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...
Oklahoma State Faces A Depth Test Before Ranked Houston Showdown
The availability picture for Saturdays ranked showdown with Houston is already forcing Oklahoma State to plan around a thinner rotation. The Cowboys ruled out defensive lineman Landon Dean, safety Mose Phillips III and wide receiver Dayvon Standard when the two schools released their player reports, adding another layer of uncertainty before a game that will already demand sharp execution on both sides of the ball.
Houston also enters the matchup dealing with absences, with linebacker Jaden Yates and defensive lineman DeMarion Thomas set to miss the game while several defensive backs and another defensive lineman are listed as questionable. Final availability will be updated 90 minutes before kickoff, and for Oklahoma State the bigger question now is how much depth it can afford to lose before facing one of the leagues toughest tests. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State Fans May See The Playoff Very Differently Soon
A major shift in the College Football Playoff picture is starting to come into focus, and it could change the way Oklahoma State fans think about postseason possibilities. ESPN reported that the CFP and ESPN have agreed in principle to a television contract for a 24-team playoff, a dramatic expansion from the current format that would open the door wider for programs that have spent years on the outside looking in.
For the Cowboys, the appeal is obvious: a bigger bracket would create more routes into the national conversation and make the margin for error less brutal. Oklahoma State has never reached the four-team playoff, but under a 24-team setup the programs recent history suggests it would have had far more chances to keep playing into winter, with the new format targeted to begin in 2027 if the remaining approvals are completed. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma States Week 7 Scoreboard Just Got Bigger Than Fans Realize
Oklahoma States Week 7 outlook is tied to more than just what happens in Stillwater. The Cowboys have a scoreboard to monitor across the Big 12, where games involving Cincinnati, West Virginia, Kansas, Kansas State, Baylor and TCU can shift the value of their rsum in real time. For a team with College Football Playoff ambitions, those outside results matter because strength of victory and tiebreaker positioning can change as quickly as the standings do.
Texas Tech also looms large in the picture, especially with its trip to Stillwater still ahead on the calendar. If both teams keep handling business, that matchup could grow into one of the conferences defining games. And beyond the league race, the outcomes for BYU and Utah carry added weight for Oklahoma State, since strong showings there can lift the Big 12s national profile and give the Cowboys a better at-large case down the line. [Read more 🡒]