Joey McGuire and the Texas Tech Red Raiders should be really proud of what all they accomplished throughout the past football season. Yes, I know plenty of folks are going to point to the College Football Playoff mess of a loss against the Oregon Ducks, but I don’t think that should overshadow everything that the Red Raiders managed to pull off this season.
The Red Raiders, by far, were the most impressive team out of the Big 12 all throughout the season. They pummeled folks left and right and clearly looked like they were ready to compete among the best teams in the country.
And then the CFP happened and Texas Tech really looked a lot like the Oregon Ducks did against the Ohio State Buckeyes from a season prior.
Anyway, focusing again on the Big 12 for a moment, it’s clear that the Red Raiders were the best team in the conference and ESPN’s Football Power Index seems to confirm that with the final ESPN FPI rankings of the 2025-2026 college football season.
Texas Tech claims the top spot in the Big 12 in the final ESPN FPI rankings of the 2025-2026 college football season
Here’s what the Big 12 looks like in the final ESPN FPI rankings of the 2025-2026 college football season (with the Red Raiders at the top, of course):
- Texas Tech Red Raiders - No. 6 overall
- Utah Utes - No. 8 overall
- BYU Cougars - No. 17 overall
- Arizona Wildcats - No. 29 overall
- TCU Horned Frogs - No. 32 overall
- Iowa State Cyclones - No. 35 overall
- Kansas State Wildcats - No. 38 overall
- Arizona State Sun Devils - No. 44 overall
- Houston Cougars - No. 50 overall
- Kansas Jayhawks - No. 51 overall
- Cincinnati Bearcats - No. 53 overall
- Baylor Bears - No. 59 overall
- UCF Knights - No. 70 overall
- Colorado Buffaloes - No. 77 overall
- West Virginia Mountaineers No. 84 overall
- Oklahoma State Cowboys - No. 113 overall
I really do think it’s going to be fun to see what the Big 12 looks like next season.
With the Kansas State Wildcats, Iowa State Cyclones, Utah Utes, and the Oklahoma State Cowboys all getting new head coaches, it’s clear that the power structure in the conference is going to change a bit as we move forward (it’s just a question of how much things change and how quickly things change and who moves in what direction).
Here’s to hoping that Joey McGuire and his Red Raiders can continue to stay at the top of the Big 12 though. I, for one, would appreciate it if that didn’t change any.