ESPN updates FPI rankings for each Big 12 football team after Week 4

Another thrilling slate of college football took place during Week 4. Of course, the Big 12 was right in the middle of the action. Some wrapped up nonconference play, while others played important games against each other. Even early on, the Big 12 Championship race is taking shape. Per ESPN’s FPI, three teams are currently paving the way. They rank nationally inside the top 20, while the other 12 teams are No. 27 or lower. Of course, there is still a lot of football left to be played before Selection Sunday. [ $19.99 gets you a FULL year of On3 | Rivals national coverage ] The ESPN FPI is going to change a lot between now and early December. Let’s check out how things stand after Week 4, going in reverse order. We begin in Boulder before breaking down the entire top 10. 16. Colorado Buffaloes FPI: -0.6 | National rank: No. 7115. Kansas Jayhawks FPI: -0.4 | National rank: No. 7014. West Virginia Mountaineers FPI: 2.5 | National rank: No. 5913. Arizona State Sun Devils FPI: 3.0 | National rank: No. 5712. Iowa State Cyclones FPI: 4.0 | National rank: No. 5511. Arizona Wildcats FPI: 5.6 | National rank: No. 50 10. TCU Horned Frogs FPI: 6.3 | National rank: No. 47 For the second time in four games, TCU struggled away from Fort Worth. While the flight was not as long this time, a trip to Orlando still requires a few airline miles. And Sonny Dykes found his team on another flight home with a loss. TCU’s FPI dropped by a whole point, putting them on the edge of the top-10. From a national perspective, the loss cost them six spots. Not the start to the season the Horned Frogs wanted. 9. UCF Knights FPI: 6.5 | National rank: No. 46 A first Big 12 win of the year for UCF means the FPI gave them some love. Sitting at No. 12 in the Big 12 this time last week, the Knights vaulted up three spots. The jump is even bigger nationally, previously being at No. 52. For now, UCF’s lone loss on the season remains out of conference. All Big 12 aspirations are in front of them. A tough test pops up next on the schedule, heading to the Lone Star State and the Space City. 8. Oklahoma State Cowboys FPI: 6.9 | National rank: No. 43 Eric Morris found himself outside the state of Oklahoma for the first time. And the Cowboys were in a pretty big one, facing West Virginia. A swing game, if you will, as both teams started the year well and wanted to begin Big 12 play with a victory. Oklahoma State came out on the other side with a 17-point victory. Morris might be looking to clean some things up defensively. But to no surprise, the offense remains a strong suit for the Pokes. 7. Cincinnati Bearcats FPI: 7.1 | National rank: No. 42 Turns out, winning a conference game earns you a little bump. Just ask Cincinnati, who is up to No. 7 in the Big 12. The FPI number is the biggest eye-opener, coming in at 7.1. The wait for top-40 national status will have to wait, though. Cincinnati’s last Big 12 win in Nippert Stadium came in late October 2025. A much-needed victory for the program, starting the year on the right track. Getting some analytical love from the World Wide leader never hurts either. 6. Baylor Bears FPI: 7.7 | National rank: No. 39 For the first time since 2022, the Bears won their conference opener. Dave Aranda needed to get over the hurdle and got the job done. Now, the season can really begin for Baylor — an important one for them. Even so, the FPI is not all too impressed with Baylor. In fact, the FPI number and national rank went down. However, the Bears do remain at No. 6 when comparing them to other teams inside the Big 12. 5. Kansas State Wildcats FPI: 9.7 | National rank: No. 34 Only two teams inside the Big 12’s top 10 lost during Week 4. Kansas State is one of them, and by far the highest-ranked per the FPI. Collin Klein’s squad lost one on the road to Cincinnati, its first of the 2026 campaign. Last week, Kansas State saw their FPI at 11.2. Nationally, they were at No. 30 exactly, and fourth in the Big 12. All of those categories have since dropped, needing to do some repair work in order to rise back up. 4. Houston Cougars FPI: 11.5 | National rank: No. 27 Houston is the first of four teams to see some FPI improvement. They do so with one already in the loss column. Apparently, going on the road and beating Georgia Southern checked off a lot of boxes analytically. Getting back to playing Big 12 opponents should only help. Houston is at home on Saturday, facing off against UCF. Head coach Willie Fritz will be looking to get a conference win under his belt in a big way. 3. BYU Cougars FPI: 14.9 | National rank: No. 17 BYU found itself at AT&T Stadium with a chance to meet Brett Yormark on the stage in 2025. Unfortunately, they fell short. Since then, everyone in Provo has been working toward getting back and crossing the finish line. An early bye week means the Cougars are going to be sprinting a marathon there. Nine games in nine weeks — five of which, thankfully, will be at home. And there are some massive contests on the schedule. 2. Texas Tech Red Raiders FPI: 17.0 | National rank: No. 13 The reigning Big 12 champions are not going anywhere. Folks in Lubbock still feel as if they are the team to beat in the conference. Right now, ESPN’s FPI does not exactly agree with them. Still, the numbers are good for Texas Tech. Looking at the schedule, it’s not all too daunting. The Red Raiders will be hoping to cruise through most games and prove they are a dominant team. Circle the date Nov. 14 and maybe plan a trip to Stillwater. 1. Utah Utes FPI: 18.2 | National rank: No. 12 Utah continues to be the FPI’s favorite Big 12 team. The Utes occupy the No. 1 spot for the second week in a row. Up three spots nationally from No. 15, they would be on the brink of the College Football Playoff. Not much change should come over the next seven days. Utah will enjoy the Saturday slate with the rest of us, taking a bye week. Next time they are on the field, Salt Lake City should be buzzing for a game vs. Kansas.