The Big 12 picture got a lot clearer in Week 9, and Utah is the team sitting on top of it.
The Utes backed that up with a 49-25 rout of Cincinnati, a result that looked even more one-sided by halftime. Utah was up 42-6 at the break and never really let the Bearcats back into it, even after Cincinnati came in riding the momentum of a big home win over Texas Tech. For now, the No. 3 team in the country is also alone in first place in the Big 12, and the margin for error is about to shrink fast with two ranked opponents still ahead.
That win only strengthened the case that Utah is the conference’s best team right now. The question is whether that holds when the schedule tightens.
Texas Tech helped clarify another part of the race by beating No. 22 Arizona 34-26.
That loss leaves the Wildcats with defeats against BYU and Texas Tech, both of which sit higher in the Big 12 standings. Barring a major collapse from the Red Raiders and Cougars, Arizona’s path to the Big 12 Championship Game looks all but closed because of the tiebreaker picture.
The weekend also produced one of the more entertaining results in the league: Iowa State’s 51-49 walk-off win over No. 24 Oklahoma State.
The Cyclones hit the game-winning field goal in Ames and moved to 4-4, which is a far better position than plenty of people expected after a roster overhaul and the departure of former head coach Matt Campbell to Penn State. Plenty had Iowa State pegged for the bottom of the Big 12, and instead the Cyclones are sitting at .500 eight games in.
That football result landed at an awkward time for Iowa State’s other major program. The men’s basketball team opened the season Monday night with an 80-76 loss to Memphis, a defeat that came against an unranked opponent on opening night.
The Cyclones entered the season at No. 18, Memphis finished 13-19 last year, and the Tigers were also missing their top player in the neutral-site game in South Dakota.
Early or not, it was a rough start for the basketball side.
Now the focus shifts to Week 10, and the headliner is obvious.
No. 7 BYU heads north to Salt Lake City for The Holy War against No.
3 Utah. It has a chance to be the first of two meetings, since both teams could still wind up in the Big 12 Championship Game in early December.
If BYU loses, the Cougars would need help, including another Texas Tech loss, to stay ahead of the Red Raiders in the title race. If Utah wins, the Utes reinforce their grip on the conference and make another statement as the Big 12’s biggest national championship contender.
Elsewhere, bowl eligibility is within reach for Baylor, Oklahoma State, Cincinnati and West Virginia. Baylor is a 10-point favorite over Iowa State in Waco.
Oklahoma State is a 4.5-point road favorite at Kansas State, where the Wildcats are still trying to find answers at quarterback after Avery Johnson’s injury. Cincinnati faces a much tougher assignment at No.
17 Houston, where the Cougars are 11.5-point favorites. West Virginia has the steepest climb of the group, heading to No.
13 Texas Tech as a 17-point underdog.
If the Mountaineers pull that one off, it would count as one of the biggest upsets in conference play this season.
Kansas also has a chance to get one more win, and maybe one more shot at being favored. The Jayhawks are laying three points against UCF, and this could be the last time that happens this season.
It may also be their last realistic chance to get a win, and perhaps a sign of where the Lance Leipold era is headed. Kansas has talent, but the late-half breakdowns and questionable in-game decisions have been part of the story for several seasons now.
With less than a month left, the surprises are thinning out. The Holy War, though, is still a heavyweight matchup - not just in the Big 12, but across the country this weekend.
In Other News...
BYU Heads Into Utah With One Huge Question On Offense
BYUs offense has been searching for its footing on the ground since star running back LJ Martin went down with a leg injury, and the timing has not been ideal with Utah next on the schedule. The Cougars have seen their running game slide over the last four games, and the issue has been compounded by injuries along the offensive line, leaving a unit that once looked like a strength trying to piece itself back together before a rivalry test.
Martin did practice recently, which at least gives BYU some hope as it heads into the matchup, but his status is still up in the air. Coaches and players have been clear that fixing the run game will take more than one return, and the Cougars know they will need a collective push up front if they want to get back on track against Utah. [Read more 🡒]
BYUs Biggest Utah Question May Come Down To LJ Martin
LJ Martins return could end up being one of the bigger swing factors in BYUs buildup to Utah. The Cougars have been waiting on their running back since he went down with an ankle injury on Oct. 3, and he was back on the practice field recently, which at least gives BYU a little more hope heading into a rivalry game that always carries extra weight.
Aaron Roderick said it is still too early to say whether Martin will be ready, so the Cougars are left with an important question hanging over the week. Preston Rex is expected back, which helps, but BYU would clearly feel better if Martin can join him, especially with Utah on deck and the margin for error in a game like this usually pretty thin. [Read more 🡒]
Utah Wants A Different Edge For BYU Week
Morgan Scalleys comments this week offered a different kind of pregame edge for BYU-Utah, one rooted less in old grudges and more in trying to cool them down. The Utah coach addressed a resurfaced video from 2004 in which he spoke sharply about BYU, and he made clear that his view of the rivalry has changed as he now wants less toxicity around a series that already carries plenty of heat.
Scalley and BYU coach Kalani Sitake also spoke from a place of familiarity, with personal and professional ties that add another layer to the matchup. Both coaches acknowledged the religious undertones that have long hovered over the rivalry, while urging fans to keep the focus on competition and respect as the teams head into another meeting. [Read more 🡒]