The Big 12 race is starting to sort itself out, and the separation is showing up in a hurry. Some teams are building real momentum, some are hanging around, and a few are discovering just how hard this stretch of the season can be.
One of the clearest risers right now is Oklahoma State. The Cowboys are not just winning; they’re looking like a team that can decide the shape of this conference race.
Drew Mestmaker threw for more than 300 yards against UCF, and the defense answered after a few tackling issues by holding the Knights to seven second-half points while also scoring a defensive touchdown. That’s the formula working in real time: the offense piling on pressure, the defense delivering at the exact moments that matter.
Saturday’s game against Houston is the big hinge point. It’s Oklahoma State’s first matchup against a ranked opponent while ranked itself, and the stakes are obvious.
If the Cowboys handle business, they could roll into their Nov. 14 meeting with Texas Tech still undefeated in Big 12 play. If they slip, they’re still in the hunt, but the climb gets steeper fast.
Either way, their stock is moving up.
Arizona also earned a serious boost. The Wildcats went into Morgantown for a noon kickoff - 9 a.m. back in Tucson - and did it without three wide receivers.
None of that slowed them down. Arizona put up 51 points, Noah Fifita threw for 341 yards and three touchdowns, and Isaiah Mizell stepped into the spotlight with six catches for 183 yards and two touchdowns.
The defense gave up 31, but that number doesn’t carry the same weight against a West Virginia team that is built to score. With six games played and only one loss, to BYU, Arizona is very much in the mix for the Big 12 title game.
As long as Fifita keeps operating at this level, the Wildcats will have a chance.
Utah has climbed into the same conversation. Last weekend was the first time the Utes really had to deal with a push, and Kansas made them work for it.
Utah led only 21-17 at halftime, the Jayhawks challenged them in different ways, and the Utes had to adjust before finally pulling away after the break. The second-half response mattered.
So did Wayshawn Parker, who ripped off 171 yards and two touchdowns and now looks like the running back Utah should keep feeding. He’s done this before, too, helping close the door on an upset-minded opponent in Iowa State earlier in Big 12 play.
After coming in with some skepticism tied to the coaching change, Utah now looks to be in excellent shape.
Not every stock report is glowing, though. UCF is still stuck in a tough pattern away from home.
The Knights have now dropped 12 straight road games since beating TCU in their Big 12 debut in September of 2023. Scott Frost is the one who has to break that streak, and the reality is that his team keeps showing fight without finding a finish.
Against Oklahoma State, UCF was missing 10 players, including Alonza Barnett III and Duane Thomas Jr., and that kind of depletion leaves the offense with very little margin. The defensive line can only carry so much.
If the Knights can’t start turning these close road games into wins, a bowl berth is going to remain out of reach.
Kansas State is another team whose season is heading in the wrong direction. It’s unusual to look at the Wildcats and see a team that simply doesn’t look like Kansas State, but that’s where things stand.
Houston came in and controlled the game after a tight first quarter, and the biggest issue remains on the defensive side. The portal losses hit hard, Collin Klein worked to patch things together, but there just isn’t enough there right now.
That puts a lot on Avery Johnson and the offense, and it also raises the stakes for this weekend’s Sunflower Showdown against Kansas. Kansas State’s 17-year run in that rivalry is on the line.
BYU is in a strange spot in this discussion because the Cougars are still undefeated, but the injury to LJ Martin changes the temperature around the team. Bear Bachmeier turned in a huge performance, throwing for 329 yards and rushing for 109 more, and he pretty much carried the load.
That’s the problem. It’s hard to imagine asking him to do that every week.
BYU did get six other players involved in the run game, but Preston Rex led the non-Bear rushers with 21 years. The Cougars now have to find a real answer on the ground, and they need one quickly with No.
2 Notre Dame coming to town.
In Other News...
Riley Kugel's UCF Return Suddenly Looks Very Real
Riley Kugels path back to UCF has suddenly opened in a real way after a legal ruling in Indiana left him eligible to keep playing college basketball, at least for now. The guard was the Knights leading scorer last season, and his status matters immediately for a program that would benefit from having one of its most proven offensive pieces back in the fold.
The NCAA tried to stay the injunction, but that request was denied, leaving Kugel in position to return to UCF for another season barring a major change. He has also spent time in the NBA Summer League with the Los Angeles Clippers, so his situation carries a little extra weight for the Knights, who now have a clearer sense that a key scorer may be back in the lineup. [Read more 🡒]
UCF Has Another Pass Rusher Giving Fans Plenty To Brag About
Malachi Lawrence has already given UCF fans another pro-level talking point to point to, and now the Dallas Cowboys rookie has a milestone to go with it. In his first NFL sack, Lawrence flashed the same disruptive edge that made him such an appealing draft pick, and he kept showing up around the ball in a game that also featured a pass defensed and two tackles.
For a program that has spent years selling its ability to develop playmakers up front, Lawrence is the kind of name that travels well. Cowboys co-owner Stephen Jones praised his character and growth at UCF, and Lawrence has made clear he takes pride in being a first-round pick from Orlando, a reminder that the Knights keep sending pass rushers into the league with plenty for their own fan base to brag about. [Read more 🡒]
UCF's Big 12 Media Day Group Says Plenty About This Reload
UCFs trip to Big 12 Media Day in Kansas City says plenty about where this program is headed after a busy offseason. Johnny Dawkins is bringing a group built to reflect both continuity and turnover, with the Knights coming off a 20-10 season and an NCAA Tournament berth but now trying to replace key pieces from that run while integrating a fresh wave of transfers into the rotation.
The roster reset has put a premium on the players who can help set the tone quickly, especially in the backcourt and on the defensive end. John Bol remains an important two-way presence, while Cayden Vasko and Dior Johnson are among the newcomers expected to matter right away as UCF tries to show that last season was the start of something sustainable rather than a one-year spike. [Read more 🡒]