Texas Tech just did it. After decades of waiting and "almost" years, Joey McGuire finally delivered a Big 12 title to Lubbock. Honestly, if you had told a Red Raiders fan in August that they’d be sitting at 12-2 with a trophy in the case, they might have asked what you were drinking. But here we are in early 2026, and the dust from a chaotic season has finally settled.
The Big 12 is weird. It’s always been a bit of a localized fever dream, but the 16-team era has turned the dial up to eleven. We saw established powers crumble and programs that were essentially dormant three years ago suddenly acting like conference royalty.
The Final Big 12 Football Scores and Standings (2025-26 Season)
Looking at the final board, the parity is almost offensive. There’s no other way to put it. You’ve got a massive logjam in the middle, but the top was surprisingly consistent once the calendar hit November.
Texas Tech and BYU finished as the co-owners of the best regular-season records, both going 8-1 in conference play. It’s a bit of a trip to see BYU up there given how they struggled with the transition initially. They finished 12-2 overall. Utah wasn't far behind at 7-2 in the conference and 11-2 overall, basically reclaiming their "death star" status after a forgettable 2024.
The middle of the pack was a bloodbath. Houston, Arizona, and Arizona State all finished 6-3 in league play. For Houston, that 10-3 overall record under Willie Fritz is nothing short of a miracle. Arizona State, despite some late-season stumbles and a painful loss in the Sun Bowl to Duke, showed they are a legit threat now.
Then you get into the 5-4 group: TCU, Iowa State, Cincinnati, and Kansas State. K-State was probably the biggest disappointment here. They were preseason darlings, yet they finished 6-6. Seeing Chris Klieman retire after the season really felt like the end of an era in Manhattan.
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The bottom was, frankly, grim. Oklahoma State went 0-9 in the conference. One win all year. Mike Gundy is gone. Colorado and Deion Sanders finished 1-8 in Big 12 play. The "Prime Effect" hit a massive wall as they went 3-9 overall.
That Championship Game in Arlington
The score looks like a blowout because, well, it was. Texas Tech 34, BYU 7.
It didn't start that way. BYU actually jumped out to a 7-0 lead early in the first quarter with a gritty 10-yard run by LJ Martin. For a second, the pro-BYU crowd at AT&T Stadium was deafening. Then, the Red Raiders' defense decided they were done giving up points.
Behren Morton was surgically efficient. He didn't have to throw for 500 yards because the defense kept handing him short fields. He found Coy Eakin for two touchdowns, and Stone Harrington basically lived on the field, kicking four field goals. The backbreaker was a second-half interception by Ben Roberts that set up an 11-yard TD run by Cameron Dickey.
By the fourth quarter, BYU’s offense looked totally gassed. They finished with only 200 total yards. Tech played "McGuire-ball"—aggressive, fourth-down-loving, high-energy football that BYU just couldn't match on that particular Saturday in December.
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Bowl Season: The Good, The Bad, and The Navy
The Big 12 sent eight teams to bowls this year. It was a mixed bag. Kinda like the conference itself.
- The Playoff Heartbreak: No. 4 Texas Tech got a crack at Oregon in the Orange Bowl. It was a nightmare. The Ducks shut them out 23-0. It doesn't take away from the conference title, but it was a sobering reminder of the gap that still exists at the very top of the food chain.
- The Pop-Tarts Magic: BYU gave us the game of the year. They trailed Georgia Tech for most of the Pop-Tarts Bowl before scoring 15 points in the fourth. QB Bear Bachmeier threw for 325 yards and secured a 25-21 win. And yes, they ate the mascot. It was glorious.
- The "Big 12 is Back" Statement: Utah absolutely demolished Nebraska in the Las Vegas Bowl, 44-22. Devon Dampier looked like the best quarterback in the league that night.
- The Overtime Thriller: TCU beat USC 30-27 in the Alamo Bowl. Seeing Lincoln Riley lose to a Big 12 team in overtime felt like a scripted ending for some fans.
- The Houston Surprise: Houston beat LSU 38-35 in the Texas Bowl. Connor Weigman threw four touchdowns. That win might be the springboard that puts Houston in the preseason Top 15 for 2026.
It wasn't all sunshine. Cincinnati got handled by Navy (35-13) in the Liberty Bowl, and Arizona dropped a close one to SMU in the Holiday Bowl. Arizona State’s shootout loss to Duke (42-39) in the Sun Bowl was a wild watch, but a loss nonetheless.
Why the Hierarchy Flipped
We have to talk about Oklahoma State and Kansas State. These were the "steady" programs. In 2025, the floor fell out.
Oklahoma State’s 1-11 season is going to be studied by historians. They lost 11 straight games. It wasn't just injuries; it was a total systemic collapse. Firing Gundy was the only move left, but it leaves a massive power vacuum in Stillwater.
Kansas State suffered from a brutal start. Losing to Iowa State in Dublin, Ireland, seemed to mess with their psyche. They never recovered that "purple wizard" magic. With Klieman retiring, the Wildcats are entering their most uncertain period in a decade.
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On the flip side, the "new" Big 12 is being defined by recruiting. Texas Tech and BYU are currently leading the 2026 recruiting rankings for the conference. Joey McGuire has turned Lubbock into a destination for four and five-star talent, which was unheard of during the Kliff Kingsbury or Matt Wells years.
What to Watch Moving Forward
If you're looking at the standings and wondering what stays the same in 2026, keep an eye on the transfer portal. The Big 12 is the "Portal Conference."
Utah is the team to beat next year. They return most of that defense and Dampier is a star. Houston is the dark horse. Willie Fritz doesn't have "rebuilding" years; he just has "building" years.
Colorado is the biggest question mark. Deion is still there, but without Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter, the 3-9 record from 2025 looks like it could be a trend rather than a fluke unless they land a massive haul in the portal this spring.
Actionable Insights for Big 12 Fans:
- Keep an eye on the Spring Portal Window: With coaches like Matt Campbell (formerly Iowa State) and Chris Klieman gone, expect a mass exodus of talent from Ames and Manhattan.
- Watch the 2026 QB Battles: With several veterans graduating, programs like Arizona and Kansas are going to have wide-open competitions that will decide the 2026 standings by September.
- Monitor the New Coaching Hires: Oklahoma State and Iowa State are in "reset" mode. Whoever they hire will dictate if those programs bounce back or sink into the bottom tier for the long haul.