The rest of this conference needs to thank BYU. Maybe send them flowers. Or a box of Crumbl cookies. By beating Notre Dame in Week 7 of college football, BYU legitimized the entire Big 12. The league has never sent two teams to the CFP and hasn’t won a CFP game in the 12-team era.

They were trending towards being CFP afterthoughts again this season after a non-conference slate that just repeatedly saw Big 12 teams lose to Big Ten and SEC foes. But now they have a marquee win they can point to and say this conference can compete with the “blue bloods” of college football.

MORE:4 biggest risers in College Football after Week 7

Ranks 10-6

NCAA Football: Aflac Kickoff-Baylor at Auburn
Sep 5, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Baylor Bears quarterback DJ Lagway (2) in action against the Auburn Tigers in the second quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters)

10. Baylor

The Bears will slip a few spots but remain at the bottom of this top-10 list after losing to TCU 14-6. The offense, which had been electric in their 4-game win streak, failed to score a touchdown. DJ Lagway and the rest of the offense still have some work to do.

9. West Virginia

We have a new entrant in the top-10 this week, thanks to the Mountaineers’ 45-42 victory over Cincinnati. Who said Michael Hawkins Jr can’t throw? The dual-threat, better known for his running, threw for 464 yards in the win over Cincinnati. This offense is explosive enough to keep them in a lot of ball games.

8. TCU

Three big developments came out of TCU’s 14-6 win over Baylor: First, TCU now has a defense. The unit held high-flying Baylor to only 6 points – quite the feat. Second, star RB Jeremy Payne left the game with an injury. They’ll need him moving forward. Third, WR Jordan Dwyer played his first full game after an injury in the preseason, and looked awesome. 6 catches for 150 yards. He’s going to give a great target for Jaden Craig for the rest of the season.

7. Kansas State

Is Kansas State good? Probably not. But are they bad? Definitely not. It was a rocky start, but they pulled away from in-state rivals Kansas in a 35-24 victory. Both RB Joe Jackson and QB Avery Johnson rushed for over 130 yards (and that is what Johnson does best).

6. Arizona

The Wildcats hold serve at #6 after their Week 7 Bye. They’ll have Iowa State coming to town this week before traveling to Lubbock to take on Texas Tech – which could be a potential Noah Fifita legacy game.

MORE:4 biggest fallers in College Football after Week 7

Top 5

NCAA Football: Oklahoma State at Houston
Oct 17, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys head coach Eric Morris reacts after a play during the fourth quarter against the Houston Cougars at TDECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters)

5. Oklahoma State

They switch places with Houston after their 35-32 defeat at the hands of the Cougars, which felt like an old-school mid-2010s Big 12 matchup. In fact, that’s pretty much the whole vibe of this Oklahoma State team – a high-powered offense with a very mediocre defense, just like all of those Big 12 teams from 2014 – 2017.

4. Houston

There goes Conner Weigman putting the team on his back again. For the 3rd game in 4 weeks, the dual-threat QB accounted for every single TD that the Houston offense scored. The showdown at Utah next week is going to determine the trajectory of the second half of the season for the Cougars.

3. Utah

It was a close call, but the Utes escaped Boulder with a 27-24 victory over Colorado in Week 7. The Devon Dampier to Braden Pegan connection continues to dominate, with Pegan scoring twice. Perhaps the poor play was due to looking ahead, as Houston comes to town in Week 8.

2. Texas Tech

In the 53-25 win over Arizona State, the Red Raiders finally looked like we expected them to this season. Will Hammond used his legs to add a new dynamic to the offense, the first-string defense was outstanding, and J’Koby Williams was the dynamic offensive playmaker that we saw him to be last season. This may be the turning point that brings Texas Tech back into National Championship consideration.

1. BYU

Could any other team have been number one? BYU pulled out all the stops to defeat Notre Dame. They ran a fake punt, they ran a double pass, and they had no fear of going for it on 4th down. With no LJ Martin, Bear Bachmeier had to carry both the run and pass game for the offense, and he did it well. The Cougars proved to the nation that they’re not just a gimmicky team with a weak schedule – they’re true contenders.

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Source: Yahoo Sports