The Big 12’s fourth week brings more than just the first full round of conference play. It also turns up the heat on a handful of coaches whose seasons already carry some real weight.
For some, the pressure is about job security. For others, it’s about proving they can handle the next step. Either way, these are the names worth watching as the league starts to separate a little.
Dave Aranda and Deion Sanders are tied to the same game, and that alone makes Baylor against Colorado one of the most uncomfortable matchups of the weekend.
Aranda’s situation has become familiar territory. The question keeps coming back: is this the year Baylor finally moves on from a coach who is well liked but hasn’t been able to find consistent success?
The Bears look better than they did a year ago and, frankly, should be 3-0. But that doesn’t change the reality that this Big 12 opener matters a lot, especially with Baylor going to Arizona State next and then coming home to face TCU.
An 0-3 start in league play would only deepen the discussion around what Baylor does next.
Sanders, meanwhile, enters the game with the noise already growing louder. Colorado’s loss at Northwestern last weekend was ugly, and the fallout came fast when Sanders dismissed several players for what he called conduct detrimental to the team.
One Colorado player also apologized publicly for remarks made in the tunnel before the game. The shine had already started to fade a bit entering this season, and that loss only added to the pressure.
The road doesn’t get any kinder after Baylor, either, with Texas Tech and Utah coming up. If Colorado falls to 0-3 in Big 12 play, things could get very uncomfortable very quickly.
The athletic director who hired Sanders, Rick George, is gone, and Fernando Lovo is now running the department.
Whoever comes out on top in Waco gets at least a little breathing room. The loser could be answering much bigger questions soon enough.
At TCU, Sonny Dykes is dealing with a different kind of unease. A small but vocal slice of Horned Frogs fans has already turned on him, and that’s after a nine-win season.
The frustration isn’t hard to understand. It comes down to what has followed TCU’s run to the national championship game in 2022, and for some fans, that hasn’t been good enough.
The loss to North Carolina in Ireland still looks bad, and TCU now heads into a trip to UCF with plenty of skepticism around it. Orlando can be a tricky place to play, with the heat, humidity and the threat of rain and thunderstorms always hanging around.
If the Horned Frogs lose, their only two wins would have come against Grambling and Arkansas State. And with BYU waiting after UCF, an 0-2 start in league play would only crank up the pressure on Dykes even more.
TCU needs this game.
Then there’s Morgan Scalley at Utah, where the conversation is less about survival and more about proving something.
This is Scalley’s chance to show he can thrive as a head coach after spending years being groomed for the job under Kyle Whittingham. So far, Utah has handled business exactly the way it should have.
The Utes beat Idaho, crushed Arkansas and shut out Utah State. That’s how good teams are supposed to treat lesser opponents.
Now the real test starts, with Big 12 play and Utah’s first road game of the season coming in Ames against an Iowa State team that has looked solid under new head coach Jimmy Rogers. On paper, this is a game Utah should win. That puts the spotlight on Scalley to have his team ready, especially with the Utes starting to look like a group that could get to Arlington and play for a Big 12 title.
A win in Ames keeps the momentum rolling. A loss would bring a very different kind of conversation, one about how this team stacks up when the schedule gets tougher.
In Other News...
UCF Suddenly Faces A Bigger Problem Than Just TCU
UCF heads into its upcoming game against TCU dealing with a much longer injury list than it would like this late in the week. The Knights will be without starters Lewis Carter, Duane Thomas Jr., Owen Spell, Trent Turner and Alonza Barnett III, forcing the staff to reshuffle both sides of the ball before a difficult matchup.
Keyone Jenkins is expected to start at quarterback in Barnetts place, and several other players are listed as probable or have already shifted roles to cover the gaps. For a team trying to get through conference play with some stability, the bigger challenge may be finding enough continuity to survive the adjustments rather than simply game-planning for the Horned Frogs. [Read more 🡒]
TCUs New Transfer Could Solve More Than One Special Teams Need
A new special-teams wrinkle has already emerged for TCU this season, with John Hoyet Chance stepping in as more than just a punter. The former Louisiana Tech specialist has quickly become part of the conversation because of what he can do with the ball on punts and kickoffs, giving Sonny Dykes another option in a phase of the game that can quietly shape field position from week to week.
Chance and Dykes have also discussed a broader role, especially with TCU needing help after the regular kicker's absence. The early returns have created a little more flexibility for the Horned Frogs, and Chance has sounded eager about the chance to help in Fort Worth while showing confidence in his range. For a team looking for answers on special teams, that kind of versatility can be a useful early-season development. [Read more 🡒]
John Schobel Is Giving TCU One More Reason To Believe On Defense
John Schobel has become one of the quieter reasons TCUs defense has looked sturdier early this season. The defensive lineman, a highly ranked member of the 2025 class, has fought through injuries and still managed to start all three games, carving out a meaningful role with eight tackles, two tackles for loss, a sack and five quarterback hurries.
For a defense that leads the Big 12 in scoring defense, that kind of early contribution matters, especially from a player with deep family ties to the program. Schobel now heads into the upcoming league opener against UCF with his own momentum building and another chance to show how much he can add to a unit that has already given TCU plenty to feel good about. [Read more 🡒]