The Big 12 doesn’t ease into Week 7. It comes at you with a ranked showdown, a rivalry game in Kansas, and another one in Texas, and a handful of teams that have to answer real questions before the weekend is over. BYU hosts Notre Dame, Oklahoma State heads to Houston, and the conference’s pressure points are easy to spot.
Oklahoma State is one of them. The Cowboys have been one of the season’s biggest surprises, and Drew Mestemaker has been central to that rise.
But the next step is proving that hot start is real Big 12 contention, not just a nice run through the opening stretch. Houston is the perfect test because the Cougars are also being talked about as title hopefuls.
The difference is that Houston was supposed to be here. Oklahoma State wasn’t.
That makes this one pretty straightforward for the Cowboys. Win, and the path opens up.
Their next three games are favorable enough that they could be 6-0 heading into the Nov. 14 matchup with Texas Tech. Lose, and they slip back into the big crowd of teams with no room for error the rest of the way.
Kansas State has a different kind of proving ground: survival. The Wildcats meet Kansas in the Sunflower Showdown, and after dropping their first two Big 12 games to Cincinnati and Houston, the concern isn’t just about a bad stretch.
It’s about whether this thing starts sliding fast. Losing to your rival is always a shot.
Losing to Kansas this year would land differently. The Jayhawks have a losing record, Lance Leipold may be on the hot seat, and Kansas State has not dropped this rivalry game in 16 years.
If the Wildcats lose now, the conversation turns from disappointment to something much worse.
Baylor and TCU are bundled together here because they’re meeting each other, and because both have a lot riding on the same game. And credit to both schools for leaning into “Revivalry” on social media.
That’s the one we’ll use. “Bluebonnet Battle” is not it.
For Baylor, the assignment is clean. The Bears are undefeated in Big 12 play, they’re coming off a bye, and they have a chance to get through the first third of conference play without a loss.
That would keep them right where they want to be: in the hunt for a spot in the Big 12 Championship game. A stumble in a rivalry game would complicate all of that in a hurry.
TCU’s pressure is harsher. The Horned Frogs are also coming off a bye, but they still haven’t won a Big 12 game.
They’ve already lost to UCF and BYU, and another defeat here would basically shut the door on their Big 12 title hopes. It would also leave their bowl picture in a dangerous place.
There’s even the bigger question hanging over Sonny Dykes, but as the source makes clear, the game itself comes first.
In Other News...
Kansas States Rivalry Win Raised One Big Question About This Team
Kansas State kept its grip on the Sunflower Showdown with another win over Kansas, rolling to a 35-24 victory at Bill Snyder Family Stadium and stretching the streak to 18 straight in the rivalry. The Wildcats leaned on a ground attack that piled up more than 300 rushing yards, while the defense delivered the kind of timely stops that usually decide these games, including a key interception by Logan Bartley. Joe Jackson emerged as the game MVP, giving the Wildcats a performance that fit the physical, old-school feel of the rivalry.
Still, the bigger takeaway for Kansas State is not just that it handled Kansas again, but what the game may say about the rest of the season. The offense showed it can control a game on the ground, the defense made enough disruptive plays to matter, and special teams and coaching each played a part in a performance that deserved a full set of grades. The question now is whether this was simply a rivalry statement, or a more useful snapshot of what the Wildcats can be when everything lines up. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Just Tightened Its Grip On This Rivalry Again
Kansas State was staring at an early 10-point hole in its annual Sunflower Sundown matchup, but the Wildcats settled in and turned the rivalry back their way again. Avery Johnson helped steady the offense with a strong two-way effort, throwing for 209 yards and a touchdown while adding 132 yards on the ground, and Joe Jackson gave the run game the kind of volume and finishing power that can change a game like this.
The rally pushed Kansas State to 4-2 overall and 1-2 in Big 12 play, while also extending its remarkable winning streak in the series to 19 straight. In a rivalry that tends to expose every weakness, the Wildcats found enough answers after the rough opening quarter to keep control of a matchup they have owned for years. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Suddenly Has A Key Availability Concern Before Kickoff
Garrett Oakleys status is one of the main things to watch as Kansas State heads into its rivalry game against Kansas. The starting tight end is officially listed as out, which adds a notable wrinkle for the Wildcats as they get ready for a matchup that already has plenty of attention around it. For a team trying to settle in before kickoff, losing a key piece of the offense changes the feel of the buildup.
Oakleys absence leaves Kansas State with another question to answer in a game that comes with all the usual extra layers, from predictions and betting angles to weather and broadcast details. In a rivalry setting like this, availability can matter just as much as anything else, and the Wildcats now have one more thing to sort through before the opener. [Read more 🡒]