Big 12 teams have spent the first three weeks cashing in at a rate the league probably can’t keep up for long. Entering Week 4, the conference is sitting at a .809 winning percentage, its best mark since expanding to 16 teams.
That kind of start is nice. The catch? Conference play is about to get real.
Saturday brings an eight-game slate with five Big 12 matchups, and the headliner is Oklahoma State at West Virginia in Morgantown. Arizona also has a big one on deck, heading to Washington State for its final nonconference game. The Wildcats already have a Big 12 result on the board, having faced BYU, one of three league teams off this week.
With that setup, our staff picks are back. Michael Lev, Justin Spears and Jordan Hamm of Sports360AZ.com made their straight-up and against-the-spread selections for the top seven games on the schedule.
At Baylor, the Bears are laying 9.5 points against Colorado in a 9 a.m. kickoff on ESPN2. Hamm and Spears both like Baylor to win and cover, while Lev sees Baylor winning but Colorado staying inside the number.
TCU is a 2.5-point favorite at UCF in the 12:30 p.m. game on FS1, and this one is a clean sweep: Hamm, Lev and Spears all picked the Horned Frogs to win and cover.
Utah is another unanimous choice. The No. 15 Utes are favored by 7.5 at Iowa State in the 12:30 p.m. slot on FOX/11, and all three picked Utah to win and cover.
Houston enters its road game at Georgia Southern as a 19.5-point favorite at 1 p.m. on ESPNU. Hamm and Spears both took the Cougars to win and cover, while Lev called for a Houston win but Georgia Southern to cover.
The most divided pick of the day comes in Morgantown. Oklahoma State is getting 1.5 points against West Virginia in the 4 p.m. game on FS1. Hamm and Lev both backed Oklahoma State to win outright, while Spears took West Virginia to win and cover.
Kansas State is favored by 6.5 at Cincinnati in the 4 p.m. window on ESPN2, and all three prognosticators are aligned again: Kansas State to win and cover.
Arizona closes the group at Washington State, where the Wildcats are 10.5-point favorites in a 4:30 p.m. game on CBS/13. Hamm and Spears picked Arizona to win and cover, while Lev likes Arizona to win and Washington State to cover.
Last week, Hamm went 4-4 straight up and 5-3 against the spread. Lev and Spears each finished 7-1 straight up; Lev went 3-5 ATS, while Spears went 5-3 ATS.
For the season, Hamm is 16-9 straight up and 11-14 against the spread. Lev sits at 19-6 SU and 11-14 ATS, while Spears is 18-7 SU and 8-17 ATS.
In Other News...
Arizona Heads Back To Pullman With Its Offense Under Pressure
Arizona is heading back to Pullman with its offense carrying plenty of attention, and a familiar face is expected to be at the center of it. Noah Fifita, the Wildcats quarterback who has already established himself as one of the most important players in the programs recent history, is expected to play when Arizona visits Washington State at Martin Stadium. The matchup also brings a bit of old Pac-12 flavor back into the spotlight, since it is the first time the teams have met since 2023, when both were still in the conference.
For Arizona, the setting adds another layer to a game that matters beyond the standings. Pullman has already been a significant stop in Fifitas career, and this trip comes with the Wildcats looking to stabilize their offense against a Washington State team that will be eager to make its home field count. With Fifita under pressure to keep Arizona moving in the right direction, the trip north feels less like a routine road game and more like a chance to reset the conversation around the Wildcats attack. [Read more 🡒]
Arizona Has A Chance To Fix Two Problems Fast
Arizona has spent the season searching for answers in two spots that have made too many games harder than they needed to be. The Wildcats rank last in the Big 12 in rushing yards, and the offense has not been able to get enough traction on the ground to stay ahead of schedule, while the defense has had its own trouble getting off the field on third down. Offensive coordinator Seth Doege and defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales both acknowledged the issues as Arizona prepares for Washington State.
For Doege, the run-game problems begin with him, not with the personnel or the overall plan, which puts the focus on execution and coaching before anything else. Gonzales faces a matchup that could help his side steady itself, since Washington States defense has been giving up a lot of rushing production this season. If Arizona can clean up those two areas quickly, it would go a long way toward changing the feel of its season. [Read more 🡒]
Tommy Lloyd Gave Arizona Fans A Lot To Like About This Roster
Tommy Lloyd came away from a busy stretch with plenty to point to as Arizona keeps taking shape for the season. He liked what he saw from JJ and Derek, calling out the growth both players have shown and their readiness to help right away, and he sounded encouraged by the overall direction of the roster after the programs recent trip to Lithuania, which brought its own mix of challenges and benefits.
The coach also had plenty of positive takeaways from the younger pieces, including Bryce James and prospect Maksim Brnovic, as Arizona heads into a Red-Blue weekend with extra attention on the 1997 team being honored. Lloyd made it clear the Wildcats have more than one route to building a workable rotation, and the next steps for those emerging players could go a long way in determining how high this group can climb. [Read more 🡒]