Somehow, Week 11 of the 2024 college football season is here, and after the pandemonium that we witnessed in Week 10, it’s fair to wonder what’s in store down the stretch?
There are six games on the slate for Saturday, November 9, spanning from 11:00 a.m. CT all the way to 9:15 p.m. CT in the evening window.
It’s been a chaotic season thus far, with underdogs dominating through the first 10 weeks — going 26-17-1 against the spread and 20-24 straight up.
This week, the average line in Big 12 games is 5.0 points, with five of the six games having lines of 4.5 points or less. Here’s who will win each game, why they’ll win, and what our predicted final score is.
West Virginia (4-4, 3-2) at Cincinnati (5-3, 3-2)
Saturday, Nov. 9 | 11:00 AM (CT) | FS1 | Nippert Stadium; Cincinnati, OH | CIN (-4.5)
Cincinnati has been one of the most underrated storylines in the Big 12 this season, and a win on Saturday would move the Bearcats to 6-3 on the year and 4-2 in their second year of Big 12 play. Brendan Sorsby has been terrific, accounting for 21 total touchdowns and 2,252 total yards on the year. If Garrett Greene were going to play in this game, I might feel a little better about the Mountaineers’ chances of pulling off an upset on the road, but it doesn’t sound like he’ll be able to give it a go. Give me the Bearcats to win and cover here.
CIN 31, WVU 23
17 Iowa State (7-1, 4-1) at Kansas (2-6, 1-4)
Saturday, Nov. 9 | 2:30 PM (CT) | FS1 | Arrowhead Stadium; Kansas City, MO | ISU (-3.0)
Last week’s loss to Texas Tech might’ve exposed Iowa State, and Kansas is a much better team than their 2-6 record might suggest. Is this another letdown moment for the Cyclones, or can they take care of business on the road? If Matt Campbell’s group wants to keep their chances at a Big 12 Championship and College Football Playoff appearance alive, they can’t afford a loss here. The tricky part about that is, Kansas has nothing to lose and could play a major spoiler role — as they nearly did with K-State last week. The line is Iowa State (-3.0) for a reason, and it could be a tricky afternoon. However, I’ll take the ‘Clones to get out of Arrowhead with a win.
ISU 27, KU 24
21 Colorado (6-2, 4-1) at Texas Tech (6-3, 4-2)
Sat, Nov. 9 | 3:00 PM (CT) | FOX | Jones AT&T Stadium; Lubbock, TX | COLO (-3.5)
This game suddenly has major Big 12 Championship implications, and a win for Colorado would put the Buffs in a very good spot to make it to Arlington. Since Colorado and Iowa State don’t have a head-to-head matchup, picking up a win over the team that just knocked off ISU would be invaluable. However, a win for TTU also closes the gap between them and a shot at the Big 12 title, as it would put them atop the list of two-loss Big 12 teams. This game has drama written all over it, and while Lubbock can be a tough place to play, Colorado has the better athletes and the better defense. I’m taking the Buffs here.
COLO 34, TTU 28
UCF (4-5, 2-4) at Arizona State (6-2, 3-2)
Sat, Nov. 9 | 6:00 PM (CT) | ESPN2 | Mountain America Stadium; Tempe, AZ | ASU (-3.0)
Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo just showed us another performance worthy of Big 12 Player of the Week honors, his fourth such performance of the season. The problem is, it doesn’t appear that he’ll be able to give us an encore this week against UCF, as Kenny Dillingham says he’s doubtful to questionable to play this week. Meanwhile, the Knights made a change at quarterback and started freshman Dylan Rizk — all he did was go 20-25 for 294 and three touchdowns in a 56-12 blowout win over Arizona. This is a tricky spot for the Sun Devils without Skattebo, and I think it might cost them a winnable game.
UCF 30, ASU 27
Oklahoma State (3-6, 0-6) at TCU (5-4, 3-3)
Sat, Nov. 9 | 6:00 PM (CT) | FS1 | Amon G. Carter Stadium; Fort Worth, TX | TCU (-12.5)
If it weren’t for Florida State going 1-8 through their first nine games of the 2024 season, Oklahoma State would be the laughingstock of college football right now. The Pokes have been abysmal on both sides of the ball, ranking dead last in the Big 12 in total defense (503.1 ypg) and rushing defense (248.1 ypg), 15th in scoring defense (31.2 ppg), 14th in passing defense (255.0 ypg), 14th in rushing offense (107.9 ypg), and 13th in total offense (385.0 ypg). Meanwhile, TCU is leading the Big 12 in passing offense (333.7 ypg) and ranks fifth in the league in scoring offense (32.7 ppg). Give me the Frogs to win and cover to get to bowl eligibility.
TCU 41, OSU 27
9 BYU (8-0, 5-0) at Utah (4-4, 2-4)
Sat, Nov. 9 | 9:15 PM (CT) | ESPN | Rice Eccles Stadium; Salt Lake City, UT | BYU (-4.0)
This is one of the games that all Big 12 fans need to watch this weekend. The Holy War between BYU and Utah is one of the most heated in-state rivalries in the country and probably the premier rivalry in the Big 12 now. The Cougars won the most recent meeting in 2021, 26-17, but Utah has won nine of the last ten. While the Utes have had a disappointing season, they’d love nothing more than to knock BYU from the ranks of the undefeated. The key in this game is going to be who takes better care of the football: Isaac Wilson or Jake Retzlaff? This game will be closer than it “should” be, but the Cougs feel like a team of destiny.
BYU 23, UTAH 17
