The Big 12’s Week 11 slate has a little bit of everything: an unbeaten Utah team trying to keep rolling, a handful of conference races that still feel wide open, and Texas Tech staring at a game that could tighten the whole league picture in a hurry.
Utah comes into the weekend as one of just two undefeated teams left in college football after its Week 10 win over BYU, and the Utes don’t get much of a breather. They’re heading on the road to face No.
23 Arizona, a team that still has an outside shot at reaching the Big 12 Championship Game. Arizona had a chance to make a real move two weeks ago against Texas Tech, but the Wildcats couldn’t finish the job in a 34-26 loss.
That sets up a big test for both sides. Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita will try to challenge Utah’s secondary, but the bigger question is whether the Wildcats can slow down Devon Dampier.
Utah also has some uncertainty in the backfield, with running back Wayshawn Parker listed as questionable. If he can’t go, that would be a notable loss for the Utes.
Still, the pick here is Utah to stay unbeaten, with the road test coming down to the wire.
Final score: Utah 31, Arizona 27
Elsewhere around the league, the rest of the board brings a mix of close calls and a few bigger swings:
No. 14 Houston 34, Colorado 24
Iowa State 31, Cincinnati 27
TCU 24, Kansas State 20
No. 10 BYU 27, Baylor 24
UCF 30, Arizona State 24
West Virginia 34, Kansas 30
And in the game that could shake up the top of the conference, No. 25 Oklahoma State is picked to edge No.
12 Texas Tech, 41-38. That would hand the Red Raiders a second conference loss and make the final two weeks even more chaotic.
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Auburns roster has already shown enough balance to make this a tricky assignment, with several pieces contributing to the Tigers early success and the home crowd likely to add another layer of difficulty. For Arizona, the bigger question is whether it can keep its composure if the game turns into the kind of grind that exposes road flaws, because this one feels like an early measuring stick for where the Wildcats really stand. [Read more 🡒]
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Auburn, now in its second season under Steven Pearl, has its own reason to treat this as a meaningful test, but Arizonas attention will be split between staying organized defensively and getting enough help from the second unit. The Wildcats have leaned on their core pieces so far, yet games like this often turn on whether the bench can supply a steady lift when the pace tightens and the matchup gets more demanding. [Read more 🡒]
Arizona Has A Rare Shot To Shake Up The CFP Race
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Utah brings the kind of profile that tends to separate good seasons from memorable ones, with quarterback Devon Dampier and wide receiver Braden Pegan leading the way. For Arizona, the opportunity is obvious: beat one of the best teams in the country and turn a strong year into something even more compelling, with the kind of result that would echo well beyond Saturday evening. [Read more 🡒]