West Virginia at No. 23 BYU

Friday, October 3
7:30 pm PT, ESPN

West Virginia might be the worst team in the Big 12.

Kansas and Utah have both dog-walked the Mountaineers, clearly passing the eye-test when it comes to putting the bottom of the barrel teams in their place.

If the Cougars don’t destroy WVU, they are going to have serious questions to answer.

Last week against Colorado, the offense was worryingly one-dimensional with over-reliance on Bear Bachmeier running the ball.

It’s great to have a quarterback that can gain yards on the ground the way Bachmeier does. But it’s not a good sign when that’s almost the entire scope of the offense’s firepower.

That shouldn’t be the case against West Virginia. And if it is, the rest of the Big 12 will notice.

Oklahoma State at Arizona

Saturday, October 4
12:00 pm PT, TNT

Brent Brennan should run up the score on Oklahoma State.

That’s the only acceptable outcome after the Wildcats’ ugly performance in Ames. The Cowboys are a disaster at the moment and the game should not be close.

Brennan talks about “redline” all the time and how it’s all about accountability. Well, here’s a game at home in the heat of the desert featuring an opponent that fired its coach, fired its defensive coordinator, and has contributors transferring out as a result.

If the Cats don’t put up 50 points and hold Ok State to less than 14, something went wrong.

This is Tucson. In the glare of the sun. At noon. Deliver the damn message.

If this game is even remotely close, it could indicate that Brennan’s time at Arizona will be over at the end of the season.

Colorado at TCU

Saturday, October 4
4:30 pm PT, FOX

Has Colorado turned a corner this season?

It’s a reasonable question after the better-than-expected performance against BYU last week. But TCU is a talented team looking to bounce back after losing to Arizona State.

Josh Hoover is mobile enough to escape pressure, a willing runner when needed, and accurate when throwing. It’s a tough challenge for CU’s defense, especially the secondary.

The Horned Frogs have the No. 3 passing offense in the Big 12 and it’s largely attributable to Hoover’s versatility. But he did throw two key interceptions against the Sun Devils after facing significant pressure from the ASU defensive line.

It’s an interesting eye-test to see how CU’s front seven compares. As they say, football is won and lost in the trenches.

On the other side of the ball, Colorado needs Kaidon Salter to be a dual threat. He carried the ball 17 times against BYU and has scored on the ground in every game this season.

If he does that again, the Buffaloes could keep this game close into the fourth quarter.

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The Rest of the Big 12

No. 14 Iowa State plays Cincinnati on the road for a 9:00 am PT kickoff on ESPN2. This is going to be an elite game.

The Bearcats might not be respected nationally. But anyone paying attention to the Big 12 knows that this team is good. There’s a reason why UC is the favorite.

But the Cyclones are one of the best-coached teams in the country and have a clear leader at quarterback. ISU is on a historic run as a program right now, and the result in Cincinnati could underscore their status.

No. 11 Texas Tech faces rival Houston on the road. And yes, I said rival. With conference realignment changing the landscape of college sports, any in-state conference showdown should absolutely be considered a rivalry.

The banter on Twitter between the two fanbases reflects the animosity, with the Texas Tech fans expected to have a heavy presence at TDECU Stadium.

The Cougars were lucky to escape Corvallis with a victory, indicating that Texas Tech will win this one comfortably.

Baylor hosts Kansas State on ESPN+ in what feels like a crucial game for both teams.

The Wildcats are trying to salvage their season while the Bears are in a “can’t lose” matchup. It’s a bit odd that the contest is only available on streaming, but oh well.

It might be fair to say that the loser fails to make a bowl game.

Kansas travels to Orlando for a game against UCF. The Knights did not look great against Kansas State while the Jayhawks probably should have won against Cincinnati.

Jalon Daniels is having a strong season and should put up points on Central’s defense.

The game, though, might be decided on the other side of the ball. If the KU defense steps up, the Hawks should head home with a win.