The college football calendar has barely gotten started, and Week 3 is already loaded with games that could shake up the Big 12 picture and beyond.
Friday night opens with one of the biggest league matchups on the board: No. 22 Houston at No.
13 Texas Tech at 7 p.m. on FOX. The debate around the Friday kickoff has already been loud, with some upset about the game landing on a night that usually belongs to Texas high school football.
But the matchup itself matters plenty. Both teams are 2-0, and both have already handled Oregon State.
Houston beat the Beavers 33-20 at home, while Texas Tech went to Corvallis and came away with a 35-24 win. The Red Raiders also beat Houston 35-11 in Houston last season, but they haven’t looked quite as overpowering to start 2026 as many expected.
Saturday morning brings another Big 12 game with plenty of intrigue, even if it’s happening far from home. Arizona State and Kansas meet in London at 11 a.m. on FS1, with both teams coming off losses last week - Arizona State fell to Texas A&M and Kansas lost to Missouri. The Sun Devils are a 5.5-point favorite, though the overseas setting leaves plenty of room for things to get strange.
BYU heads to Colorado State at 6:30 p.m. on CBS, and this one comes with a clear warning label for the Cougars. Colorado State quarterback Hauss Hejny, an Oklahoma State transfer, has been excellent through two games.
He helped the Rams beat Wyoming 35-13 and then led them past Southern Utah 58-24. BYU is going on the road against a Group of 6 team, and that kind of trip has bitten teams before.
West Virginia and Virginia meet in Charlotte at 6:30 p.m. on ACC Network in a game that should matter to more than just the two schools. It’s a useful measuring stick for the Big 12, especially with Oklahoma State heading to Morgantown next week.
West Virginia wants to lean on the run game, with Cam Cook and Michael Hawkins Jr. both sitting inside the national top 50 in rushing yards. If the Mountaineers can knock off a ranked ACC team, that would be a major talking point for the league.
Colorado also gets a chance to make noise outside the conference when the Buffs visit Northwestern at 6:30 p.m. on FOX. Colorado is a 3.5-point underdog entering Big Ten territory, but Deion Sanders’ team already helped the Big 12 once with its win over Georgia Tech. Another upset would only add to that momentum.
Elsewhere in the Big 12, Tulane visits Kansas State at 11 a.m. on ESPN2, Bowling Green goes to Iowa State at 11 a.m. on ESPNU, Utah State travels to No. 17 Utah at 2:30 p.m. on FOX, Miami (OH) is at Cincinnati at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN+, Louisiana Tech visits Baylor at 3 p.m. on ESPNU, Murray State comes to Oklahoma State at 6 p.m. on ESPN+, Georgia State is at UCF at 6 p.m. on ESPN+, Arkansas State plays TCU at 7 p.m. on ESPNU, and Northern Illinois visits Arizona at 9:30 p.m. on TNT.
Outside the league, there’s no shortage of games worth tracking. North Carolina goes to Clemson at 11 a.m. on ESPN, Kentucky visits No.
9 Texas A&M at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN, No. 16 SMU travels to No.
23 Louisville at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN2, Mississippi State is at South Carolina at 3:15 p.m. on SEC Network, Florida heads to Auburn at 6 p.m. on ESPN, No. 7 LSU visits No.
8 Ole Miss at 6:30 p.m. on ABC, Virginia Tech is at Maryland at 6:30 p.m. on FS1, and Montana visits Oregon State at 10 p.m. on USA Network.
North Carolina at Clemson has plenty of noise around it, even if the football itself may be uneven. SMU at Louisville carries real ACC title implications, since neither team plays Miami in the regular season and the winner would be in strong position to reach the conference championship game.
Mississippi State at South Carolina could be the best game of the weekend, with Kamario Taylor and LaNorris Sellers matching up at quarterback. Florida at Auburn also has a coaching-era feel to it, especially with Jon Sumrall having once looked like he might land at Auburn before ending up at Florida.
And LSU at Ole Miss brings the Lane Kiffin Bowl back into the spotlight, with Kiffin returning to Oxford after leaving the Rebels before their playoff run last season.
In Other News...
Oregon State Knows Montana Is No Easy Opener
With Montana waiting as the opener, Oregon States players are treating the matchup like anything but a warmup. DeCorion Temple, Nathan Elu, Tyler Bailey and TJ Crandall all spoke with reporters about the challenge ahead, and the tone was clear: the Grizzlies have earned respect. The Beavers pointed to Montanas discipline, talent and history of success as reasons this game deserves the same kind of attention they would give a Pac-12 or Big 12 opponent.
The respect is rooted in the personnel, too, with Oregon State noting quarterback Keali'i Ah Yat and running back Eli Gillman as players who can shape the game. For a team trying to open the season on the right foot, the message from the locker room was simple enough - the Beavers know they will need a full week of preparation and clean execution if they want to avoid giving Montana an early edge. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon State Suddenly Needs Blake Thompson To Grow Up Fast
Blake Thompson has gone from a name tucked deep on the depth chart to a cornerback Oregon State suddenly has to trust, and the redshirt freshmans rise has been one of the quieter but more important developments of the season. After not seeing the field as a true freshman, the 6-foot-1 defensive back has earned playing time with his athleticism, tackling and competitiveness, traits that coaches JaMarcus Shephard and Mike MacIntyre have both singled out as reasons his future could be much bigger than his current role.
The Beavers liked Thompson enough as a recruit to view him as a higher-end talent in the 2025 class, and the early returns have matched that belief with real progress and growing confidence. What makes his emergence so relevant now is the timing, because Oregon State is discovering whether a young corner who still has plenty to learn can handle a bigger load when the defense needs him most. [Read more 🡒]