Chaos and pandemonium overtook the Big 12 in Week 8 of the 2026 college football season.
Cincinnati began the festivities with a shocking 37-24 upset of No. 8 Texas Tech, a team many considered a College Football Playoff contender before the season. Later in the afternoon, UCF knocked off No. 2 BYU 39-31 in two overtimes, pulling the feat less than a week after the Cougars took down Notre Dame at home.
Perhaps the most normal-looking result involving ranked teams was No. 10 Utah's 21-13 triumph over No. 14 Houston. The Utes scored a touchdown in the final two minutes to extend their lead to eight, and the Cougars couldn't reach the end zone in the subsequent two-minute drill.
The coaching carousel began spinning on Sunday when Baylor announced its firing of Dave Aranda after a 25-24 loss at Kansas. Other coaches are starting to feel the heat too; Sonny Dykes and TCU fell 24-20 in a maddening home loss to West Virginia in the afternoon, and Deion Sanders' Colorado team couldn't stop anything in a 57-24 loss at Oklahoma State that night.
The Big 12 is back in the Friday night window to kick off Week 9. The Joe Klanderman-led Baylor Bears head east to take on a UCF team looking to avoid a letdown performance after an upset last week.
The obvious headliner on Saturday is No. 22 Arizona at No. 13 Texas Tech in the early window. The Red Raiders are tasked with slowing down an Arizona offense that's only failed to reach 20 points once all season.
A sneakily intriguing matchup occurs in the afternoon window at Cincinnati. No. 6 Utah is one of few remaining Power Four unbeatens and is riding high off a ranked win from last week, and it clashes with a Cincinnati team that just ran all over a top-10 team last week.
Below, we power rank all 16 Big 12 teams ahead of Week 9 of the 2026 college football season.
Oklahoma State Cowboys linebacker Ethan Wesloski (32) sacks Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Isaac Wilson (16) during a college football game between the Oklahoma State Cowboys (OSU) and the Colorado Buffaloes at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026. Oklahoma State won 57-24. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
The Buffaloes are the only Big 12 team without a conference win, therefore they are last in this week's power rankings. The defense only forced two punts all game while allowing just under 600 yards in the loss to Oklahoma State, and the offense lost its ability to move and protect the ball after a strong first half.
Colorado returns to Folsom Field to take on Kansas State this weekend (2 p.m. EDT, TNT). The Wildcats are still searching for their first road win of Big 12 play.
The Bears' precipitous decline in our rankings is tied both to their defeat against Kansas and the firing of their head coach. A touchdown on a trick play chiseled into the 21-10 lead Baylor built after three quarters, and the run defense was no match for Isaiah Marshall and Dylan Edwards.
A Friday night road matchup with a rejuvenated UCF team awaits Baylor this week (7:30 p.m. EDT, ESPN). The Bears need to win their next two games if they desire to play in a bowl given their final three opponents are all ranked.
Oct 24, 2026; Lawrence, Kansas, USA; Kansas Jayhawks quarterback Isaiah Marshall (8) dives for a touchdown against Baylor Bears safety Devin Turner (11) and safety Bo Onu (21) during the second half at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Jayhawks outscored Baylor 15-3 in the fourth quarter thanks to efforts from Isaiah Marshall, who hit Nik McMillan for a 34-yard touchdown pass and teamed up with Dylan Edwards in the ground attack. Defensive tackle Blake Herold blocked a game-winning field goal attempt , sealing Kansas' first win over the Bears since 2007.
Kansas heads south to TCU to wrap up October (3:30 p.m. EDT, FS1). Like Baylor last week, the Horned Frogs are heading into this matchup after a frustrating home loss the week before.
The Wildcats fell 28-17 on the road to an Arizona State team that was uncompetitive in its last two conference games. The run defense became progressively worse as the game went on, and the offense was one-dimensional with Jacob Knuth filling in for Avery Johnson at quarterback.
Kansas State remains on the road at Colorado in Week 9 (2 p.m. EDT, TNT). The Buffaloes are the only Big 12 team without a conference win through eight weeks.
Oct 24, 2026; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils running back Cardae Mack (25) against the Kansas State Wildcats in the second half at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Sun Devils prevailed in a battle of backup quarterbacks against Kansas State. Cardae Mack was the offensive hero with 159 yards and four touchdowns on the ground while the defense stifled a potent backfield duo of Rodney Fields Jr. and Joe Jackson for much of the game.
Arizona State plays its third ranked road matchup of the season at No. 8 BYU in Week 9 (3:30 p.m. EDT, Fox). The Cougars should come out motivated after suffering a crushing upset loss last week.
The Horned Frogs only punted once in their loss to West Virginia. Every offensive possession for TCU ended on the other side of the 50-yard line; Jaden Craig threw an interception and lost two fumbles, the last of which he lost at the 23-yard line with 34 seconds left in the game.
TCU hosts Kansas this weekend (3:30 p.m. EDT, FS1). The Jayhawks and Horned Frogs' only Big 12 (and Power Four) win through the first eight weeks is against Baylor.
Oct 24, 2026; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats linebacker Cooper Blomstrom (48) attempts to tackle Iowa State Cyclones quarterback Connor Moberly (5) during the fourth quarter at Casino Del Sol Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The 39-3 loss at Arizona is Iowa State's largest margin of defeat this season. The defense once again allowed an opposing quarterback to throw for 300 yards with ease, and the offensive performance was poor enough for Jimmy Rogers to bench Jaylen Raynor for Connor Moberly in the second half.
