Week 9 didn’t shake the Big 12 at the top, but it did create a little movement everywhere else.
The conference’s top three stayed put after a weekend that mostly played out to form, with two results standing out from the pack. Baylor’s Friday night rout of UCF was one of them, especially against a Knights team that had just beaten BYU. The other came late Saturday, when Iowa State edged Oklahoma State 51-49 on a game-winning field goal.
There were other notable swings around the league, too. Texas Tech handled Arizona in a ranked matchup that went down to the wire, BYU held off Arizona State after the Sun Devils made a second-half push, and Utah rolled past Cincinnati. Colorado also finally got into the Big 12 win column, beating Kansas State in overtime for its first conference victory of the season.
Here’s how the full Big 12 stacks up after Week 9:
Utah Utes (49-25 win at Cincinnati) -- No change
BYU Cougars (27-20 win vs. Arizona State) -- No change
Houston Cougars (bye week) -- No change
Texas Tech Red Raiders (34-26 win vs. Arizona) -- Up 1
Arizona Wildcats (34-26 loss at Texas Tech) -- Up 1
Oklahoma State (51-49 loss at Iowa State) -- Down 2
Baylor Bears (41-9 win at UCF) -- Up 2
Cincinnati Bearcats (49-25 loss vs. Utah) -- Down 1
West Virginia (bye week) -- Down 1
Iowa State (51-49 win vs. Oklahoma State) -- Up 4
UCF (41-9 loss vs. Baylor) -- Down 1
Arizona State (27-20 loss at BYU) -- Down 1
TCU Horned Frogs (22-16 win vs. Kansas) -- No change
Kansas State (27-24 loss at Colorado) -- Down 2
Colorado Buffaloes (27-24 win vs. Kansas State) -- Up 1
Kansas Jayhawks (25-24 win vs. Baylor) -- Down 1
In Other News...
Arizona State Fans May Need To Brace For More Dillingham Chatter
Florida States decision to move on from Mike Norvell after a 3-5 start and a rough stretch that has left the Seminoles searching again has already sent the coaching rumor mill into overdrive. Among the names being floated is Kenny Dillingham, whose rise has made him one of the more closely watched young coaches in the sport, and whose connection to the Florida State opening is enough to get people talking well beyond Tallahassee.
For Colorado fans, the bigger issue is what happens if the speculation around Dillingham keeps building. Arizona State supporters may be bracing for another round of chatter, but the ripple effect could reach Boulder too, where any serious coaching dominoes tend to get noticed quickly. No successor has been named in the Florida State search, and until that changes, the noise around Dillingham figures to linger. [Read more 🡒]
Colorado Earned New Respect After What Kansas States Coach Admitted
Colorados win over Kansas State carried extra weight because it came with a little public validation from the other sideline. After the narrow overtime game, Wildcats coach Collin Klein pointed to Colorados defensive front and the adjustments the Buffaloes made as major reasons the outcome swung their way, a notable nod coming from a coach whose team had just been pushed to the edge. He also said Kansas State hurt itself with missed tackles and penalties, some of them tied to the crowd noise, which only sharpened the sense that Colorados home environment mattered in a tight Big 12 battle.
The Buffaloes also showed enough composure to flip the game late, putting together a 96-yard drive that ended with the go-ahead touchdown. For a team still trying to build credibility, hearing an opposing coach break down the loss in terms of Colorados defensive work and in-game adjustments says plenty about how this one was earned. The result was a reminder that the Buffs are not just surviving close games, they are making opponents feel them in all three phases, even if one strategic moment from overtime still lingers in the background. [Read more 🡒]
Colorado Just Got A Needed Spark From Players Fans Werent Watching
Colorados five-game skid finally ended in a game that needed more than the usual names to get it done. The Buffaloes leaned on a handful of players who had not been front and center in the spotlight, and the result was an overtime win against Kansas State that gave the program a much-needed lift after a frustrating stretch.
Richard Young was a big part of that spark, giving Colorado a steady ground presence and drawing praise from Deion Sanders for his patience and impact. The defense also had key answers, with Gideon ESPN Lampron piling up a career-high 15 tackles and Makari Vickers, Yamil Talib and Manny Ezeogu turning in notable efforts, while Isaac Wilson and Charlie Williams delivered the late finish that sent the Buffaloes home with a much-needed breakthrough. [Read more 🡒]