Horned Frogs Debut in Top Three in First Big 12 Football Power Rankings of the Season

It's back! Our weekly Big 12 Football Power Rankings are here, just in time for Week Five games. We've seen five conference matchups so far this season, and this week features seven more.

The #24 TCU Horned Frogs (3-0, 0-0) debut in this first week of Power Rankings at No. 3, only behind No. 1 Texas Tech (4-0, 1-0) and No. 2 Iowa State (4-0-1-0).

After sweeping their nonconference slate with decisive wins over North Carolina, Abilene Christian, and SMU, TCU made it's first appearance this week in both the AP Top 25 and Coaches Poll. A top-three placement in the first power rankings tracks with where the current trajectory is taking Sonny Dykes & Co.

After the top three, there's a big gap to No. 4, which this week goes to BYU. Eight teams are bunched together for the middle of the pack, meaning the point difference between No. 4 BYU and No. 10 UCF is very narrow. Oklahoma State, not shockingly, comes in at No. 17, and is just barely below No. 16 Kansas State.

How Power Rankings Are Determined

Once again, we have brought together a group from across the league to vote on the Big 12 Power Rankings each week during the season.

28 Total Participants
TCU Horned Frogs On SI editorial staff (13)
Not all are TCU homers; our diverse writing staff is based across the country and covers the ACC, Big Ten, and SEC, in addition to the Big 12.
One to two fans from most of the Big 12 current schools (15)

Each week, each participant provides their rankings 1-16. Those rankings are compiled, and the average rank is then listed below.

Here's where our panel of voters ranked the teams this week:

2025 Big 12 Power Rankings – Week 5

Here are our Week 5 Big 12 Football Power Rankings, as voted on by our group of sports journalists plus fans representing most of the league's 16 teams. What did this week tell us? It told us that, as of right now, three teams are in contention for the two spots in Arlington and that the rest of the teams are just hoping to crack their way into those top spots.

Week 5 Power Rankings Highlights

Texas Tech debuts as the top spot in our first Big 12 Football Power Rankings of the 2025 season.
Iowa State also received first-place votes.
Oklahoma State, in the same week they fired long-time coach Mike Gundy, debuts at No. 16.
Kansas State also received last-place votes.
Twelve teams (75%) had six or more spots between their highest and lowest ranking; UCF had the most, with a 10-point spread.
Other teams with at least six spots between highest and lowest rankings are Arizona (7), Arizona State (8), Baylor (6), BYU (7), Cincinatti (6), Colorado (7), Houston (7), Iowa State (6), Kansas (6) Utah (9), and West Virginia (6).
Texas Tech had the lowest fluctuations between their highest (No. 1) and lowest (No. 2) ranking.

Sep 20, 2025; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; TCU Horned Frogs wide receiver Eric McAlister (1) breaks the tackle of SMU Mustangs cornerback Jaelyn Davis-Robinson (13) and scores a touchdown during the second half at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

16. Oklahoma State (1-2, 0-0)

Highest Ranking: #13
Lowest Ranking: #16
Last Week: Lost to Tulsa 12-19
This Week: vs. Baylor

15. Kansas State (1-3, 0-1)

Highest Ranking: #13
Lowest Ranking: #16
Last Week: Bye Week
This Week: vs. UCF

14. West Virginia (2-2, 0-1)

Highest Ranking: #9
Lowest Ranking: #15
Last Week: Lost at Kansas 10-41
This Week: vs. Utah

13. Colorado (2-2, 0-1)

Highest Ranking: #7
Lowest Ranking: #14
Last Week: Beat Wyoming 37-20
This Week: vs. BYU

12. Cincinnati (2-1, 0-0)

Highest Ranking: #7
Lowest Ranking: #13
Last Week: Bye Week
This Week: at Kansas

11. UCF (3-0, 0-0)

Highest Ranking: #5
Lowest Ranking: #15
Last Week: Beat North Carolina 34-9
This Week: at Kansas State

10. Baylor (2-2, 0-1)

Highest Ranking: #7
Lowest Ranking: #13
Last Week: Lost to Arizona State 24-27
This Week: at Oklahoma State

9. Kansas (3-1, 1-0)

Highest Ranking: #5
Lowest Ranking: #11
Last Week: Beat West Virginia 41-10
This Week: vs. Cincinnati

8. Houston (3-0, 1-0)

Highest Ranking: #4
Lowest Ranking: #11
Last Week: Bye Week
This Week: at Oregon State

7. Arizona (3-0, 0-0)

Highest Ranking: #3
Lowest Ranking: #10
Last Week: Bye Week
This Week: at Iowa State

6. Utah (3-1, 0-1)

Highest Ranking: #3
Lowest Ranking: #12
Last Week: Lost to Texas Tech 10-34
This Week: at West Virginia

5. Arizona State (3-1, 1-0)

Highest Ranking: #3
Lowest Ranking: #11
Last Week: Beat Baylor 27-24
This Week: vs. TCU

4. #25 BYU (3-0, 0-0)

Highest Ranking: #3
Lowest Ranking: #10
Last Week: Beat East Carolina 34-23
This Week: at Colorado

Sep 20, 2025; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; TCU Horned Frogs quarterback Josh Hoover (10) runs with the ball during the first half against the SMU Mustangs at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

3. #24 TCU (3-0, 0-0)

Highest Ranking: #2
Lowest Ranking: #6
Last Week: Beat SMU 35-24
This Week: at Arizona State

2. #14 Iowa State (4-0, 1-0)

Highest Ranking: #1
Lowest Ranking: #7
Last Week: Bye Week
This Week: vs. Arizona

1. #12 Texas Tech (4-0, 1-0)

Highest Ranking: #1
Lowest Ranking: #2
Last Week: Beat Utah 34-10
This Week: Bye Week

Note: Power Rankings are determined by a group of fans representing most schools in the Big 12 Conference.

What's Next

TCU travels to the desert for Friday Night Lights to take on Arizona State on September 26. The game will be at 8 p.m. CT and can be seen on FOX. With TCU ranked No. 3 and the Sun Devils No. 5 in this week's Power Rankings, look for the winner of this game to make a statement in our Week 6 Power Rankings.