Where Big 12 Favorites Stand Entering SummerEvery team will claim its goal for the season is to win the conference, but by about halfway through the season, only half of those teams will still hold that goal. Texas TechThe Red Raiders are the defending Big 12 Champions, and anything short of a repeat will be lackluster. With controversy off the field, Head Coach Joey McGuire plans to get the boys ready for the season. Can the Red Raiders go back-to-back Big 12 Champions? | Nathan Giese/Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn ImagesLast Season’s Record: 12-2 (8-1)BYUThe Cougars caught a major break this offseason when Head Coach Kalani Sitake stayed with the team rather than leaving for the same position at Penn State. BYU made its first Big 12 Championship appearance last season. One major question remaining for the Cougars is Quarterback Bear Bachmeier. Can he take the next step? Dec 27, 2025; Orlando, FL, USA; BYU Cougars head coach Kalani Sitake celebrates after beating Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the Pop-Tarts Bowl at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn ImagesLast Season’s Record: 12-2 (8-11) HoustonOne of last season’s surprises, Houston is bringing back most of its roster and is looking to sustain the momentum that led to a fast start. Last Season’s Record: 10-3 (6-3)Programs Facing Major Changes Before KickoffUtah Utah underwent a ton of changes this offseason, losing key offensive linemen. Spencer Fano was drafted ninth overall to Cleveland, and Caleb Lomu was drafted 28th overall to New England. The Utes also lost their head coach, Kyle Whittingham, who left for Michigan. Replacing him is defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley, whom the Utes promoted. One of the premier finds for the conference, Utah has yet to make the Big 12 championship game. Last Season’s Record: 11-2 (7-2) Oklahoma StateMaking a big change, the Cowboys replaced Mike Gundy with Eric Morris, a former North Texas head coach. Winless last season in the Big 12, the Cowboys will aim to get back on track. Oklahoma State's Drew Mestemaker celebrates after an OSU touchdown during a spring football game for the Oklahoma State University Cowboys at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., Saturday, April 18, 2026. | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn ImagesLast Season’s Record: 1-11 (0-9) Kansas StateCollin Klein, a former Heisman finalist and former Texas A&M offensive coordinator, is replacing Chris Klieman. The Wildcats looked like one of the favorites to win the Big 12 last season, but their plans were foiled when they dropped 3 of the first 4 games. Fortunately for Kansas State, they begin their 2027 campaign with three straight home games. Last Season’s Record: 6-6 (5-4) Iowa StateThe Final Big 12 team with a new head coach is Iowa State, which hired former South Dakota State and Washington State head coach Jimmy Rogers. Rogers is replacing long-tenured Matt Campbell, who took the Penn State job. 2026 was a unique year for the Cyclones, winning the first five games, then losing the next four, and then finishing the season off with a three-game winning streak. With a heavy number of new faces, Iowa State looks to get back to the top of the conference. Last Season’s Record: 8-4 (5-4) Big 12 Teams Ready for a Breakout SeasonArizona StateKenny Dillingham and company look to repeat their conference championship season in 2024. Losing wide receiver Jordan Tyson to the NFL draft is going to be tough, but keeping quarterback Sam Leavitt in town is a huge step towards success. Fans will find out if Arizona State is for real by week two, as a matchup with Texas A&M looms large. Young Arizona State fans wear player gear for photo-ops during the Arizona State Fan Fest at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe on April 17, 2026. | Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn ImagesLast Season’s Record: 8-4 (5-4) ArizonaDominating last season in the conference, Arizona looks to do the same this season. Where can they improve? Against the top team in the Big 12 last year, the Wildcasts went 1-3 with losses coming from Iowa State, BYU, and Houston. Dropping their bowl game against SMU wasn’t the way they wanted to end the season, but they have their eyes set on the week 2 revenge game versus BYU. Last Season’s Record: 9-4 (6-3) Which Teams Are Flying Under the RadarCincinnati It hurts losing your starting Quarterback to the portal. Now, the Bearcats will look to fill that need. Cincinnati looked like a team with a strong identity, winning seven straight games after losing in Week 1. But then the train fell off the tracks, as they lost five straight to end the season. Looking more closely at those losses, they were against great teams; No. Utah, Arizona, No. 11 BYU, and TCU. Cincinnati will need to find a new identity if it wants to return to winning ways in 2026.BaylorBaylor’s 2025 season never took off as they had hoped, and they didn’t carry much momentum into 2026 after losing the last five games out of six. Head Coach Dave Aranda returns for his seventh season to many fans' surprise, but he will have a chance to start the season strongly with a prime-time game against Auburn. Last Season’s Record: 5-7 (3-6) Can Last Years Strugglers Bounce BackKansas, UCF, West Virginia, and Colorado got lost last season as the other Big 12 teams took off. All these teams failed to string together wins and reach the six-win mark. These teams have an early test in 2026; a win can bring a breath of fresh air to the program, while a loss can be more of the same. Nov 29, 2025; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; A West Virginia Mountaineers dancer performs during the fourth quarter against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images | Ben Queen-Imagn ImagesLast Season’s Records: Kansas: 3-6 (5-7) UCF: 5-7 (2-7) West Virginia 4-8 (2-7)Colorado 3-9 (1-8)What About TCU? TCU Football Practice | X: @TCUFootball Saving the best for last. The Frogs have big goals, as they should. Finishing in the Top 25 last season left a nice taste in TCU Fans’ mouths as changes have occurred. Sonny Dykes returns for his fifth season as head coach, with a new portal quarterback, and the stage is set for the Frogs. Can they deliver a performance to remember? With Dublin and a national stage waiting, the pressure - and the opportunity - are both growing. Follow Along All Summer LongTCU Football is heading into the summer. 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