Big 12 Football Power Rankings: Arizona State, Texas Tech, Colorado Buffaloes Shifts

Check out where Colorado stands in my preseason Big 12 football power rankings:

16. UCF Knights

With an uncertain quarterback situation and a first-year coach in Scott Frost, who returns to UCF following a difficult tenure at Nebraska, the Knights are poised for a difficult 2025 season.

15. West Virginia Mountaineers

Similar to Frost at UCF, West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez is back in Morgantown for his second stint leading the Mountaineers. Rodriguez is also overseeing a crowded quarterback room and has yet to name a starter.

14. Oklahoma State Cowboys

Oklahoma State won't go winless in conference play again, but the Cowboys haven't added enough talent this offseason to take a significant leap forward this fall.

13. Arizona Wildcats

Arizona's success will largely depend on coach Brent Brennan and quarterback Noah Fifita getting on the same page after a disastrous 2024 campaign. Losing star wide receivers Tetairoa McMillan and Montana Lemonious-Craig to the NFL hurts the Wildcats' hopes for a bounce-back year offensively, however.

12. Cincinnati Bearcats

There's a lot to like about quarterback Brendan Sorsby, who threw two touchdowns against the Buffs last fall, but the Bearcats may not have enough around him to win many games in 2025.

11. Houston Cougars

Houston, which hosts Colorado in Week 3, remains strong defensively and should improve offensively with Texas A&M transfer Conner Weigman likely to start at quarterback.

10. BYU Cougars

BYU was considered one of the Big 12's best teams entering 2025, but coach Kalani Sitake now has a difficult challenge in replacing quarterback Jake Retzlaff, who transferred to Tulane.

9. Kansas Jayhawks

After a slow start to last season, the Jayhawks caused chaos in the Big 12 with multiple wins over top teams. Simply put, Kansas must find consistency in 2025.

8. Utah Utes

Utah is poised for a bounce-back season with New Mexico transfer quarterback Devon Dampier leading the charge.

7. Colorado Buffaloes

If strong offensive and defensive play is the key to winning in the Big 12, Colorado should be just fine despite losing Shedeur Sanders and Hunter to the NFL. Plus, Liberty transfer Kaidon Salter has enjoyed a strong fall camp in his battle for CU's starting quarterback job.

6. TCU Horned Frogs

TCU quietly won nine games last season and with a returning quarterback in Josh Hoover, the Horned Frogs should remain strong.

5. Baylor Bears

Much like TCU, Baylor had a quiet eight-win campaign last year but should make some noise this fall if quarterback Sawyer Robertson takes another step forward.

4. Iowa State Cyclones

Although the Cyclones lost a decent amount of talent from last season's team, expect coach Matt Campbell to lead Iowa State to another 10-win campaign.

3. Texas Tech Red Raiders

With one of the best incoming transfer classes in the Big 12 and a returning quarterback in Behren Morton, expect Texas Tech to compete for a conference title this fall.

2. Kansas State Wildcats

After underperforming last season, Kansas State appears ready to compete for a Big 12 title with quarterback Avery Johnson and running back Dylan Edwards back in Manhattan.

1. Arizona State Sun Devils

Losing star running back Cam Skattebo to the NFL certainly hurts, but Sam Leavitt and Jordyn Tyson comprise one of the best quarterback/wide receiver duos in college football.