Week 7 gives the Big 12 a little bit of everything: a massive non-conference showcase, two ranked league games, and rivalry matchups that can still flip the conference race on its head. It’s the kind of weekend that can reshape the conversation fast, and the headliner is obvious.
No. 8 BYU against No.
2 Notre Dame sits at the top of the board for a reason. BYU has been one of the season’s biggest surprises, while Notre Dame carries the national profile and College Football Playoff expectations that always travel with that brand.
The quarterback battle alone makes this one worth circling, but the bigger draw is how both teams have already shown they can win in different ways. BYU has found answers in multiple styles, and Notre Dame has leaned on the physicality and depth that separate elite programs from the pack.
Put that on a national stage with the spotlight turned all the way up, and it’s easy to see why this is the game everyone will be watching.
The second ranked showdown on the schedule deserves plenty of attention too. No.
18 Oklahoma State heads to No. 20 Houston in a meeting that brings real heat to the Big 12 weekend.
Oklahoma State’s offense has caught fire in recent weeks, with Drew Mestemaker emerging as one of college football’s top quarterbacks. Houston has its own weapon in Connor Weigman, who may be the most underrated quarterback in the country.
Both teams arrive playing some of their best football of the year, and if Houston fans were waiting for a game to make the stadium shake, this is it.
Rivalry games are never just background noise, and TCU at Baylor is proof. TCU’s season may not be living up to its usual standard, but this matchup still carries plenty of weight inside the conference.
Recent meetings have been full of points, though this one may not follow that script. Baylor comes in as one of the few unbeaten teams in Big 12 play, and it has a chance to further solidify its place in the race.
Then there’s Kansas at Kansas State, another rivalry game with no shortage of edge. The Sunflower Showdown has belonged to Kansas State in recent years, but this is the sort of spot where Kansas can make the night uncomfortable.
Both teams are coming off losses, which gives the meeting even more urgency. The simple question hanging over it: Can the Jayhawks finally snap the streak?
Cincinnati at West Virginia doesn’t carry the same title stakes, but it has more intrigue than it first appears to. Cincinnati has only one loss, though it’s coming off a heavy defeat to Arizona.
West Virginia is in a similar spot after Arizona handled the Mountaineers with ease last week. Both teams need a response, and with defensive questions on both sides, this one could turn into a track meet in Morgantown.
Arizona State at No. 10 Texas Tech looked better on paper before the season than it does now.
Arizona State has lost some of its shine after being blown out by Baylor two weeks ago and struggling against Hawaii last weekend. Texas Tech has issues of its own, but the Red Raiders still have a major edge in talent and should be in command for most of the afternoon.
Finally, No. 11 Utah at Colorado carries an unusual number attached to it: a road favorite by more than two touchdowns.
That says plenty about the gap between the two teams right now. Utah has played like one of the best teams in the Big 12, maybe the best, and looks set to keep rolling.
Colorado, meanwhile, has been sliding in recent weeks. Unless the Buffaloes suddenly find something they’ve been missing all season, Utah should head into Boulder and leave with a comfortable win.
In Other News...
Kansas State Opens Casey Alexander Era With A Brutal Big 12 Warning
Casey Alexanders first season in Manhattan is already being framed by the size of the task in front of him. After Kansas State moved on from Jerome Tang, the Wildcats turned to Alexander to steady the program, and he inherits a roster that looks almost entirely rebuilt. With only one player back from last season, the early blueprint leans heavily on transfers and internal development to get the group competitive in a Big 12 that does not leave much margin for starting over.
The preseason outlook did not offer much comfort, either. The Big 12 media poll pegged Kansas State to finish tied for 14th in the conference, a blunt reminder of how much ground Alexander has to make up right away. For a program trying to reset under a new coach, the challenge is less about proving the poll wrong in October than showing enough progress to make the Wildcats look like a team on the rise before league play begins to sort everyone out. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Has More Than Bragging Rights Riding On Saturday
Saturdays game against Kansas carries plenty of ordinary border-war weight, but it also doubles as a showcase for Kansas States future. Several top high school recruits are on campus for official visits, giving the Wildcats a chance to pair the atmosphere of the rivalry game with a closer look at how the program is presenting itself under a new coach.
The stakes go beyond the scoreboard and the current winning streak against the Jayhawks. With Chris Klieman having resigned last December and his successor, a former offensive coordinator at Texas A&M, now trying to raise the programs recruiting profile, this weekend offers a useful sales pitch. A strong showing on the field would help, but the Wildcats also know the impression they make off it could shape future classes. [Read more 🡒]
K-State Faces A Sunflower Showdown With More Pressure Than Usual
Saturdays Sunflower Showdown arrives at Bill Snyder Family Stadium with a little less certainty than usual and a little more tension than the Wildcats would prefer. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m., and Kansas State enters as a 3.5-point favorite, a number that has slipped from earlier projections as both sides have made this one look tighter than the annual rivalry has sometimes felt.
For Kansas State, the pressure is built into the setting as much as the standings. The Wildcats still have the home-field edge and the better overall profile, but the matchup comes with more questions than confidence, which is what has made this week feel different around Manhattan. Even with the prediction leaning toward a K-State win, this is the kind of game where the margin for error can shrink fast, and the Wildcats will have to make their case the hard way. [Read more 🡒]