Week 6 is handing the Big 12 another sharp-edged slate, and the questions are getting bigger by the hour. With only one nonconference game on the board, the focus stays squarely on league play, where Iowa State’s trip to Provo and Kansas State’s date with Texas Tech could say plenty about the conference race.
For BYU, the first order of business is simple: get the offense moving again. The Cougars left Fort Worth with a win, and that’s what matters most, but the way they got there was still a surprise.
Before last weekend, BYU had been moving the ball well, though the weather clearly factored into the offensive issues. The defense has already established itself as one of the Big 12’s best, and when the offense is rolling, BYU turns into a very difficult team to beat.
Even without LJ Martin, the run game has to get going again. Iowa State has had trouble tackling this season, and BYU wants to lean on the ground game.
That matchup gives the Cougars a chance to get back on schedule.
Oklahoma State, meanwhile, looks ready to score in bunches again - the real question is how big the number gets against UCF. Drew Mestemaker has been excellent as a passer, and Caleb Hawkins keeps the offense balanced on the ground.
The Cowboys have shown they can put points on almost anyone. UCF’s defense is a different sort of challenge than the one Oklahoma State saw against West Virginia a few weeks ago, though, and the Knights will try to use different looks to slow things down.
Whether that actually works is the key issue.
West Virginia’s defense is under the microscope for a different reason entirely. The Mountaineers’ rushing attack has been impressive, but the problems on defense are hard to miss.
They sit near the bottom of the conference in rushing defense, pass defense and total defense, and by the numbers they’ve been one of the worst defensive teams in the Big 12 and in the country. That’s a jarring place for a Rich Rodriguez-coached team to be, especially with the discipline and execution issues showing up so clearly.
Defensive coordinator Zac Alley said changes were coming and that the scheme would be simplified. Now comes a tough test against Noah Fifita and Arizona, which should reveal whether any progress is real.
The matchup between Kansas State and Texas Tech feels like a title-race checkpoint, even if it doesn’t look quite like the game many expected a few weeks ago. At one point, it seemed possible both teams would still be unbeaten by the time they met.
Kansas State’s loss to Cincinnati changed that, and Texas Tech’s setback against Houston did too. Now both arrive with an early conference loss and almost no margin left.
Connor Weigman and Avery Johnson give this one plenty of star power at quarterback, and both defenses have shown they can make plays. The stakes are straightforward: the winner stays firmly in the hunt, while the loser has a much steeper climb ahead.
Then there’s Kansas, which walks into a difficult spot against Utah. The Utes are the better team from top to bottom, and there’s a reason they’re more than a two-touchdown favorite at home.
The real question isn’t whether Utah wins. It’s whether Kansas can keep this from turning into a runaway.
The Jayhawks’ defense has been a problem all season, and even the offense has been inconsistent outside of games against overmatched teams. Utah has the edge in talent, depth and physicality.
For Kansas to stay in range, it has to avoid early mistakes and still be in the fight entering the fourth quarter. If not, this one could get away fast.
In Other News...
WVU Has One Lingering Concern In A Very Winnable Arizona Game
West Virginia gets a favorable setup against Arizona this weekend, and that is exactly why the matchup feels like one the Mountaineers should be able to manage if they play to their strengths. Phil Steele pointed to West Virginias offensive upside, while also noting Arizonas injury situation and the burden of a long road trip, both of which add to the sense that this is a game the Mountaineers can control from early on. The noon ET kickoff on TNT gives the meeting a little extra visibility, too, for a WVU team trying to turn a promising spot into a clean result.
Still, Steeles read comes with a catch, because West Virginia has not exactly erased concerns on the defensive side. Even in a game that looks winnable on paper, that remains the lingering issue, and it is the sort of thing that can keep a staff and fan base uneasy until the opening series and beyond. Steeles cautious lean toward the Mountaineers reflects the overall shape of the matchup, but it also underscores how much WVU may need its offense to carry the day if the defense does not firm up. [Read more 🡒]
Arizona Faces A Tough Road Test With Noah Fifita Rolling
West Virginia gets Arizona in a Week 6 matchup that arrives at a tricky moment for the Mountaineers, who have dropped their last two after opening 3-0. The home side still has plenty to play for, but the recent slide has made this one feel more like a measuring stick than a routine conference-style tune-up, especially with a Wildcats team coming in on a three-game surge.
Arizona has steadied itself after an early loss, and much of that turnaround has come with Noah Fifita running the offense confidently as a senior. He has paired strong passing production with enough threat on the ground to keep defenses honest, which makes him a difficult matchup on the road and a big reason this trip to Morgantown has real bite. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Needs This Week 6 Test To Show Real Big 12 Progress
Week 6 brings a full slate of Big 12 games with real weight behind them, and the race is already starting to sort itself out. Iowa State heads to BYU, UCF visits Oklahoma State, Houston travels to Kansas State, and Hawaii makes the trip to Arizona State, but for West Virginia fans the spotlight is on Arizona coming into Morgantown. It is the kind of October test that can tell you a lot about where a team stands once the league grind starts to separate contenders from the rest.
West Virginia gets a chance to measure itself against a conference opponent that arrives with its own ambitions, while Kansas has a different proving ground out in Utah. The Big 12 has enough matchups this week to shape the standings in more than one direction, and the Mountaineers are right in the middle of a weekend that could clarify who is making real progress and who still has ground to cover. [Read more 🡒]