Week 6 didn’t give the Big 12 many classic quarterback showdowns, but it did reshuffle the league’s pecking order behind center. Drew Mestemaker, Conner Weigman, Bear Bachmeier and Noah Fifita all put together statement outings, and that’s exactly why Week 7 brings two ranked matchups with real juice: BYU against Notre Dame and Oklahoma State against Houston.
Mestemaker is the biggest mover here, climbing to No. 2 after another clean, explosive day for Oklahoma State. In the Cowboys’ 42-28 win over UCF, he went 19-of-28 for 304 yards and two touchdowns, and he spread the ball around enough that all six receivers he completed a pass to produced a gain of at least 20 yards.
It was the fourth time this season he has topped 300 passing yards. Now he gets another big stage, with No.
20 Houston coming to Stillwater for the Cowboys’ first ranked Big 12 matchup. The Cougars were better against an FBS quarterback last week, but they have still given up their share of chunk plays, especially in non-conference games against Oregon State and Georgia Southern.
Weigman stays right in the thick of the conversation after his latest efficient, touchdown-heavy performance. Houston’s 35-16 win at Kansas State featured four scoring throws from Weigman, and every one of them went to tight end Patrick Overmyer.
He also hit Amare Thomas and Koby Young on deep balls in the first half, giving the Cougars the kind of vertical punch that can change a game fast. The test gets tougher this week against Oklahoma State, but the matchup sets up as one of the best quarterback battles on the board.
Bachmeier used Week 6 to show he can carry more than just the passing load. In BYU’s 24-10 win over Iowa State, he stepped in with LJ Martin out and delivered one of the best games of his career.
Bachmeier threw for 329 yards and two touchdowns, added 109 yards on the ground to lead the Cougars in rushing, and finished the job with a 39-yard run late to ice it. That earned him a major leap in the rankings, and it comes right before BYU’s toughest challenge yet: No.
2 Notre Dame at LaVell Edwards Stadium. The Irish have kept every offense they’ve faced through six games under 300 total yards.
Fifita also made a strong case after Arizona’s 52-31 win at West Virginia. He went 16-of-23 for 341 yards and three touchdowns, and some of his best work came on highlight-reel throws to Isaiah Mizell.
The concern remains the turnovers - a tipped pass deep in Arizona territory turned into a West Virginia first down at the 3-yard line early in the second quarter - but the production was undeniable. Through six games before Arizona’s bye, Fifita has thrown for 1,756 yards, 16 touchdowns and four interceptions.
Iowa State’s defense is up next after the break.
A few quarterbacks held their spots more by circumstance than fireworks. West Virginia’s Hawkins Jr. stayed in the rankings despite rough stretches from other passers and bye weeks around the league.
He ran for 98 yards and a touchdown against Arizona, but his passing inconsistency has been part of why the Mountaineers have lost two of their three Big 12 games. West Virginia’s third conference home game comes against Cincinnati, and the Bearcats have already shown they can be volatile against run-heavy offenses.
Kansas State’s Avery Johnson also remains in the mix after a difficult night in the loss to Houston. He finished 16-of-30 for 182 yards with two second-half touchdown passes, but he also threw a bad interception to Josh Manning early in the fourth quarter. Kansas is next, and the Jayhawks are coming off a rough defensive showing in their road loss to Utah.
Utah’s Devon Dampier had his own uneven outing in the Utes’ 41-24 win over Kansas. He turned it over twice - once on a strip sack and once on an underthrown interception - but still pieced together a productive night.
Dampier threw for 238 yards and three touchdowns, mostly on shorter throws, and added 71 rushing yards, his best mark of the season. Utah heads to Colorado in Week 7, where the Buffaloes’ defense has kept them in games against Baylor and Texas Tech, even if neither of those teams can run it the way Utah has this season.
Baylor’s Arch Lagway stayed in the rankings after the Bears’ Week 6 bye. He has played in only three of Baylor’s first five games because of injury, but in that stretch he still produced 860 passing yards, eight touchdowns and two interceptions while helping the Bears to a 2-1 record. Baylor returns to McLane Stadium for a rivalry game with TCU, and the Horned Frogs are still looking for their first Power Four win even though they haven’t allowed an opponent to top 350 total yards.
Week 7 should tell us even more. With ranked opponents waiting for BYU and Oklahoma State, the top of the Big 12 quarterback list could get another shakeup fast.
In Other News...
Baylor Cross Country Heads To Big 12 With One Clear Concern
Baylors cross country teams left College Station with work still to do after the Arturo Barrios Invitational, where both squads spent the weekend measuring themselves against a deep field in one of the final tune-ups before Big 12 Championship season. Junior Jack Sterrett led the men, while transfer Khadija Ennasri paced the women as coach David Barnett got a clearer look at where each group stands heading into the conference meet.
The results offered Barnett a useful snapshot, but also a reminder that the next stage will demand cleaner execution and better recovery in the days ahead. With the Big 12 Championship approaching, Baylor will spend the coming stretch trying to sharpen its legs and settle its rotation, even as the program waits to see how its lineup situation settles before the biggest race of the fall. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Faces Its Biggest Test Yet Against A National Power
Week 7 in the Big 12 is full of games that could reshape the conference race, but Baylor has its own reason to keep an eye on the national stage. The leagues marquee matchups include a top-10 showdown between BYU and Notre Dame, along with the Kansas-Kansas State rivalry and a ranked clash between Oklahoma State and Houston, all of which carry real weight for standings and momentum as the season settles into its next stretch.
For the Bears, the bigger picture still runs through the same kind of quarterback play that can change a teams month in a hurry. Lagway has given Baylor a clear lift since taking over, and his early work has already shown both the production and the steadier decision-making the Bears need as the competition stiffens. His most recent outing only added to the sense that Baylor may have found something it can build on, even if the next steps will tell the fuller story. [Read more 🡒]
TCU Faces A Revivalry Gut Check With Baylor Gaining Ground
TCU is coming out of its bye week with plenty to sort through before the latest Revivalry matchup, and the timing makes this one feel especially important. The Horned Frogs are sitting at 2-3 overall and still looking for their first Big 12 win, while Baylor has pushed ahead to 4-1 and 2-0 in conference play, giving the Bears a chance to lean into their early momentum on the road.
Around the program, the matchup has already drawn plenty of attention, with staff predictions skewing heavily toward Baylor and a familiar sense that this game could say a lot about where both teams are headed. TCU still has the historical edge in the rivalry, but Baylor has enough going for it right now that the usual script feels a little less predictable than it has in recent years. [Read more 🡒]