Among college football’s Power Four, the Big 12 remains the most upwardly dynamic, with anything capable of changing in a matter of weeks.
BYU now leads CBS Sports’ post-spring Big 12 power rankings, following Texas Tech’s rocky offseason, in a stunning shift that demonstrates how volatile this league has gotten.
Eight of the previous nine Big 12 championship games have resulted in a new champion. Kansas State won it in 2022, Texas in 2023, Arizona State in 2024 in its first year in the league, and Texas Tech in December. That level of volatility is the calling card of the Big 12, and Texas Tech is the most recent school to experience it.
Why Texas Tech failed.
The Red Raiders had every reason to start 2026 as the front-runners. The squad is packed, the defensive line is most likely the finest in the conference, and the offensive line has the potential to be one of the finest in the country.
Then Brendan Sorsby happened.
The Cincinnati transfer joined Lubbock on a rumored $5 million deal as the No. 2 overall portal player, following back-to-back seasons with the Bearcats that resulted in 45 touchdowns and only 12 interceptions. He was the one that made Texas Tech appear like it would retain its national championship contender status.
Instead, Sorsby is currently fighting for his eligibility in a Lubbock courtroom. He filed a lawsuit against the NCAA this week, admitting to placing thousands of bets over several years, including bets on Indiana football while redshirting for the Hoosiers in 2022. The NCAA’s gambling rules include penalties of up to lifetime disqualification.
His legal team, led by prominent lawyer Jeffrey Kessler, claims that the NCAA created an impossible dilemma by delaying its reinstatement decision while the NFL deadline approaches for Sorsby. The NCAA responded that its sports betting rules are unambiguous.
None of this solves Texas Tech’s present problem.
BYU and the rest of the Big 12
Texas Tech backup quarterback Will Hammond is recuperating from a torn ACL and is not expected to be allowed for football practice until late August. McGuire stated that Hammond might be game-ready as early as the Week 2 journey to Oregon State on September 12, or at the very least for the September 19 Big 12 opener against Houston.
If Sorsby’s injunction fails and Hammond is unable to play, Kirk Francis, a Tulsa transfer who has 12 career starts with the Golden Hurricane, will be at center to begin the season.
That ambiguity is precisely why BYU has risen to the top of Shehan Jeyarajah’s Big 12 power rankings update. The Cougars are among the national leaders in returning production, with potential All-Americans at running back (LJ Martin), safety (Faletau Satuala), and linebacker (Isaiah Glasker). The Cougs have consistency. Texas Tech is presently lacking.
Houston, Arizona, Utah, and TCU, the programs occupying the Nos. 3-6 slots in the standings, all have a legitimate chance of winning the championship. TCU’s Jaden Craig and Arizona’s Noah Fifita provide those programs with quarterback stability, something Texas Tech is still attempting to develop as the summer approaches.
