Big 12 Football Power Rankings: Week 5, 2026 Season
Entering the fifth week of the 2026 college football season, BYU and Utah hold the top two spots in the latest Big 12 power rankings compiled by KSL Sports reporters Steve Bartle, Josh Furlong, and Mitch Harper. BYU claims the top ranking with a 3-0 overall record and a 1-0 conference mark, while Utah follows closely at No. 2 with a 4-0 record and a 1-0 conference standing after securing a 31-17 road victory over Iowa State.
BYU and Utah Hold Top Rankings Heading Into Week 5
Both in-state programs pace the conference standings as the month closes, though they approach the weekend from different preparation schedules. BYU enters a matchup against TCU on Saturday at 5 p.m. MDT in Fort Worth following a bye week. Meanwhile, Utah sits at 4-0 after its win in Ames and enjoys a bye week during the fifth week of the season.
The composite ballot places Texas Tech at No. 3 with a 4-0 record following a 49-14 win over Sam Houston. Oklahoma State makes the week’s biggest upward move among top contenders, jumping three spots to No. 4 after defeating West Virginia 41-24 on the road to open conference play. KSL Sports reporters note that Oklahoma State’s unpredictable trajectory—moving from losses and wins to defeating national favorites like Oregon—typifies the volatile nature of the conference.
Mid-Tier Shifts Highlight Conference Volatility
Houston holds the No. 5 position at 3-1 overall following a 42-28 road win against Georgia Southern. Cincinnati climbs six spots to No. 6 after a 31-26 victory over Kansas State, improving its record to 4-0 overall and 1-0 in the Big 12. Arizona sits at No. 7 with a 3-1 record after defeating Washington State 34-24 away from home.
West Virginia drops two spots to No. 8 following its home loss to Oklahoma State, while Kansas State suffers a five-spot drop to No. 9 after the narrow loss to Cincinnati. Arizona State holds the No. 10 spot with a 2-1 record ahead of a Saturday game against Baylor. Baylor occupies No. 11 at 3-1 after a 23-13 victory over Colorado. Iowa State rounds out the group above the bottom tier at No. 12 with a 2-2 record following its home defeat against Utah.
Lower-Tier Matchups Set for Saturday Slate
UCF ranks No. 13 at 3-1 after a 21-13 win over TCU. Kansas stands at No. 14 with a 1-2 record following a bye week, preparing to face Middle Tennessee on Saturday morning. TCU drops to No. 15 at 2-2 after the loss to UCF, and Colorado anchors the power rankings at No. 16 with a 2-2 record following its setback against Baylor.
Individual ballots from the KSL Sports panel show slight variations in ordering outside the top four. Bartle places Utah at No. 1 and BYU at No. 2, while Furlong and Harper both position BYU at No. 1 and Utah at No. 2. Texas Tech and Oklahoma State occupy the third and fourth positions across all three individual ballots, establishing a clear consensus among the panel for the top tier of the conference entering October.