The road ahead isn't any easier with No. 24 Oklahoma State on the horizon (7 p.m. EDT, FS1). The Cowboys are the fifth ranked opponent Iowa State matches up with in its first eight games.
The Bearcats pulled off the most stunning result in college football last week with their upset of Texas Tech. Cole Tabb hit on a pair of explosive run plays in Cincinnati's 255-yard effort on the ground while the defense kept the Red Raider offense out of the end zone until its final possession of the game.
Cincinnati must quickly ready itself for another ranked test against No. 6 Utah (3:45 p.m. EDT, ESPN). The Utes won a competitive home matchup with a ranked Houston team in Week 8.
Oct 10, 2026; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers running back Cam Cook (4) runs the ball during the third quarter against the Arizona Wildcats at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The path to victory for West Virginia at TCU was an unusual one for its standards. The duo of Michael Hawkins Jr. and Cam Cook finished with one of its lower rushing outputs of the season. However, the defense routinely bowed up and stopped the Horned Frogs once they crossed the 50-yard line, forcing three turnovers, a missed field goal, a punt and a turnover on downs.
West Virginia takes a 5-3 record into its bye week. A demanding road trip to Texas Tech is the opener for the Mountaineers' November schedule.
The Knights earned their biggest win of Scott Frost's second stint in their survival against BYU. Keyone Jenkins played his best game yet as UCF's starting quarterback, throwing for 293 yards and three touchdowns against the Cougars. The defense limited chunk plays in the fourth quarter and held BYU to 116 rush yards.
UCF meets Baylor for a Friday night matchup this week (7:30 p.m. EDT, ESPN). The Bears are looking for any sliver of optimism after losing a pair of games and their head coach within the last two weeks.
Oct 24, 2026; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats wide receiver Isaiah Mizell (17) scores a touchdown during the first quarter against the Iowa State Cyclones at Casino Del Sol Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Wildcats have won three straight in the Big 12 following a rout of Iowa State. Noah Fifita and Isaiah Mizell picked up where they left off with a 71-yard touchdown pass on the second play of the game, and the 221 yards Arizona's defense surrendered was its lowest in conference play.
Arizona faces an incredibly demanding test at Texas Tech at the end of October (Noon EDT, ESPN). The Red Raiders are fresh off a devastating upset loss at Cincinnati, something that could motivate them this week.
The Cowboys kept humming offensively in their rout of Colorado, scoring on 11 of 13 possessions and amassing 598 yards. The defense struggled for much of the first half, but it immediately forced a turnover to kickstart Oklahoma State's 34-point second half .
Oklahoma State heads up to Iowa State to end their October schedule (7 p.m. EDT, FS1). The Cyclones have struggled against upper echelon competition in the Big 12.
Oct 24, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders quarterback Will Hammond (15) greets wide receiver Kenny Johnson (2) on the sideline during the game against the Cincinnati Bearcats in the second half at Nippert Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
A disastrous second quarter stuck Texas Tech in a 24-6 halftime deficit at Cincinnati. The Red Raiders intercepted JC French IV on consecutive possessions in the third quarter, but a missed field goal from 38 yards out put a stop to a potential surge late in the game.
Texas Tech has to quickly turn around and face No. 22 Arizona at home this week (Noon EDT, ESPN). The Wildcats have been a chore to slow down in Big 12 play, and Noah Fifita is one of the hottest quarterbacks in the conference.
The Cougars fell in yet another road heartbreaker to a ranked foe, this time at Utah. The defense made stops for the better part of three quarters but failed to contain Devon Dampier down the stretch, and the offense rushed for a season-worst 86 yards on the ground while Conner Weigman completed a season-low 54.3% of his passes.
Houston is one of two Big 12 teams on a bye in Week 9. The Cougars host Cincinnati to kick off their final stretch of the season.
Oct 24, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; Brigham Young Cougars quarterback Bear Bachmeier (47) attempts a pass on third down neat the goal line against the Central Florida Knights during the second overtime at Acrisure Bounce House. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Cougars were fortunate to reach double overtime in their upset loss at UCF; the Knights had two different chances to take leads in the fourth quarter, but the defense held strong with a goal-line stand and a blocked field goal. BYU struggled to move the ball on its last two possessions of regulation and couldn't cash in from the 4-yard line in the second overtime.
BYU looks to get right against Arizona State this week (3:30 p.m. EDT, Fox). The Sun Devils picked up their second Big 12 win last week, but they might have to start a third-string quarterback in LaVell Edwards Stadium.
The Utes are the Big 12's sole unbeaten following their survival of Houston. Devon Dampier called his own number for 150 yards and two touchdowns , the second of which was set up by a strip sack with just over two minutes to play.Dampier is the first quarterback to throw and run for 150 yards in a ranked Big 12 matchup since Vince Young in 2005.
Utah heads east to Cincinnati for an afternoon bout (3:45 p.m. EDT, ESPN). The Bearcats have yet to fall at Nippert Stadium this year and are coming off a monumental upset of Texas Tech.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/fannation/college/cfb-hq as 2026 Big 12 Power Rankings Ahead of Week 9: Utah Rises to No. 1 After Upset-Filled Week 8 .
