It was another fascinating weekend of Big 12 football as Week 5 delivered statement wins, thrilling conference matchups, and plenty of movement in the Big 12 championship race. Teams like Baylor, BYU, Texas Tech, Houston and Arizona all strengthened their cases as contenders, while the conference once again showed why it remains one of the deepest and most unpredictable leagues in college football. With conference play heating up and no clear favorite emerging in the race to reach the Big 12 Championship Game, let’s dive into some overreactions from Week 5 before looking ahead to a pivotal Week 6 slate.
Baylor Is One Two-Point Conversion Away From Being a 5-0 Big 12 Contender
Baylor went on the road and dominated Arizona State on Saturday night, rolling to a 55-19 victory. It was the most impressive performance of the weekend in the Big 12, and the Bears improved to 2-0 in conference play.
Baylor’s lone loss came in Week 1 against Auburn, a game the Bears lost by one point after failing on a two-point conversion attempt in the final 10 seconds. Maybe it’s time Baylor stops being overlooked and starts getting serious consideration as a Big 12 title contender.
Iowa State’s 45-42 Win Over West Virginia Was the Best Game of Conference Play So Far
What a game in Ames on Saturday.
As I predicted last week, this had all the makings of a sneaky good matchup, and it lived up to the hype. In fact, it may go down as the best Big 12 conference game of the entire season.
After Iowa State took a 21-14 lead just before halftime, the Cyclones completed the double-dip by scoring on their opening possession of the second half to go up 28-14. West Virginia responded by rallying to tie the game 28-28 before the end of the third quarter.
There were five lead changes in the fourth quarter alone. Iowa State reclaimed the lead early in the quarter, 31-28, and from there the two teams traded touchdowns. The Cyclones finally put it away with a touchdown with 1:57 remaining to secure the 45-42 win.
If this game doesn’t finish as one of the top three contests of the season when we’re looking back in January, then we’re about to be treated to an incredible second half of the year.
The Big 12 Doesn’t Have One Great Team, But It Has Plenty of Good Ones
Through the first five weeks of the season, no Big 12 team has clearly separated itself from the pack.
Every ranked Big 12 team in action this weekend faced some level of adversity. No. 10 BYU, No. 12 Texas Tech, and No. 22 Houston all won, but none of those victories came easily.
BYU survived a messy weather game at TCU, and there’s no shame in that. Texas Tech trailed Colorado 7-3 at halftime and led just 12-7 entering the fourth quarter before pulling away for a 29-7 victory. Meanwhile, Houston struggled offensively in the first half and trailed UCF 10-0 at the break before rallying for a 27-17 win. Even then, it remained a one-score game until the final two minutes.
The aforementioned Baylor may have looked like the best team in the conference this weekend, while Arizona was impressive in a 34-7 win over Cincinnati in the Big 12 After Dark game of the week. Kansas also handled business with a 55-0 win over Middle Tennessee State despite concerns that the Jayhawks could suffer a hangover after their overseas trip.
Overall, it feels like there are at least six teams capable of competing for a Big 12 championship this season, which should make for a thrilling second half of conference play.
Another big week of Big 12 football begins early with a Friday night showdown. Let’s take a look at a few storylines heading into Week 6.
Iowa State at BYU Under the Friday Night Lights
BYU hosts Iowa State after both teams emerged from emotional victories last weekend.
The Cougars picked up a hard-fought road win in difficult weather conditions, while Iowa State survived a back-and-forth thriller against West Virginia. The team that arrives in Provo with the most emotional energy left in the tank could have the edge.
I’d back BYU at home, under the lights, in front of that raucous Cougar crowd.
Road Warriors
Arizona looked excellent in its home win over Cincinnati, but can the Wildcats duplicate that performance on the road against a tough West Virginia team?
It won’t be easy in Morgantown, but Arizona enters as a field-goal favorite and this should be one of the better conference matchups of the weekend.
Meanwhile, No. 22 Houston travels to Manhattan to face a Kansas State team coming off a bye week and eager to erase the memory of its first loss under head coach Colin Klein. Despite Houston’s ranking, the Wildcats are favored by a field goal.
The Cougars will need a much better start than they got against UCF if they hope to maintain their place among the conference’s top contenders in 2026.
Can Utah Cement Itself as a Top Big 12 Contender?
Utah hosts Kansas in this week’s edition of Big 12 After Dark. The Jayhawks are coming off a dominant win, while the Utes enter fresh off a bye week.
On paper, Utah should control this game from start to finish. However, if you allow Kansas to hang around, the Jayhawks are capable of making things uncomfortable.
Anything less than a double-digit Utah victory would be disappointing. At the same time, the Utes have an opportunity to make a statement and further establish themselves as one of the Big 12’s elite teams.
Several Big 12 teams are off this week, but there will still be plenty of quality football on the schedule as we move into the heart of conference play.
