Miami, South Carolina, and Indiana are all ranked above the Wildcats. Below are a list of other schools in the conference and their current position on Young's rankings:
Kansas State - No. 19
Texas Tech - No. 22
Arizona State - No. 23
Colorado - No. 25
Iowa State - No. 28
Houston - No. 31
Kansas - No. 33
Arizona - No. 38
TCU - No. 41
Baylor - No. 44
Utah - No. 56
Oklahoma State - No. 59
BYU - No. 60
Cincinnati - No. 67
West Virginia - No. 68
UCF - No. 74
While many could think that this ranking is justified, a few glaring holes stand out to me. Firstly, the disrespect at the top of the conference is baffling. Of Kansas State, Texas Tech, and Arizona State, it would not surprise me in the slightest bit if one or two of those teams finish within the top 15 at the end of the season and even have College Football Playoff appearances. For none of those three to be ranked top 15 preseason is shocking.
When moving down the list, although a couple of teams in the middle of the conference could be perceived to be well ranked, where I take further issue is the bottom of the list, specifically, the ranking of Baylor and Utah. Baylor is returning a significant portion of last year's team, most notably quarterback Sawyer Robertson, and has brought in key transfer portal additions to help bolster their secondary. Lastly, I find it hard to bet that there will be 55 better teams in college football than Kyle Whittingham's Utah Utes. Although the Utes will be without long-time quarterback Cam Rising, Whittingham is known for getting the most out of his teams and coaching a tough, gritty, defensive-minded squad.
Only time will tell how this list ages, but I would not be surprised to come back to this list in 2 months and see an accuracy higher than 30%.
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Josh started covering Baylor athletics in July 2025. Prior to Baylor Bears on SI, he worked as an intern for TheMichiganInsider at 247Sports. Josh graduated from the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, with a bachelor’s degree in economics, where his passion for collegiate athletics continued to grow after attending his first game in The Big House. Combining his analytical background and his affinity for collegiate sports, Josh enjoys providing his unique perspective on the shifting dynamic equilibrium of the collegiate athletics landscape. When not watching sports, Josh enjoys cooking a nice meal, running, and traveling to new places with his friends and family.