Where Does WVU Finish? Predicting the 2026 Big 12 Football Standings

Rich Rodriguez is set to enter year two of his second stint as the head coach at West Virginia, and after a disappointing campaign in 2025, the Mountaineers look like they are better equipped to handle life in the Big 12 this fall.

How much better? I'm not quite ready to reveal my game-by-game predictions just yet, but my projected order of finish for the Big 12 should give you a pretty good idea.

My preseason Big 12 projection

No. 16: Iowa State Cyclones
No. 15: Colorado Buffaloes
No. 14: UCF Knights
No. 13: Kansas Jayhawks
No. 12: Cincinnati Bearcats
No. 11: Baylor Bears
No. 10: West Virginia Mountaineers
No. 9: Oklahoma State Cowboys
No. 8: Arizona State Sun Devils
No. 7: TCU Horned Frogs
No. 6: Kansas State Wildcats
No. 5: Houston Cougars
No. 4: Arizona Wildcats
No. 3: Utah Utes
No. 2: Texas Tech Red Raiders
No. 1: BYU Cougars

Why I have West Virginia picked to finish 10th

Rich Rodriguez — WVU Athletics Communications

Pretty much everyone outside the state will have the Mountaineers among the bottom three teams in the league, potentially even dead last. This is not a bottom-of-the-barrel roster, by any means. Yes, it has its holes and big question marks, but it's an improved group overall. WVU finished 14th in the league a year ago despite playing five quarterbacks, a long list of injuries at running back, and the worst offensive line in the league.

The offense has a chance to finish in the top half of the league, and if things really click, maybe even in the top three. It sounds bold, but those expectations are fair when the nation's leading rusher, Cam Cook, is on the roster. Plus, QB Mike Hawkins Jr. is well-positioned to have a breakout year.

WVU will turn things around this fall, but will be held back from playing meaningful football in November because of its defense.

Why I have BYU winning the regular season title

Dec 27, 2025; Orlando, FL, USA; BYU Cougars quarterback Bear Bachmeier (47) looks to pass against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the fourth quarter during the Pop-Tarts Bowl at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Even if Texas Tech had Brendan Sorsby, I think there was still a case to be made for BYU. Kalani Sitake and his coaching staff have done a great job of developing talent and retaining their top guys. This is a seasoned group on both sides of the ball, with 12 of their projected 22 starters being seniors. Texas Tech has a veteran roster as well, but is more reliant on the transfer portal.

LJ Martin is arguably the best running back in the conference, and now that Bear Bachmeier has a full year of starting under his belt, he is poised to cement himself as one of the league's best quarterbacks.

Will Hammond is a quality quarterback and should be able to get the job done for the Red Raiders, but he is coming off a torn ACL, so it may take him a little while to hit his stride once he returns.

Why I have Iowa State picked dead last

Iowa State football coach Jimmy Rogers speaks during a timeout in the first half in the Iowa State and Iowa men’s basketball Cy-Hawk series at Hilton coliseum on Dec. 11, 2025, in Ames, Iowa. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Cyclones lost well over 50 players to the transfer portal this offseason, largely due to Matt Campbell's departure to Penn State. They are in a very similar situation to the one West Virginia was in last year, being forced to patch a team together, mostly made up of transfers from the lower levels.

The schedule does them no favors either, as four of their first five games in league play are against teams who could be in the conversation late in the year, in Utah, BYU, Arizona, and Oklahoma State. The talent and depth are just not there for Iowa State this fall, although I do expect them to be a pesky team who makes a couple of games interesting the have no business being in.

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