Utah moves into top 5 as BYU inches up in latest AP Top 25 rankings

SALT LAKE CITY — With only one month left in the regular season, both BYU and Utah have all their season goals still within reach.

But a week from now, only one team will emerge with the ultimate bragging rights to a special season in which both schools are ranked inside the top 10.

The following is a look at where each team landed this week in the Associated Press Top 25 rankings ahead of the rivalry tilt on Saturday.

BYU Cougars

Halloween provided a spook to the Cougars, who found themselves in a closer-than-expected game against Arizona State on Saturday.

The ground game was limited, while other areas of the game — like Legend Glasker — provided an instant spark to help BYU pull away for a late win to move to 7-1 on the season.

Most importantly for the Cougars, it was a bounce-back win after a loss to UCF on the road a week prior.

The win also helped BYU in the latest AP Top 25 rankings, with the Cougars moving up to No. 7 — a one spot jump — ahead of a road game to Salt Lake City.

For the second straight week, BYU remains the second-highest ranked team from the Big 12 in the rankings, though the official College Football Playoff rankings will be released Tuesday.

NUMBER SEVEN https://t.co/XZI3tZ3stG

— BYU FOOTBALL (@BYUfootball) November 1, 2026

Utah Utes

Utah wasted no time putting Cincinnati away Saturday afternoon, giving the Nippert Stadium crowd an early exits to catch their Halloween parties.

The Utes had two defensive scores — including an extension of its 23-year pick-six streak — and a touchdown on every possession of the first half en route to a 42-6 halftime lead.

Utah came away from Cincinnati with an undefeated record (the first 8-0 start since 2010) and positive momentum going into a Saturday showdown on their home turf against rival BYU.

The win also helped Utah move up in the rankings, with the Utes jumping up three spots to No. 3 — the highest ranking for the Utes since 2015. Utah remains the highest-ranked team in the Big 12 ahead of the College Football Playoff rankings on Tuesday.

3️⃣‼️

#GoUtes | #RSNB https://t.co/6H7cKc4M8Z

— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) November 1, 2026

Big 12 teams

Texas Tech may have found an answer to its offensive woes of the season, and his name is Thomas Castellanos. The veteran quarterback whose eligibility has been in flux all season, provided a shot in the arm for the Red Raiders in a win over Arizona.

Castellanos rushed for 117 yards and a score to help Texas Tech get back into the win column and a jump up in the rankings. The Red Raiders moved up to No. 13 this week, making them the third-highest ranked team in the conference.

Off the team’s bye week, Houston moved up to No. 17, with Arizona dropping to No. 24 to round out the five teams ranked from the Big 12 this week. Oklahoma State, who was previously ranked, dropped out of the rankings following a loss to Iowa State.

The Cowboys, however, are still receiving votes in the rankings.

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Josh Furlong is a Utah Utes insider for KSL Sports and is a Heisman Trophy and AP Top 25 voter for football. He hosts The Utah Checkdown podcast and appears on the KSL Sports Zone to break down the Utes. You can follow him on social media platforms X, BlueSky, Instagram and TikTok for the latest Utah updates and news.