Big 12 football 2026 preview: BYU, Texas Tech, Houston and Arizona top our post-transfer portal projections

The conference of chaos was unusually predictable last fall as Texas Tech, the preseason favorite, steamed to the Big 12 championship with a slew of dominating performances.

Will the conference race play out to script in 2026?

We don’t see the Red Raiders losing much ground, if any — they have the foundation for another run to the College Football Playoff.

But the collection of contenders looks stronger now than at this time last year. Perhaps the third season of the Big 12’s current era will prompt a return to mayhem.