Week 4 in the Big 12 brings a little bit of everything: five league games, a full conference slate taking shape, and by the end of the weekend every team will have at least one Big 12 game under its belt. The schedule is loaded, but a few teams are walking into Saturday with more to answer for than the rest.
TCU is first on that list. The Horned Frogs have already steadied themselves with wins over Grambling and Arkansas State after the disaster in Dublin against North Carolina, and they’ve done it in style at home in Fort Worth, outscoring those two opponents 94-14 combined.
Still, that only gets you so far. The real test is coming now: a Big 12 opponent, a true road game for the first time this season, and a trip to the Bounce House in 80-degree humidity in the middle of the day.
TCU also lost there two years ago, 35-34, so this is the kind of game that can tell you whether the Horned Frogs are actually ready to be the dark horse team people keep bringing up.
Arizona is in a similar spot, even after a 2-1 start. The Wildcats head to Washington State, and the trip matters more than the opponent’s record might suggest.
The Cougars are 1-2, with a 34-7 loss at Kansas State and a 24-10 defeat in the Apple Cup against Washington, but Arizona’s bigger issue is simpler: it has to show it can win away from home. The Wildcats’ only road game ended in a 28-17 loss at BYU, and they were ahead at halftime before getting shut out after the break.
With West Virginia, Texas Tech and Kansas State still on the road schedule, Arizona needs at least two of those wins if it wants to stay in the Big 12 title conversation.
Cincinnati is unbeaten, but not exactly convincing. The Bearcats are 3-0, yet the resume has some rough edges.
Boston College had to grind out a win over Maine last weekend as a near-40-point favorite, and after Cincinnati beat BC, the Eagles only got past Rutgers by seven. The Miami (OH) game also raised questions; it was a rivalry matchup, sure, but Cincinnati was pushed hard after a dominant showing against Western Carolina the week before.
Now the Bearcats get Kansas State in their fourth straight game in Cincinnati, including the Miami game at the Bengals’ home. Even with the record, there’s something to prove here, especially when it comes to a defense that gave up 410 yards of total offense to Miami.
Then there’s Oklahoma State, which may have the biggest point to make in the week’s most interesting game against West Virginia. The winner of that one could be ranked by Sunday and suddenly have a real path toward the Big 12 Championship race.
After weighing it, Oklahoma State feels like the team with more on the line. The Cowboys’ only loss came on the road, and this will be their second road game, this time in Morgantown, where winning is never simple.
Eric Morris knows that environment from his time as a Texas Tech assistant coach, and if OSU wants to make a legitimate run, these are the kinds of games it has to handle. The matchup also asks a hard football question: can the Cowboys’ assignment discipline hold up against a Rich Rodriguez offense?
That approach worked against Oregon and Murray State, but West Virginia’s run game, with quarterback Michael Hawkins and running back Cam Cook, is a different kind of problem.
In Other News...
Oklahoma State Suddenly Has New Lineup Tension Up Front Vs West Virginia
Oklahoma State got a little clarity on the offensive front heading into its West Virginia matchup, with head coach Eric Morris updating the status of three players who have been working their way through injury concerns. Tight end Oscar Hammond is set to return after recovering, giving the Cowboys another option in the passing game and in-line work, while the offensive line picture is where things suddenly got more interesting.
The biggest swing comes from Joseph Hanson, who is back and expected to start, creating a chance for the Cowboys to settle the interior a bit before kickoff. Brayden Nelson remains the more uncertain piece, though, and Morris said his availability will be determined after further evaluation, leaving Oklahoma State with at least one unresolved decision up front as it tries to sort out its best combination against the Mountaineers. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State Faces A Big 12 Test Its Offense Can't Dodge
Oklahoma State heads into Week 4 with a Big 12 matchup that should tell plenty about where the Cowboys stand offensively, and Drew Mestemaker has already given them a clear identity. Through three games, the quarterback has pushed the ball downfield and kept the attack moving, while West Virginia brings a different kind of pressure with Michael Hawkins Jr. offering a dual-threat challenge that can stress a defense in more than one way.
The betting market has noticed the potential for a shootout, too, with the line moving since it opened and the total climbing as both offenses have drawn attention. For Oklahoma State, the bigger question is whether Mestemaker can keep the tempo and efficiency steady against a Mountaineers defense that will be trying to make the Cowboys earn every possession, because this one could hinge on which quarterback is better able to control the game when the pace picks up. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State Just Got A Draft Nod Fans Will Notice Fast
ESPNs Mel Kiper Jr. and Field Yates are already looking ahead to the 2027 NFL Draft, and early-position rankings always tend to get attention when a name with Oklahoma State ties shows up in the mix. Kiper made clear these lists are very much preliminary, but they still offer an early snapshot of which college players are drawing national notice before the season has even had much time to breathe.
One of the more interesting pieces of that snapshot involves Drew Mestemaker, whose place in the early quarterback conversation gives Cowboys fans a reason to track how this season develops. Kipers projection and Field Yates separate ranking both point to Mestemaker as a player already on the radar in a major way, even if there is still a long road before any of these early evaluations turn into draft-night reality. [Read more 🡒]