Well, it looks like the math magical computers behind the ESPN Football Power Index aren’t thinking too highly of where Joey McGuire and the Texas Tech Red Raiders stand relative to the rest of the Big 12 just yet.
At the moment, the Red Raiders are kind of sandwiched towards the upper middle class of the conference ahead of their week 1 matchup against the Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions.
And yeah, it’s early, that’s a disclaimer that has to be made. Also, another acknowledgement to be made here, we’ve actually seen the Red Raiders climb slightly in the overall ESPN FPI rankings. But that just wasn’t enough to bump Texas Tech up any in the Big 12.
Here’s how the 16 teams in the Big 12 stack up amongst each other according to ESPN’s Football Power Index rankings:
ESPN FPI Rankings: How does the Big 12 look ahead of Texas Tech’s matchup vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff?
- Kansas State Wildcats (No. 22 overall)
- BYU Cougars (No. 23 overall)
- Arizona State Sun Devils (No. 24 overall)
- Kansas Jayhawks (No. 27 overall)
- Iowa State Cyclones (N0. 29 overall)
- Texas Tech Red Raiders (No. 34 overall)
- TCU Horned Frogs (No. 36 overall)
- Baylor Bears (No. 39 overall)
- Utah Utes (No. 41 overall)
- Cincinnati Bearcats (No. 46 overall)
- UCF Knights (No. 48 overall)
- Colorado Buffaloes (No. 52 overall)
- West Virginia Mountaineers (No. 56 overall)
- Oklahoma State Cowboys (No. 63 overall)
- Arizona Wildcats (No. 67 overall)
- Houston Cougars (No. 70 overall)
I don’t anticipate many of these rankings and rating shuffling up too much too early in the season. However, once some of these teams start facing off against tougher competition, that likely changes a bit. There will be plenty of chances for Texas Tech, and various other members of the Big 12, to get some notable wins and to improve their standings here.