2026 Big 12 Football Power Rankings Ahead of Week 4

Updated power rankings of all 16 Big 12 teams entering Week 4 of the 2026 college football season.

Sep 18, 2026; Lubbock, Texas, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders defensive safety Malik Esquerra (24) tackles Houston Cougars running back DJ Butler (25) in the second half at Galaxy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The third weekend of Big 12 football was an appetizer for the fantastic two months that lie ahead.

The weekend started with a tightly contested 28-26 victory for defending conference champion Texas Tech over Houston on Friday night. Across the Atlantic Ocean, Arizona State emerged with a sloppy 24-17 win against Kansas in London, England.

The Big 12 played two Power Four non-conference games in Week 3 that ended in very different fashions. West Virginia came away with an eye-opening 38-27 victory against a ranked Virginia team in Charlotte while Colorado suffered a brutal 41-7 loss at Northwestern.

Three Big 12 teams will fine-tune themselves in Week 4 against a Group of Six foe, but this week is where the meat of conference play begins and where the best teams in the league separate themselves from the middle of the pack.

The slate begins with a critical matchup between two head coaches prominently featured in hot seat conversations at Baylor. Two first-year head coaches square off at Iowa State in the afternoon window, and the night window is headlined by a matchup of contrasting offensive styles at West Virginia.

Below, we power rank all 16 Big 12 teams entering the final weekend of September.

16. Iowa State

Iowa State running back Arnold Barnes III (3) runs for a touchdown against Bowling Green during the second quarter on Sept. 19, 2026, at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Cyclones pieced together their most complete performance of the season in a 55-7 win over Bowling Green. The offense ran the football 46 times for 365 yards, the defense only allowed one explosive play, and the kick and punt return units were responsible for two of Iowa State’s seven touchdowns.

An afternoon meeting with Utah awaits Iowa State in Week 4 (3:30 p.m. EDT, FOX). The Utes were dominant in their first Power Four game of the season against Arkansas, who is also run by a first-year Power Four head coach.

15. Cincinnati 

The Bearcats needed second half heroics to get through Miami (OH), a Group of Six team Pittsburgh handled 59-14 in Week 1. The RedHawks reached the Cincinnati 33-yard line before they lost a fumble on a would-be game-winning drive, giving the Bearcats the 35-31 win.

Cincinnati hosts Kansas State to open conference play this week (7 p.m. EDT, ESPN2). The Bearcats are both the first road and Power Four game on the Wildcats' 2026 schedule.

14. Kansas

Sep 19, 2026; London, ENG; Kansas Jayhawks quarterback Isaiah Marshall (8) passes the ball against the Arizona State Sun Devils during the second half at Wembley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter van den Berg-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Jayhawks consistently hurt themselves in their loss to Arizona State. Isaiah Marshall had another mixed bag of highlight reel throws and questionable decisions, and a combination of turnovers and special teams errors stuck Kansas in a 17-point hole early in the fourth quarter.

Kansas gets Week 4 off to recover from the trip to London. The Jayhawks host MTSU in Week 5 before resuming Big 12 play against Utah in Week 6.

13. TCU

The Horned Frogs couldn’t distance themselves for three quarters of their 31-7 win against Arkansas State. TCU’s offense stalled out on six of its first eight possessions due to a multitude of errors, raising concerns about it as conference play approaches.

TCU begins its Big 12 schedule with a trip to UCF this week (3:30 p.m. EDT, FS1). The Horned Frogs must ready themselves for a run-heavy Knights offense with Alonza Barnett III sidelined due to injury.

12. Baylor

Sep 19, 2026; Waco, Texas, USA; Baylor Bears wide receiver Jayden McGowan (15) makes a catch for a touchdown against the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs during the second half at McLane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Bears’ second game without DJ Lagway resulted in a 36-19 win over Louisiana Tech. The Nate Bennett-led offense scored touchdowns on each of its first three drives, but the Bulldog defense created negative plays and forced a pair of fumbles, the last of which cut Baylor’s lead to 10 in the middle of the fourth quarter.

Big 12 play begins for Baylor this week against Colorado (Noon EDT, ESPN2). For bowl eligibility's sake, the Bears need to make the most of the front of conference play as they meet some of the league's strongest powers late in the season.

11. UCF

The Knights quite literally outran Georgia State in their 44-30 victory last week. UCF’s offense churned out 304 yards and four touchdowns on the ground, but the defense allowed multiple explosive plays despite picking off Panther quarterbacks three times.

A home bout with TCU is UCF's introduction to Big 12 play this season (3:30 p.m. EDT, FS1). Funnily enough, the Knights' only win in a conference opener as Big 12 members was their 35-34 win at TCU in 2024.

10. Colorado

Sep 19, 2026; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Northwestern Wildcats running back Joseph Himon II (6) catches a pass for a touchdown against the Colorado Buffaloes during the second half at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The sloppiness from Colorado’s Week 2 win against Weber State carried over into its abysmal loss at Northwestern in Week 3. The offense turned the ball over three times in the first half, which heavily contributed to the Buffaloes’ 21-point halftime deficit. The defense generated several negative plays, but the overall performance was too sporadic to slow down Aidan Chiles and the Wildcats.

