Big 12 Football: BYU, Texas Tech, Baylor, Shine In FOX CFB Simulations, Utah, Kansas State Disappoint

If EA Sports’ College Football 26 is any indication, the Big 12 runs through Lubbock now.

So much for the Big 12 being a wide open race once again this year — at least that's what the video game thinks. Fox Sports simulated the 2025 season 50 times and the results will surprise you.

The Red Raiders didn’t just rise to the top — they became the Big 12’s most consistent and dominant force, leaving preseason favorites like Utah and Arizona State in the digital dust.

Using the game’s Dynasty Mode, it was Texas Tech that established itself as a college football juggernaut, dominating the Big 12 like no other program across the Power 4. The Red Raiders didn’t just hold their own, they flat-out owned the league by winning the Big 12 title 28 times — the most of any Power 4 team in its respective conference, and captured four national championships, tying Oregon and Miami for the second-most behind Penn State, Clemson, and Georgia (8 each). Red Raiders quarterback Behren Morton even added a Heisman Trophy to the trophy case in one simulation.

For a program that hasn’t sniffed this kind of national relevance since the Mike Leach era, Texas Tech's rise in the video game world has created a lot of attention. One of the biggest reasons is that the Red Raiders have poured tons of money into its football team, buying up some of the most talented players.

Several reports indicate that the Red Raiders have spent more than $50 million on its football roster — which is twice as much as Ohio State spent last year for it's national championship. The highly rated recruits and transfers look nice on paper, but will it actually result into a powerhouse of a team? EA Sports thinks so.

Big 12 Titles

So how did it go for the rest of the teams in the Big 12?

Surprisingly, Arizona State which crushed Iowa State in the Big 12 Championship game last year, didn't even win the conference despite 50 simulations. Kansas State, with a number of key starters returning, also didn't take home any hardware. However, the Wildcats lost to Iowa State in the season opener last week so perhaps EA sports knows more than we think.

And despite losing their quarterback just two months before the season starts, EA sports still think very highly of BYU, with the Cougars finishing with the third most Big 12 championships at 4. Meanwhile, rival Utah, can't replicate its success in the Pac-12 as the Utes continue to struggle, with Utah finishing with just one Big 12 title. Baylor, which many expect to be contender this year had the second most Big 12 championships with 11.

Here's a full breakdown of how each team fared in over 50 simulations:

Heisman Watch: Behren Morton Joins Elite Company

The only Big 12 player  to claim the Heisman Trophy in the simulations was Texas Tech quarterback Behren Morton, as the senior looks to go out with a bang.

No other player from a current Big 12 program cracked the Heisman winner list. While not a major surprise given the structure of the simulations, Morton’s inclusion is a strong nod to Texas Tech’s potential under center — and maybe a hint that the Red Raiders’ real-life investment in NIL and infrastructure could bear fruit.

Big 12 Takeaways

Last year, FOX did 25 season simulations and the results were mixed as you can expect. Ohio State had the third most national titles — which the Buckeyes would go on to win. However, when it came to the Big 12, EA Sports had Utah wining the conference 13 times — the most of any P4 school to win their league... and we know how that turned out.

It's a good things game are played on the field on not on a gaming system.

Yes, these are simulations. But with a sample size of 50 full seasons, the consistency of Texas Tech’s success is hard to ignore. In a Big 12 without bluebloods like Texas or Oklahoma, the conference is searching for a new flagship.

EA’s answer? The Red Raiders.

Whether Texas Tech can live up to this digital hype on the real field remains to be seen, but in the virtual world, the road to the Big 12 title runs through Lubbock.

If you enjoyed this article, consider subscribing! It's FREE and your support will help me to continue putting out great content.