Big 12 Weekend Shakeups Push TCU Further From Arlington

The contenders are separating, and the Horned Frogs aren’t one of them.

Nov 8, 2025; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; Iowa State Cyclones quarterback Rocco Becht (3) runs with the ball against the TCU Horned Frogs during the second half at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

While TCU is not mathematically eliminated from the Big 12 title race, any expectation of rising to the top of the conference was pretty much dashed after the team’s devastating 20-17 loss to Iowa State.

Still, with the little hope that exists, it’s somewhat important to keep an eye on what’s going on in the rest of the league. Because whether TCU fans want to admit it or not, there’s still a path to Arlington — albeit a very, very slim one.

Texas Tech Puts BYU in Its Place

Texas Tech's Romello Height reacts after making a tackle against BYU during a Big 12 Conference football game, Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, at Jones AT&T Stadium. | Nathan Giese/Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The new king of the Big 12 resides in Lubbock.

The Red Raiders’ spending spree this past offseason infused a sense of optimism into the Texas Tech football program that hadn’t been seen in years. It’s been paying off in the form of countless dominant victories against teams that couldn’t block the talented players that make up the Red Raiders’ line of scrimmage.

That was the question heading into the most important Big 12 clash of the season between the previously undefeated No. 7 BYU Cougars and No. 8 Texas Tech. The answer: BYU couldn’t block the Red Raiders. As a result, Texas Tech now finds itself in the driver’s seat to win the conference and, subsequently, make the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history.

Had TCU taken down Iowa State, this result would have been promising. The Frogs would have had the opportunity to pass BYU themselves with a win in Provo next week, which would have asserted them as a power player in the conference title race. Instead, TCU lost to the Cyclones, making the result in Lubbock a nonfactor.

Houston Skates By in Orlando

Nov 7, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; Houston Cougars running back DJ Butler (25) runs the ball during the second half against the UCF Knights at Acrisure Bounce House. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images | Mike Watters-Imagn Images

In the words of Houston head coach Willie Fritz, “We’re Space City.”

UCF had previously been 8-0 in its annual Space Game, but Houston — the city where the NASA Space Center is located — spoiled that party with a close 30-27 win that keeps its slim chances of competing for the conference championship alive.

Houston was down 24-14 at the half but slowly inched its way back into the game via three second-half field goals and a Conner Weigman touchdown pass. It wasn’t pretty, yet the win came anyway, and that’s all that matters in the end.

TCU will get a chance to do what UCF couldn’t in a couple of weeks when it travels the four or so hours to Space City. There was a time when that game appeared to have big-time conference title implications. After the Frogs’ result against Iowa State, however, that’s no longer the case.

West Virginia and Arizona Pick Up Close Wins

Since its valiant effort against the Frogs two weeks ago, West Virginia has racked up back-to-back wins against Houston and Colorado. Both victories have featured fun performances by freshman quarterback Scotty Fox Jr., who has infused the Mountaineers’ offense with a much-needed spark.

Meanwhile in Tucson, the Arizona Wildcats are going bowling after beating Kansas 24-20. Head coach Brent Brennan got a lot of flak for the team’s subpar play in 2024, but at 6-3 overall and 3-3 in the Big 12, the Wildcats are officially moving in a positive direction.

Updated Conference Standings

Team	Conference Record	Overall Record	Streak
No. 8 Texas Tech	6-1	9-1	W3
No. 7 BYU	5-1	8-1	L1
Cincinnati	5-1	7-2	L1
Houston	5-2	8-2	W1
No. 13 Utah	4-2	7-2	W2
Arizona State	4-2	6-3	W1
Arizona	3-3	6-3	W2
TCU	3-3	6-3	L1
Baylor	3-3	5-4	W1
Kansas State	3-3	4-5	L1
Iowa State	3-4	6-4	W1
Kansas	3-4	5-5	L1
West Virginia	2-5	4-6	W2
UCF	1-5	4-5	L2
Colorado	1-6	3-7	L3
Oklahoma State	0-6	1-8	L8