Saturday turned into a gut punch for the Big 12.
BYU and Texas Tech both fell, and Utah’s 21-13 victory over Houston was the only thing that kept the league from suffering something even uglier: three Big 12 teams ranked in the national top 10 all going down on the same day for the first time in conference history.
BYU was the first hit. The Cougars lost 39-31 in double overtime at Central Florida, a result that dropped them from second to eighth in the Associated Press Top 25 and from third to ninth in the AFCA Coaches Polls this week. Texas Tech followed by losing 37-24 at Cincinnati, sliding from eighth to 13th in the AP Top 25 and from fifth to 14th in the AFCA Coaches Polls for Week 9.
Those losses may have done more than shake up the rankings. They likely left BYU and Texas Tech needing to win out to stay in the College Football Playoff picture. The two teams do not meet during the regular season, but if both run the table, they would likely meet in the Big 12 Championship Game.
Utah made the most of the chaos. The Utes climbed from 10th to sixth in the AP Top 25 and picked up one first-place vote, then checked in fifth in the AFCA Coaches Poll after being ninth in Week 8. Miami, UCLA and Utah are now the only undefeated teams left nationally, and Utah remains the lone Big 12 team without a conference loss.
The league race is still wide open. Utah is 4-0 in the Big 12 and 7-0 overall after beating Houston.
Arizona, BYU, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech are all 3-1 in conference play after Week 8. Arizona handled Iowa State 39-3, and Oklahoma State beat Colorado 57-24 on Saturday.
The next stretch could sort out the mess quickly. No.
22 Arizona visits No. 13 Texas Tech on Saturday in one of the biggest Big 12 games of the season.
Utah will try to avoid the same outcome Texas Tech suffered at Cincinnati, and BYU’s trip to Utah on Nov. 7 could end up being the game that decides who gets a spot in the Big 12 Championship Game.
In Other News...
Utah Caught Heat Over A Rivalry Week McAfee Controversy
Rivalry week brought an awkward side note for Utah after Pat McAfee took issue with the universitys Instagram account sharing a video that showed students calling him corny and creepy. The clip landed before ESPNs GameDay broadcast, and McAfee said he was bothered by the school choosing to promote it in that window, turning what should have been a celebratory buildup around a big football weekend into something more uncomfortable.
McAfee still made clear he respects the football program and knows the student section can bring real energy, but the relationship between the host and the campus clearly took a hit. He went a step further in his response, saying he hopes never to return to the University of Utah, leaving an already tense rivalry-week moment with an unresolved sting. [Read more 🡒]
Utah Heads Into Cincinnati With A Serious Kelvin Obot Question
Utahs trip to Cincinnati comes with more than the usual road-game pressure, because the Utes are still sorting through what to do along the offensive line after Kelvin Obots injury. The five-star freshman arrived with real expectations, but the latest update from Morgan Scalley leaves the picture unsettled, and the staff has already had to make some adjustments up front while waiting for the next medical step.
Roger Alderman has stepped into the mix at left guard, and his recent work has given Utah at least one more option as it prepares for a Cincinnati defense that will be keying on Wayshawn Parker and trying to force the Utes into a different kind of offense. If that happens, Devon Dampier could be asked to run more often, which only makes the lines composition and stability more important heading into a game where Utah may need answers in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
Pat McAfee Just Put Utah In An Awkward National Spotlight
Pat McAfees stop at the University of Utah has turned into one of those awkward little college football side stories that lingers after the cameras leave. The ESPN personality said on his show that he came away bothered by the experience, pointing specifically to an official university Instagram post that mocked him and made the visit feel uncomfortable. For a program that has spent plenty of time in the national conversation, it is not the kind of extra attention Utah would prefer to invite.
McAfee said he did not appreciate the school amplifying negative comments about him, which only added to the tension around the broadcast. He also suggested the relationship may not be one he wants to revisit, leaving future appearances at Utah in doubt and putting even a possible return for a big matchup like BYU-Utah into question. [Read more 🡒]