Man, what a ride. If you’ve been glued to your screen looking for big 12 football scores today, you’ve probably noticed the dust is finally starting to settle on a wild 2025-26 campaign. Today is Wednesday, January 14, 2026, and while the "Big 12 football scores today" might show a quiet scoreboard as we wait for the National Championship on Monday, the wreckage of the bowl season is everywhere.
Texas Tech fans are still probably nursing hangovers after that historical run. Honestly, who saw the Red Raiders taking the whole conference? They walked into the 12-team playoff as the No. 4 seed after crushing BYU 34-7 in Arlington. But the story didn't end there.
The Post-Season Reality Check
We just wrapped up one of the most chaotic bowl stretches for the Big 12 in recent memory.
Look at the New Year's Day carnage. Texas Tech, our conference champion, went up against Oregon in the CFP Quarterfinal at the Orange Bowl. It wasn't pretty. A 23-0 shutout. You hate to see it. Oregon’s defense looked like they were playing with twelve men on the field. Dante Moore and the Ducks basically took the Red Raiders' "Raider Power" and put it in a blender.
But then you look at Houston.
Coach Willie Fritz has that program actually scary now. They went into the Texas Bowl against LSU—an SEC powerhouse that usually treats Houston like a little brother—and walked away with a 38-35 win. Conner Weigman threw for four touchdowns. Four. That’s a record-tying performance for that game.
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Breaking Down the Final Board
If you’re hunting for the specific results that defined the last few weeks, here’s the raw data of how the Big 12 fared:
- The Pop-Tarts Bowl: BYU beat Georgia Tech 25-21. Bear Bachmeier looked like a seasoned pro, not a freshman.
- The Alamo Bowl: TCU took down USC 30-27 in a game that went to overtime. Talk about a heart-stopper.
- The Las Vegas Bowl: Utah absolutely dismantled Nebraska, 44-22. It wasn't even as close as the score suggests.
- The Sun Bowl: Arizona State fought hard but ultimately fell to Duke, 42-39.
- The Liberty Bowl: Cincinnati had a rough afternoon in Memphis, losing 35-13 to Navy.
- The Holiday Bowl: Arizona lost a close one to SMU, 24-19.
It’s a mixed bag. You’ve got teams like Utah and Houston proving the Big 12 has real teeth, then you’ve got these weird stumbles against the service academies or ACC mid-tier teams.
Why the Big 12 Scores Matter Right Now
People keep saying the Big 12 is the "Wild West," and this season proved it.
Six different champions in six years. That’s insane parity. You won't find that in the SEC or the Big Ten.
But parity can be a double-edged sword. While it’s fun for the fans during the regular season, does it hurt the conference when it’s time to play for a National Title? The Red Raiders getting blanked by Oregon suggests there’s still a gap at the very top.
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Kinda makes you wonder if the conference is "too" competitive for its own good. Everyone beats everyone else up during October and November, and by the time January 1st rolls around, the champion is held together by tape and prayers.
The Coaching Carousel Chaos
We also have to talk about the teams that didn't play.
Kansas State, Iowa State, and Kansas all stayed home. Not because they weren't good enough—they were bowl-eligible—but because of "roster management" and coaching shifts. Chris Klieman retiring at K-State was a massive shock to the system. That program was the model of stability. Now? It’s a giant question mark heading into the spring.
When you look at big 12 football scores today, you aren't just looking at points. You're looking at the start of a new era.
What To Watch For Next
The 2026 season is already looming.
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Keep an eye on the transfer portal. With the "Big 3" of the Sunflower State (K-State, KU, Iowa State) in transition, expect a massive talent drain or a massive influx of new blood. Also, BYU and Utah have officially proven they aren't just "new guys" anymore. They are the anchors.
The College Football Playoff National Championship is set for Monday, January 19, at Hard Rock Stadium. Even though there’s no Big 12 team left in the hunt, the results of that game will dictate the recruiting narratives for the next six months.
Actionable Insights for Big 12 Fans
- Monitor the Portal: With coaching changes at Kansas State and the general churn at Baylor, the next 14 days are "free agency" on steroids.
- Spring Ball Priority: Watch Texas Tech's quarterback room. Behren Morton did great, but the Orange Bowl showed they need more depth if they want to repeat.
- Houston is Real: If you’re a betting person, get on the Houston bandwagon early for 2026. Fritz has the culture locked in.
The scoreboard might be dark today, but the Big 12 never actually sleeps. It just reloads.
Next Steps for You: Check the final 2025-26 Big 12 standings to see where your team finished in the pecking order before the spring signing period begins.