The Buffaloes start conference play at Baylor (Noon EDT, ESPN2). Both teams desperately need a win if they want to find their way into a bowl in December and keep their coaches in 2027.

9. Arizona State

The Sun Devils left London with a win over Kansas, but they also left with several questions. The offense had a sluggish outing, finishing with 228 yards and only scoring on short fields. The defense forced critical turnovers but allowed the Jayhawks to run the ball effectively, and the special teams units both scored and surrendered a touchdown.

Arizona State sits idle in Week 4 to get the jet lag out of its system. The Sun Devils’ conference home opener is against Baylor in Week 5.

8. West Virginia

Sep 19, 2026; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers sidelines react to stopping Virginia Cavaliers during the second half at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Mountaineers controlled the run game in their win over Virginia in Charlotte. Michael Hawkins Jr. and Cam Cook ran for 123 yards apiece, and West Virginia’s defense only had one major bust against the run and made a pair of critical stops in the middle of the second half.

Oklahoma State is the first Big 12 game of 2026 for West Virginia (7 p.m. EDT, FS1). The Mountaineers are looking for their first win in a conference home opener in two seasons.

7. Oklahoma State

The Cowboys pulled their starters in the middle of the third quarter during their 59-0 rout of Murray State. The offense’s only mishap was a strip of Drew Mestemaker at the end of the second quarter, and the defense allowed the Racers to cross the 50-yard line twice all game.

Oklahoma State starts Big 12 play at West Virginia in Week 4 (7 p.m. EDT, FS1). The Cowboys are looking for their first conference win since their 2023 regular season finale at BYU.

6. Kansas State

Sep 19, 2026; Manhattan, Kansas, USA; Kansas State Wildcats quarterback Avery Johnson (2) runs away from Tulane Green Wave linebacker Dickson Agu (2) during the second quarter at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Sewell-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Avery Johnson was the story of the Wildcats’ 31-20 win against Tulane last week; he accounted for 379 total yards, including 152 rush yards and a pair of rush touchdowns. Defensively, Kansas State was able to minimize explosive plays, holding the Green Wave to 260 total yards.

Kansas State travels to unbeaten Cincinnati for its first Big 12 game this season (7 p.m. EDT, FS1). The Wildcats are searching for their first win in a conference road opener since their 2022 win at Oklahoma.

5. Arizona

The Wildcats got off to a slow start in their 42-17 victory against Northern Illinois. Noah Fifita willed Arizona to victory with a tremendous day in the air, but he had to guide it out of an early 10-point hole while working with a faulty offensive front.

Arizona finishes non-conference play against one of its former Pac-12 foes, Washington State (7:30 p.m. EDT, CBS). Each of the Cougars’ two losses are to Power Four opponents, the most recent of which was a 38-7 loss at Kansas State.

4. Houston

Sep 18, 2026; Lubbock, Texas, USA; Houston Cougars quarterback Conner Weigman (1) gives the ball to running back Makhi Huges (21) in the second half against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Galaxy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Cougars were a missed two-point conversion away from taking Texas Tech to overtime last Friday. The offense manufactured several lengthy drives in the first half but couldn’t find the end zone for much of the second half, and the defense failed to wreak havoc in the backfield most of the night.

Georgia Southern is the last team remaining on Houston’s non-conference schedule (4 p.m. EDT, ESPNU). The Eagles lost their first two games against FBS competition, including a 31-27 loss at Jacksonville State in Week 3.

3. Texas Tech

The Red Raiders were in an early deficit after Tommy Castellanos threw an interception on a pass he intended to throw away. Once the offense shifted to Will Hammond, Texas Tech settled in; each of the offense’s four touchdown drives were 75 yards or more in length, and the defense made key stops on Houston’s first two possessions of the fourth quarter.

Texas Tech wraps up non-conference play against Sam Houston State this week (Noon EDT, TNT). The Bearkats are 1-2, a mark that features a pair of close losses to fellow Group of Six programs.

2. Utah

Sep 19, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah State Aggies wide receiver Ty Olsen (15) runs the ball against the Utah State Aggies during the first half at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Utes’ non-conference schedule came to an end with a 33-point blanking of Utah State. Utah only hit on one deep pass with its starting offense in the game, and safety Rabbit Evans picked off a pass on the Aggies’ best opportunity to find the end zone. 

Utah ventures to Iowa State for its Big 12 opener this week (3:30 p.m. EDT, FOX). The Cyclones lost their only previous meeting against a Power Four team 16-13 to Iowa, a team with far less athletic pieces on offense than what the Utes possess.

1. BYU

The Cougars won 41-23 at Colorado State last week, and two of the touchdowns they allowed were with backups in the game. LJ Martin exploded for 176 rush yards and three rush touchdowns, part of a 332-yard performance on the ground for BYU.

BYU gets its bye week out of the way in Week 4. The Cougars open Big 12 road play at TCU next weekend.