With so many teams returning experienced talent in the 2026 season, the Big 12 conference race could be one of the toughest to decide. A few high-caliber quarterbacks add to the college football storylines with other talented players starting to emerge.

Utah's Devon Dampier and BYU's Bear Bachmeier are two who haven't disappointed thus far. As the Big 12 race starts to come down to the wire, the November 7th Holy War date could carry College Football Playoff implications as well.

Looking at the latest ESPN SP+ ranking puts a few things into perspective. The Utah Utes have done exceptionally well in the first month of the season and have a bye week at the right time. Utah is also the conference favorite right now, ahead of BYU and Texas Tech.

Here's how the three teams stack up ahead of Week 5.

No. 9 Utah (4-0)

Rating: 21.5

Offense: 37.1 (13)

Defense:15.7 (11)

Special Teams: 0.1 (60)

SOS: No. 7

Change: +10

No. 11 Texas Tech

Rating: 20.2

Offense: 37.5 (11)

Defense: 17.6 (17)

Special Teams: 0.3 (29)

SOS: No. 20

Change: +2

No. 17 BYU

Rating: 16.3

Offense: 34.3 (25)

Defense: 18.2 (21)

Special Teams: 0.3 (27)

SOS: No. 14

Change: Even

What's SP+ and how it was created? The advanced metrics look at how efficiently all 138 teams are stacked against each other.

Outside the ESPN measurements, Utah has one of the most efficient offenses in the country. The Utes are serious Big 12 contenders with conference play now in full swing. There were questions about how good Utah would be in the trenches.

As of now, they're one of the best. On the offensive line, Pro Football Network ranks Utah No. 3 in the country with an 88.8 impact score. Give credit to Kevin McGiven and offensive line coach Jordan Gross. The duo have established five new starters and found success in the first month of the season. Winning the battles in the trenches has allowed the Utes' offense to thrive.

Read More:Utah football moves up in latest ESPN power rankings

Utah is tied for 12th nationally in scoring, averaging 43.2 points per game. They're also 15th in total offense with 491.2 yards per game. This isn't one-sided either. The balanced attack has Morgan Scalley's team averaging 225.8 rushing yards (21st nationally) and 265.5 passing yards (41st) per game. Utah is also eighth nationally and best among Big 12 teams in overall efficiency at 88.1 overall.

After Jason Beck left for Michigan, there were questions about what McGiven would bring to the table, and if there would be a seamless transition. Those concerns are no longer valid. Dampier remains part of a great Utah running game, and he has completed 70 percent of his passes with only one interception and three sacks.

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Source: Yahoo Sports