The Big 12 continues to make its case as one of the deepest conferences in college football. The latest AP Top 25 Poll was released on Sunday, and the Big 12 landed three teams inside the Top 12, giving the conference more than the Big Ten and trailing only the SEC. BYU leads the way at No. 8, followed by No. 11 Texas Tech and No. 12 Utah.
BYU moved up two spots after going on the road and beating TCU 17-10 on Saturday night. The Cougars remain undefeated and are now the Big 12’s highest-ranked team.
Texas Tech also moved up one spot to No. 11 after overcoming a 7-3 halftime deficit to beat Colorado 29-7 in Boulder. The Red Raiders are 5-0 overall and 2-0 in Big 12 play.
Utah didn’t even play this weekend, but the Utes benefited from movement around them and climbed one spot to No. 12. Utah has now moved up in every AP Poll this season after beginning the year ranked No. 21.
Big 12 vs. Big Ten in AP Poll
That gives the Big 12 three teams among the country’s top 12. The Big Ten has only two, Ohio State and Indiana, while the SEC leads the way with six.
And the Big 12 isn’t done there.
Oklahoma State checks in at No. 18, while Houston is ranked No. 22 despite needing a 27-point second half to rally past UCF on Saturday. In total, the Big 12 has five teams in the AP Top 25, compared to six for the Big Ten and nine for the SEC.
It’s still early October, but the Big 12’s argument for multiple College Football Playoff teams continues to get stronger.
The rankings also give the Big 12 some early ammunition in the College Football Playoff conversation. With BYU, Texas Tech and Utah all positioned inside the Top 12, the conference has multiple teams firmly in the national picture as October begins. And with plenty of head-to-head matchups still ahead, the Big 12 should have several opportunities to strengthen — or dramatically reshape — its playoff résumé over the next two months.
