Big 12 Football Power Rankings 2026: Texas Tech, BYU & Houston Lead the Pack | College Baseball & Softball Upsets

In this episode of First and 16, Adam Gibby breaks down his complete 2026 Big 12 Football Power Rankings, ranking all 16 teams from top to bottom based on a neutral-field, round-robin format where every team plays every other team. Before diving into football, Adam discusses one of the biggest surprises of the spring sports season: why college baseball and softball have become home to the Cinderella stories that once defined March Madness. From Texas Tech's Women's College World Series run to Kansas, West Virginia, Milwaukee, Cal Poly, and St. Mary's making noise in NCAA Baseball Regionals, there has been no shortage of drama. Then it's time for the rankings. Can Texas Tech live up to the preseason hype? Is BYU the biggest threat to win the conference? Can Houston's elite defense carry the Cougars into title contention? And which teams are being overlooked heading into the season? Topics Covered Texas Tech softball's run to the Women's College World Series NCAA Baseball Regional upsets and Cinderella stories Why college basketball has lost some of its underdog magic Full Big 12 preseason football rankings (1–16) Texas Tech's championship expectations BYU vs. Texas Tech debate Houston's rise as a conference contender Arizona and Utah's championship potential Oklahoma State as the conference wild card Questions surrounding Colorado, Cincinnati, Iowa State, and UCF Which teams could surprise during the 2026 season