Baylor’s Friday night kickoff against UCF means Saturday opens up as a Big 12 watching day, and there’s plenty on the board that ties back to the Bears’ schedule.
The first game worth circling is Arizona at Texas Tech, set for 11:00 a.m. CT.
That one sends No. 22 Arizona into Lubbock to face No.
13 Texas Tech, which is trying to bounce back after last week’s loss to Cincinnati and get things cleaned up at home. The Red Raiders are still dealing with the sting of losing their unbeaten record, and this is no soft landing.
Arizona comes in as the No. 2 team in the Big 12 and keeps climbing in the A.P. Poll.
Later in the afternoon, No. 18 BYU hosts Arizona State at 2:30 p.m.
CT. BYU is coming off a win over UCF, while ASU is Baylor’s most recent win.
The Cougars have had success, but they’ve also been without running back LJ Martin, who has been injured the past few weeks and clearly matters to what they want to do. Arizona State could make things interesting in Provo, but BYU should be in position to attack an ASU secondary that has already been tested by several teams this season, Baylor included.
The night slate closes with Oklahoma State at Iowa State at 6:30 p.m. CT.
Oklahoma State has made a huge jump from where it was a year ago and now sits at No. 24 in the A.P. Poll.
The Cowboys are 5-2 overall and 3-1 in the Big 12, while Iowa State comes in at 3-4 and 1-3 in league play. This matchup also gives QB Drew Mestemaker a chance to put up plenty of passing yards.
Baylor’s own situation adds a layer to all of this. The Bears fired Dave Aranda on Sunday, and now coach Klanderman is handling his first game as interim head coach, not just defensive coordinator.
Baylor’s defense has been steady and efficient all season, but the offense has been far less reliable. UCF brings a quarterback playmaker in Keyone Jenkins, while Baylor has a Slug on its defensive line.
As for Houston, the Cougars are coming off a bye after losing to Utah 21-13 in their most recent game. Their next matchup is a home game against Cincinnati on Nov.
- Houston is ranked No. 18 in the A.P.
Poll.
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Keyone Jenkins has been at the center of that turnaround for UCF, and his play against BYU showed why the Knights can be a difficult matchup when they are getting quality quarterback production. For Baylor, the challenge is not just reversing its own recent downturn, but doing it against a team that is coming off a confidence-boosting result and will have plenty of reason to press its edge at home. [Read more 🡒]