Welcome to Week 8 of the Big 12 football season, and the league’s schedule has a little bit of everything this weekend.
BYU-Notre Dame is the biggest name on the board, but the Big 12 still has plenty to sell, with Kansas-Kansas State and Baylor-TCU giving the slate some extra edge. If you’re hunting for value instead of splurging, there are a few tickets that stand out.
TCU at Baylor is the cheapest of the bunch at $48, and it comes with both momentum and intrigue. Baylor returns to Waco after a big win at Arizona State, carrying a perfect 2-0 start in Big 12 play into a rivalry game on its home field.
DJ Lagway is also trending in the right direction after an early-season injury in the Auburn loss. The Florida transfer threw for 306 yards and four touchdowns last week in Tempe, and he’ll be challenged by a TCU defense that has been better than its 2-3 record suggests.
The Frogs held BYU to 17 points last week, limited Bear Bachmeier to just 62 total passing yards, and were steady enough against the run in a one-score loss, allowing 154 rushing yards and two Bachmeier rushing touchdowns. TCU is still trying to sort out its scoring issues, but it did get a decent line from Jaden Craig last week - 18 completions on 25 attempts for 187 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
No. 18 Oklahoma State at No.
20 Houston is the priciest budget option at $47, and it may be the most compelling matchup of the three. Houston, which is a 4.5-point favorite at home, is coming off an impressive 35-16 win at Kansas State, where Conner Weigman threw for four touchdowns.
The Cougars don’t always get much of a home-field edge in terms of crowd size, but this is still a top-25 conference game with real weight to it. Oklahoma State enters with its own story line, as Drew Mestemaker and the Cowboy offense take a perfect 2-0 Big 12 start on the road after conference wins at West Virginia and against UCF at home.
Mestemaker already has 1,575 yards this season and is in line for midseason honors attention.
Then there’s Cincinnati at West Virginia, the tightest line of the weekend and the cheapest seat on the list at $42. West Virginia is a 1.5-point favorite in Morgantown, even though the Mountaineers are 0-3 to open Big 12 play under Michael Hawkins Jr.
Cincinnati comes in after a rough 34-7 loss at Arizona, its first dip from the production level it had been carrying earlier in the year. JC French IV has shown he can handle pressure, including in close games against Kansas State and Miami (Ohio), but this trip sets up as a difficult road ask.
The Bearcats still want to lean on the run game, with Gi’Bran Payne leading the way, and that approach should be in play again against a West Virginia defense ranked 98th against the run. The Mountaineers are giving up 163.8 rushing yards per game and have already allowed nine rushing touchdowns.
In Other News...
Baylors Defense Could Decide Everything In This TCU Rivalry Test
After the bye week, TCU comes back into a rivalry game that feels like more than just another step on the schedule. The Horned Frogs are 2-3 and still searching for their first conference win, so there is no hiding from the urgency as they head into a matchup with Baylor that should say plenty about where this team stands. The offensive line will be under a microscope, especially with the Bears bringing the kind of defense that can turn a game into a grind.
On the other side, TCUs own defense remains central to how this turns out, with Andy Avalos group carrying a big share of the load. This is the sort of game where character, discipline and resilience tend to matter as much as scheme, and it gives the Frogs a chance to show whether the bye week helped them reset before a pivotal stretch. Rivalry games often live on small edges, and this one should be no different. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor-TCU Simulation Reveals One Exciting Edge And One Big Concern
KillerFrogs weekly EA SPORTS College Football 27 simulation has become a quirky little barometer for the TCU-Baylor matchup, and this weeks run gave Horned Frogs fans a mixed preview. The game played out with both offenses finding room, as TCU got notable work from Jaden Craig and Jeremy Payne while Baylors attack also moved efficiently enough to keep the pressure on throughout.
For TCU, the simulation offered one encouraging sign and one obvious worry. The Frogs showed they can generate points and keep pace in a shootout setting, but Baylors edge on the scoreboard pointed to the kind of defensive stress TCU will want to avoid when the real thing arrives. It is still just a video game, of course, but it did underline why this rivalry always feels like it could swing on a few explosive plays either way. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor Can Make A Statement As TCU Arrives Desperate For Answers
TCU heads to McLane Stadium on Saturday night with more urgency than comfort, carrying a 2-3 record and still chasing its first Big 12 win in a rivalry matchup that already feels pivotal for the Horned Frogs. Baylor enters at 4-1 and has a chance to turn the evening into a statement game, while TCU is simply trying to steady itself against a conference opponent that has looked far more complete through the first month of the season.
The setup also comes with the usual rivalry-page buzz, from the 6 p.m. CT kickoff and broadcast details to the fan-event promotions surrounding the game. TCUs availability report added a few more layers to monitor in the lead-up, with some key names on the injury sheet and special teams help potentially in flux, leaving the Frogs with just enough uncertainty to make an already important trip feel even heavier. [Read more 🡒]