The College Football Playoff's first rankings were a boost for the Big 12: BYU landed at No. 7 and Texas Tech at No. 8, with Utah close behind at No. 13. That makes Saturday's BYU–Texas Tech meeting a potentially decisive game for both teams' playoff hopes — a loss won't automatically eliminate either side, but it would be a serious setback and shrink the margin for error down the stretch.
Other ranked games this weekend include No. 3 Texas A&M at No. 22 Missouri and No. 9 Oregon at No. 20 Iowa. Keep an eye on Iowa: the Hawkeyes looked much improved on offense after a convincing win over Minnesota, while Oregon had extra time to prepare after a less-than-dominant 21–7 victory over Wisconsin on Oct. 25.
How Texas A&M got better in 2025
The Aggies' improvement this season hasn't come from a wholesale schematic overhaul so much as better personnel and natural maturation. Offensive line coach Adam Cushing has rebuilt a unit that struggled late in the Jimbo Fisher era; the line is now playing at a level that has A&M in Joe Moore Award conversation. That protection has helped first-year full-time starter Marcel Reed settle in and process reads more comfortably.
A key diff
