Undefeated is impressive, but not all undefeated records are created equal.
Nobody is questioning the credentials of TCU and Iowa State. The Frogs hold a win at NC State, and the Cyclones have beaten Iowa and Indiana. Their undefeated marks have truly been earned.
Arizona State and Texas Tech are less certain. The Sun Devils do have some road wins, but they haven’t faced a likely tournament team. Texas Tech’s schedule wasn’t impressive either until the Lady Raiders went to Baylor and won.
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Ranking the teams isn’t as simple as looking at the records. A team that’s tested itself gets — and deserves — more respect than one who hasn’t played anybody of note. Here’s a look around the Big 12 at who’s done what following the holiday.
1. TCU (14-0)
Which do you value? TCU got one of the biggest non-conference wins in the Big 12 on the road. Iowa State has more names on its resume, but all of them were at Hilton Coliseum. For now, the Frogs get the nod.
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A 22-point win over Kansas State to open league play is further proof that TCU is for real. They end 2025 facing BYU in Provo.
2. Iowa State (13-0)
At some point, Iowa State’s going to have to prove it can win away from Hilton Coliseum. The only game the Cyclones have played on the road was a 27-point rout of Drake, but the Bulldogs aren’t a Big 12 level squad.
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Still, it’s impossible to ignore the fact that the Cyclones have beaten Indiana and Iowa. They’ve also got a league win over Kansas. This team is for real, even if it’s only relied on Hilton magic so far. Iowa State ends 2025 by visiting Houston.
3. Texas Tech (14-0)
Before this past week, there wasn’t a lot on the Lady Raiders’ resume. And then Texas Tech went to Baylor and picked off the Bears by a point. Now the Raiders have to be taken seriously.
There are a pair of SEC wins and road game routs of New Mexico and Washington State. If Texas Tech continues what it showed in the non-conference, hosting a subregional is possible. Texas Tech will host Central Florida to end 2025.
4. Oklahoma State (12-2)
This is splitting hairs between the Cowgirls and Baylor right now. But Oklahoma State has left Stillwater more than Baylor’s left Waco, so the Cowgirls get the slight nod. Oklahoma State does need to stack some wins to add to its resume by tournament time. The best win so far is over Miami in the Caymans, which is not enough.
The Cowgirls hammered Cincinnati to open league play, and they’ll resolve the debate on the floor when they host Baylor to end 2025.
5. Baylor (11-1)
There is a world outside Foster Pavilion, and Baylor’s about to find it. The Bears have played just one road game all year, at UNLV, which isn’t great preparation for life in the Big 12. Baylor has beaten Duke, but as West Virginia is finding out, the Blue Devils aren’t providing enough on the resume right now.
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Baylor travels to Oklahoma State to finish out the calendar year.
6. West Virginia (10-3)
If the Mountaineers had beaten Ohio State, they’re probably higher on the list. The only bad moment on the West Virginia resume was the loss to Villanova. Otherwise, West Virginia has done its job.
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But like Baylor, the Mountaineers need Duke to get going. That’s the best win for both teams, and without that, the resume takes a hit. Beating Georgia Tech and Texas A&M were good steps forward as the Mountaineers move into the meat of the Big 12. West Virginia visits Kansas on New Year’s Day.
7. Arizona State (14-0)
No losses for the Sun Devils, but nothing of note in the win column either. The Sun Devils deserve credit for going to places like Oregon State, San Diego and Gonzaga, but those aren’t going to be considered quality wins. Arizona State hasn’t played anyone of quality in the non-conference, either home or away.
Arizona State has a win over Colorado and will visit Utah to end 2025.
8. BYU (12-1)
BYU sits on the cut line for the NCAA tournament, despite its gaudy record. The Cougars have one Power 5 win and a win over Washington State, but they’ve mostly played weaker opponents as well.
The Cougars gambled that they’ll get enough wins in the Big 12 to offset a subpar non-conference slate. It’s possible, but there’s not much margin for error. BYU routed UCF to open league play and will host TCU to end the year.
9. Kansas (10-3)
The Jayhawks have wins over Missouri and Minnesota, which is more impressive than Utah’s resume. Both teams have beaten Northwestern, and Kansas played other tough opponents, such as Georgia.
Most important, the Jayhawks gave Iowa State a tight battle to open Big 12 play. They’ll face West Virginia on New Year’s Day.
10. Utah (10-3)
The Utes do deserve credit for playing Connecticut — a 52-point defeat — but they’ve also lost to Washington and Syracuse. There’s not enough on the profile to offset it, which is why they’re currently on the outside of the NCAA tournament.
There’s enough time for Utah to more than make up for it. But so far, they’re not there yet. The Utes did open Big 12 play by beating Arizona, and they’ll face Arizona State at home on New Year’s Eve.
11. Colorado (9-4)
There’s a drop-off after Utah, but Colorado has at least given a credible showing against some good teams. The Buffaloes took a six-point loss to Louisville, which was impressive. There’s also a one-point home loss to Montana State, and the Bobcats are just a middling Big Sky team.
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The Buffaloes don’t look likely to make a run at an NCAA bid. They’ll host Arizona on New Year’s Eve.
12. Kansas State (7-7)
Somehow, Ole Miss has just two losses on the schedule, and one of them is Kansas State. The Wildcats picked up that win on a neutral floor in St. Joseph, Mo., and they own road wins at Creighton and SMU. They’ve also lost to both South Dakota and South Dakota State, as well as Green Bay.
While those are good mid-majors, they’re still a step below the Big 12. The Wildcats have a high ceiling, but a low floor. They’ll host Cincinnati on New Year’s Eve.
13. Arizona (9-3)
Despite never going on the road, Arizona carries three losses. One came to Southern out of the SWAC, and the other two came to regional rivals Utah and New Mexico.
The Wildcats will find things get much tougher as the Big 12 schedule unfolds. If they can’t handle the likes of Southern in Tucson, it’s going to be tough sledding beating the Big 12 on the road. They’ll visit Colorado on New Year’s Eve.
14. UCF (8-4)
Like Arizona, UCF didn’t play a road game in the non-conference. The Knights took a really bad loss in falling to Stetson, a local rival. When you lose to a small school, it’s bad. When that school is less than an hour away, it’s disastrous.
UCF opened by losing at home to BYU. The Knights visit Texas Tech on New Year’s Eve.
15. Houston (6-6)
The listless loss to the Mountaineers was as much to do with Houston as with West Virginia. This team has really struggled, as evidenced by losses to Rice, Southern and Arkansas State.
The Cougars struggled badly last year, and things look no better this year. The best win all year might be at Texas-Rio Grande Valley. Houston will host Iowa State to end 2025.
16. Cincinnati (5-8)
This will get worse before it gets better. The Bearcats have losses to Lehigh and Howard and have just four wins against Division I opponents. They were not even close against Oklahoma State, and they own a 20-point loss to Ball State. Their best win is probably at home over New Mexico.
They will end 2025 by visiting Kansas State.
