Big 12 football is back Saturday with a packed Week 5 slate, and the conference’s best value spots are spread across a handful of matchups that could easily shake up the league picture.
No. 10 BYU and No.
12 Texas Tech still sit near the top of the Big 12 conversation, but this week’s budget-friendly games give several other teams a chance to grab attention. Here are the best seats that won’t cost much in Week 5.
No. 10 BYU at TCU ($31)
BYU heads to Fort Worth looking to keep its perfect record intact, while TCU tries to avoid an 0-2 start in Big 12 play for the first time since 2022. The Cougars are favored by 6.5 points in most sportsbooks and are also trying to flip the script in a series where they’ve gone just 2-4 all-time against the Horned Frogs.
Last year’s matchup went the other way for TCU in a big way, with BYU rolling 44-13 in Provo. This time, the Cougars bring one of the nation’s top rushing attacks, powered by LJ Martin, into a matchup with Jaden Craig and a TCU offense that has had trouble taking care of the ball through four games.
TCU has usually risen to the occasion against top-10 opponents, and the Horned Frogs are hoping home field helps them clean things up on defense after a 21-13 loss at UCF. That game included seven different stops for TCU, along with two forced fumbles by cornerback Vernon Glover Jr. and safety Kylin Jackson.
West Virginia at Iowa State ($23)
This one comes with one of the tightest lines on the board, and both teams are trying to bounce back after last week’s losses.
West Virginia’s tempo offense, led by quarterback Michael Hawkins, presents a major challenge for an Iowa State defense that allowed 31 points to Utah at home in Ames last weekend. On the other side, the Cyclones will look to quarterback Jaylen Raynor and primary rusher Aiden Flora to do enough offensively to keep pace with the Mountaineers on Saturday.
Baylor at Arizona State ($17)
The cheapest ticket in the group comes with a late-night feel and a matchup that could turn into a shootout. Baylor and Arizona State both have offenses capable of getting past 30 points, and the Sun Devils are favored by just 3.5 points.
Arizona State comes in after taking advantage of Kansas mistakes two weeks ago in London and enters this one a little fresher than Baylor. DJ Lagway threw for 221 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in last week’s 23-13 home win over Colorado in Waco, and his return to form remains the key storyline for the Bears as they face a tough Arizona State secondary.
Baylor also has another path to making noise if the pass rush can get home. Cutter Boley completed only 11 passes against Kansas in Week 3 and was sacked twice, so that part of the game could matter a lot when these teams kick off Saturday.
In Other News...
WVUs Defensive Collapse Is Raising Bigger Questions Than Fans Expected
West Virginias defensive struggles are no longer just a bad stretch, theyre becoming a real problem for a program trying to find stability in conference play. The Mountaineers have given up plenty of yardage and too many explosive plays in recent games against Iowa State and Oklahoma State, and the concern goes beyond one rough afternoon or one busted coverage. With the defense sitting last in total defense among Power Four teams, the numbers are starting to match what has looked obvious on the field.
Zac Alley and Rich Rodriguez are both under the microscope now, because the issues keep pointing in two directions at once: execution and roster talent. West Virginia has also had trouble against first-year head coaches this season, which only adds to the sense that opponents are finding answers faster than the Mountaineers are. The deeper question is whether this is simply a correction period for a young unit, or a more serious sign that the defensive foundation is not where it needs to be. [Read more 🡒]
WVU Defense Has A New Problem Fans Cant Ignore
Pro Football Focus latest grades gave West Virginia fans a familiar kind of snapshot, one that showed a defense still searching for answers after a recent game. The numbers pointed to a unit that had trouble finishing plays, with tackling angles and overall disruption becoming recurring issues, even as the offense had its own uneven day up front.
The bright spots on defense were limited to linebacker Isaiah Patterson and safety JaCorey Thomas, the only Mountaineers who really stood out in the grading. Elsewhere, West Virginia managed only eight pressures, and the offensive line also had its hands full despite a strong rushing total, leaving the bigger concern less about one bad sequence than about whether the front seven can start looking more consistent. [Read more 🡒]
WVU Just Showed How Dangerous This Team Can Be
West Virginias latest matchup with Iowa State offered another reminder that this team can beat you in more than one way. In the 13th meeting between the programs and the first since 2024, the Mountaineers leaned on a ground game that kept churning and a supporting cast that showed up everywhere else, from the trenches to the kicking game. Michael Hawkins Jr. and Cam Cook each went over 100 rushing yards, a sign that the offense has found a reliable physical edge.
The rest of the roster did its part too, with the defense stacking tackles and sacks while special teams helped tilt field position with solid punting. For a West Virginia team trying to prove its ceiling is higher than a one-dimensional attack, that kind of complete effort matters. When the run game is rolling and the other phases are holding up their end, the Mountaineers look dangerous in the way good teams are supposed to. [Read more 🡒]