ESPN ranks Big 12 Football teams from first to last after Week 8

The leaves have changed colors, Halloween is around the corner, and the college football season is in full swing following Week 8. With that, ESPN has ranked the Big 12 football teams from first to last following last week’s slate of games, and there’s plenty of movement to be found.
ESPN puts together its Big 12 rankings with the FPI metric. That is a predictive metric that ESPN uses to look at future outcomes, rather than past performance. As ESPN puts it, “FPI represents how many points above or below average a team is.” That, of course, makes this ranking unique from many other power rankings.
With that knowledge that these rankings are based on FPI in mind, here’s a look at how ESPN ranked the Big 12 teams. This comes as the second half of the season is now underway.
1. Texas Tech Red Raiders (6-1, 3-1)
The Texas Tech Red Raiders suffered their first loss of the season on the road against Arizona State last week. That came despite a valiant comeback in the fourth quarter by the Red Raiders. Still, ESPN has Texas Tech sitting atop the Big 12.
There are two Big 12 teams currently unbeaten in conference play. Texas Tech is going to get a shot at one of them in three weeks against BYU. First, the Red Raiders need to focus on Oklahoma State and avoid another upset.
2. Utah Utes (5-2, 2-2)

Utah went into Provo last week and lost The Holy War to rival BYU. It was a close game and there’s still plenty to like there, but that has put the Utes into a difficult spot as it relates to the Big 12 Championship race.
With two losses in conference play, Utah now sits behind five other Big 12 teams. Another five are tied with the Utes at 2-2 in conference play. So, while it’s early, the race is jam-packed, and Utah can’t afford another loss. That starts this weekend when they host Colorado.
3. BYU Cougars (7-0, 4-0)
The BYU Cougars are riding high, sitting unbeaten and coming off a Holy War win. ESPN even now has the Cougars sitting third in its Big 12 Power Rankings. That, after losing last season’s starting quarterback late in the offseason, is a credit to the coaches and players alike in Provo.
BYU now controls its own destiny as it relates to the Big 12 Championship Game. They’re one of two unbeatens in conference play left. So, win out and they’re in. Win the conference and they’re in the College Football Playoff.
4. TCU Horned Frogs (5-2, 2-2)
It’s been a bit of an up and down season for TCU once Big 12 play got going. This past week was an up, beating Baylor. Subsequently, the Horned Frogs are now sitting fourth in the ESPN Power Rankings.
Next up for TCU is a road trip to West Virginia. Winning a second conference game in a row there is going to be vitally important to building up some forward momentum. With that forward momentum, the hope is that the Horned Frogs can potentially make a run in conference.
5. Iowa State Cyclones (5-2, 2-2)

The Iowa State Cyclones needed their bye week. After dropping games to Cincinnati and Colorado, the Cyclones were able to reset last week. Even with that, and some increasing injury concerns, ESPN has Iowa State fifth in the Big 12.
There is still some hope for Iowa State that they can make a run at the Big 12 Championship Game. The problem is that this is a parity driven conference that is still very much up for grabs, so there’s no more room for mistakes. That starts next week against a very good BYU team.
6. Cincinnati Bearcats (6-1, 4-0)
The positive surprise of the season in the Big 12 might just be the Cincinnati Bearcats. After dropping their opener, the Bearcats have ripped off six wins in a row. That includes four conference wins, including a blowout win over Oklahoma State a week ago.
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Now firmly in control of their own destiny, Cincinnati faces a very difficult second-half schedule. That begins this next week when the Bearcats are set to host Baylor, which represents another opportunity to keep momentum rolling downhill.
7. Kansas Jayhawks (4-3, 2-2)
The Kansas Jayhawks now sit at seventh in ESPN’s power rankings in the Big 12. This comes on the heels of a bye week, which they used to reset after suffering a bad loss to Texas Tech the week before.
Kansas is now getting ready for their biggest rivalry game of the season, hosting Kansas State this weekend. That always matters, if only for bragging rights. It is also absolutely vital for the Big 12 race this year. Both teams are 2-2 and hoping to keep up the pace at this point.
8. Kansas State Wildcats (3-4, 2-2)

This has been a tough season for the Kansas State Wildcats. Expected to be a Big 12 competitor, they got off to a slow start. Now, after beating TCU and taking their bye week, they’re hoping to live up to that potential in the second half of the season.
There are two Big 12 teams unbeaten in conference play, three teams with one loss, and six with two losses. Kansas State is among those two loss teams and to get back in the race they’ll need to dodge a third loss. That won’t be easy this weekend in a rivalry game against Kansas.
9. Arizona State Sun Devils (5-2, 3-1)
The Arizona State Sun Devils are still the defending Big 12 Champions, and it showed over the weekend. There, the Sun Devils took down Texas Tech, making it clear they’re still contenders. That’s despite being overlooked at times, including by the ESPN Power Rankings.
At 3-1 and owning the tiebreaker, Arizona State is very much alive. The challenge is that the Sun Devils don’t play either of the two unbeaten in conference play teams, meaning they don’t control their own destiny. It’ll take some help, but all the Sun Devils can do is keep winning, starting with a tough Houston team this weekend.
10. Baylor Bears (4-3, 2-2)
The Baylor Bears have been on a roller coaster of a season. A loss to TCU last weekend in bad weather snapped a brief two-game Big 12 winning streak. It also brought them back to the middle of the pack in the conference standings.
If Baylor wants to make a run, or at least create some chaos, in the Big 12 race, the time to go is now. The Bears travel to Cincinnati next week and have a chance to pull off a major upset. Later on, Utah and Houston are both also very much in the championship race.
11. UCF Knights (4-3, 1-3)
12. Arizona Wildcats (4-3, 1-3)
13. Colorado Buffaloes (3-4, 1-3)
14. Houston Cougars (6-1, 3-1)
15. West Virginia Mountaineers (2-5, 0-4)
16. Oklahoma State Cowboys (1-6, 0-4)