Week 2 of the 2026 college football season is officially in the books, and the Big 12 football power rankings are about to get a serious shakeup.
The second weekend of the season gave us our first major statement wins, with Oklahoma State stunning Oregon and Utah dominating Arkansas, while several other teams stumbled in their first real tests of the season. We also got our first Big 12 conference game, as BYU knocked off Arizona in Provo.
As always, these rankings are based on what each team has accomplished on the field so far this season. They are not a projection of where I believe teams will finish, nor are they necessarily a ranking of which teams I think are the most talented. Results, opponent quality, and how a team has actually performed matter most.
And after two weeks, we now have considerably more information to work with than we did following opening weekend.
With that in mind, here are the Big 12 football power rankings after Week 2 of the 2026 college football season, from No. 1 to No. 16.
No. 1: BYU Cougars (Last Week: No. 13)
I told you these Power Rankings would change dramatically early in the season. And that’s because of how I do the Power Rankings (see above). The BYU Cougars got the first conference win of the season over Arizona, who is a very good team that can and will compete with the best of the Big 12. Through two weeks, BYU has put together as impressive a combination of results and performances as anyone in the league.
No. 2: Utah Utes (Last Week: No. 12)
Utah blasted Idaho, and then went for Round 2 with a dominant performance vs. Arkansas out of the SEC. Now it’s debatable how good the Razorbacks are, but that game wasn’t close from start to finish. And the SEC is still the SEC. Utah looks like one of the best in the league, hands down.
No. 3: Oklahoma State Cowboys (Last Week: No. 16)
Oh. My. Gosh. The best win in the Big 12 now goes to Oklahoma State, with a shocking win over No. 6 Oregon. The Pokes were great on both sides, with the defense impressing me even more than the offense. They made Dante Moore, a possible top NFL Draft pick in 2027, look pedestrian. If not for that Tulsa loss…
No. 4: Colorado Buffaloes (Last Week: No. 1)
Colorado actually wasn’t great in a win over FCS Weber State. But they still won by 30 points and have a solid ACC road win over Georgia Tech, which can’t be overlooked. This is a Top-4 resume right now in the Big 12 Conference.
No. 5: Kansas State Wildcats (Last Week: No. 8)
Kansas State would be higher if their competition was better. But no matter what, the Wildcats have been impressive through two games. And the defense has given up a total of three points in 120 minutes of football. That’s damn impressive.
No. 6: Houston Cougars (Last Week: No. 7)
The Houston Cougars move up one spot, jumping Texas Tech. Both Houston and Tech have a common opponent in Oregon State, and UH had the more convincing win. Of course, this is all going to be settled on Friday night when these two teams meet in Lubbock.
No. 7: Cincinnati Bearcats (Last Week: No. 2)
Cincinnati did nothing wrong, it’s just their resume weakened after Week 2, tremendously. The BC win is fine, but they’re still one of the worst P4 teams until proven otherwise. So Cincinnati is off to a comfortable 2-0 start, but we move them down simply because of how their two games now stack up vs. the rest of the league.
No. 8: Texas Tech Red Raiders (Last Week: No. 5)
It’s been an odd start to the season for the Red Raiders. They handled ACU, then beat Oregon State, but had to sweat it out at the end. And after the game, Joey McGuire was critical of his starting quarterback. Which makes you wonder, is a QB controversy brewing in Lubbock?
No. 9: West Virginia Mountaineers (Last Week: No. 6)
WVU dominated on Saturday, but with Week 2 in the books, their resume is weaker than the teams ahead of them, especially with that second half against Coastal still in recent memory. Michael Hawkins is running the offense efficiently, and if they can keep that ground game humming, it’s going to be a full fall in Morgantown.
No. 10: Arizona Wildcats (Last Week: No. 9)
Arizona went on the road and led BYU at halftime. But the second half was a mess, and there were player and coaching mistakes in the process. But this team is still going to be a force in the league, however they do find themselves with some ground to make up to end up in Arlington.
No. 11: Arizona State Sun Devils (Last Week: No. 10)
Arizona State went on the road and lost to Texas A&M by 28, but the 48-20 final score doesn’t tell the whole story. The Sun Devils had more passing yards, rushing yards, yards per play, first downs and sacks than the Aggies. ASU proved it can play with the top of the SEC, now let’s see what it means as we move into Big 12 play.
No. 12: Iowa State Cyclones (Last Week: No. 14)
I’m moving Iowa State up. They had a 10-0 lead over Iowa before they clamped up and lost late on the road. But it was a damn good performance. And it was a better performance than any of the teams below them who have also lost Power 4 games so far this season.
No. 13: Baylor Bears (Last Week: No. 3)
Their SEC loss only gets them so far, now that we have more data points to work with. Especially since it’s an SEC loss vs. a team we don’t think is all that good to begin with. But they stomped Prairie View A&M, and now need to do the same to Louisiana Tech this weekend. Let’s see.
No. 14: UCF Knights (Last Week: No. 4)
That Pittsburgh game was terrible. And one thing I won’t do is pick UCF on the road until they prove otherwise. This team has lost 10-straight road games. Plus, UCF has failed to surpass 21 points in Frost’s six road games since returning as the head coach. Yikes.
No. 15: Kansas Jayhawks (No. 11)
Kansas was in the game vs. Missouri, just like last season, before the Tigers took over and just wore down the Jayhawks. That’s what happened on Friday night in Lawrence. Kansas has some talented pieces, but it remains to be seen as to whether or not they can put it all together and win this year, in this conference.
No. 16: TCU Horned Frogs (Last Week: No. 15)
Someone has to be No. 16. And while TCU had a big win vs. Grambling, their UNC loss was ugly, and I don’t see a reason to put them above anyone else in this league right now. Alas, here we are.
