Week 7 gave the Big 12 a little bit of everything at quarterback: shootouts, clutch throws, a freshman-ish flash of chaos, and one benching that changed the tone of a blowout fast. Now the league’s Week 8 rankings are starting to take shape, and Conner Weigman is the biggest riser after torching Oklahoma State.
Weigman jumps to No. 4 after a night in which Houston leaned on him to stay in control of a 35-32 win. He shook off an unlucky interception and finished with 343 yards and five touchdowns, with his two final scoring throws coming on deep balls to Amare Thomas and Koby Young.
That performance sets up a top-tier quarterback matchup in Week 8 when Houston visits No. 10 Utah at 10:15 p.m.
EDT on ESPN.
Devon Dampier sits just ahead of him, but he slid this week after Utah’s 27-24 win at Colorado came with some rough edges. Colorado kept him from getting loose on the ground, and he threw two interceptions while also making 17 incompletions.
Even so, he still posted 278 passing yards and three touchdowns, including a tough strike to Braden Pegan in the corner of the end zone. Utah’s first ranked game of the season is next, and the Cougars present a different kind of problem with Dampier, Wayshawn Parker and Byrd Ficklin all capable of creating stress in different ways.
At the top of the league, the Week 7 fireworks were impossible to miss. JC French IV and Michael Hawkins Jr. traded blows in a game that produced 853 passing yards between them, and Hawkins Jr. delivered the throw that ended it in a 45-42 win. He followed that up with a monster 464-yard, three-touchdown passing day against Cincinnati, where deep shots to DJ Epps and Prince Strachan fueled West Virginia’s attack and set up a game-winning field goal.
Hawkins Jr. now heads to TCU for a noon EDT kickoff on ESPN2. That’s not exactly an inviting assignment for the Horned Frogs’ defense, but the numbers suggest the door has been open - North Carolina and Baylor are the only teams to top 300 yards of offense against TCU.
Hammond also climbed back into the rankings after Texas Tech’s 53-25 rout of Arizona State. Quarterback play was more of a side note than the main event, but Hammond still did enough to re-enter the conversation.
He scored the Red Raiders’ first offensive touchdown with his legs and went 18-of-26 for 232 yards and a touchdown, hitting Coy Eakin in the back of the end zone. Texas Tech heads east to Cincinnati for a noon EDT game on FS1, and the Bearcats have already let Noah Fifita and Hawkins Jr. combine for 748 passing yards over their last two games.
Kansas State’s Avery Johnson stays dangerous whenever he can turn the game into a track meet, and that was on display in the 35-24 win over Kansas. His 59-yard run helped spark the first scoring drive, and a 37-yard burst late set up a field goal attempt that helped seal it.
Now the Wildcats face Arizona State at 3:45 p.m. EDT on ESPN2, and the matchup is lined up for more ground production after the Sun Devils allowed over 240 rushing yards in each of their last two Big 12 games.
Johnson and Joe Jackson should like that setup.
Bear Bachmeier earned his place in the rankings by doing just about everything in BYU’s upset of No. 2 Notre Dame.
He wasn’t sharp throughout the air - 23 completions on 36 attempts - but he was responsible for all four Cougars touchdowns in the 28-24 win. Bachmeier threw for 224 yards and a score, ran for 45 yards and two touchdowns, and even caught a 15-yard touchdown pass on a trick play.
BYU returns to Big 12 play at UCF on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. EDT on Fox.
Oklahoma State also got a full dose of Mestemaker in its loss at Houston. He threw for 365 yards and three touchdowns, though some of that total was padded by yards after catch.
He also used his legs when needed, rushing for 34 yards and a handful of key first downs late. The Cowboys now host Colorado at 7 p.m.
EDT on FS1, and the Buffaloes are trying to snap a four-game losing streak after limiting Dampier on the ground and forcing two turnovers while still giving up nearly 300 passing yards.
Noah Fifita had the bye in Week 7, but his first half of the season still stands out: 1,756 passing yards, 16 touchdowns and four interceptions. Before the break, he helped Arizona to comfortable wins against Cincinnati and at West Virginia.
Iowa State is next at 7:30 p.m. EDT on ESPN2, and that matchup looks ripe for another productive day after the Cyclones had trouble slowing BYU the last time they took the field.
The rankings also got a boost from the kind of quarterback performance that can keep a team afloat even in defeat. Michael Hawkins Jr. nearly carried West Virginia by himself against Cincinnati, and Drew Mestemaker did enough against Houston to keep Oklahoma State in the fight. JC French IV matched him throw for throw in that Week 7 opener, but Hawkins Jr. ended up making the decisive play.
In Other News...
Houston Faces Its Biggest Chance Yet To Prove It Belongs
No. 14 Houston is heading into one of the seasons biggest stages with a chance to make a national statement, and it already has at least one prominent believer. ESPN College GameDay host Rece Davis backed the Cougars to beat No. 10 Utah in their upcoming Big 12 matchup, setting up a top-15 showdown at Rice-Eccles Stadium with real league and playoff-adjacent implications hanging over it.
Houston has leaned on quarterback Conner Weigman throughout the year, and Davis singled out the way the offense has operated under him as a key reason the Cougars can handle the trip. The challenge now is doing it against a Utah team that has not lost yet, in a building where the pressure will only grow as the night goes on. [Read more 🡒]
Houston Defense Faces Its Toughest Test Yet At Utah
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Willie Fritz pointed to Utahs versatility and Dampiers ability to hurt opponents with both his arm and legs, which means Houston will have to stay disciplined snap after snap. The Cougars also have to be ready for Utah to lean on its ground game in creative ways, forcing Houstons defenders to sort out assignments quickly and avoid losing contain in a game where one busted look can turn into a long night. [Read more 🡒]
Houston's Run Game Faces Its Biggest Big 12 Test Yet
Houstons ground game heads into its toughest Big 12 measuring stick yet, and the matchup starts in the trenches. The Cougars have leaned on one of the countrys better offensive lines to fuel a rushing attack that averages 220.3 yards per game, with Makhi Hughes and ReShaun Sanford II doing most of the damage while Conner Weigman has added enough through the air to keep defenses honest.
Utah brings the kind of discipline that can force a heavy rush offense to earn every yard, sitting among the nations better units in points allowed and run defense. With the game expected to stay tight, Houstons ability to move the ball on the ground could decide whether the Cougars control the pace or get pushed into a more one-dimensional fight. [Read more 🡒]