CBS Sports has now released its predictions for when the remaining undefeated Big 12 teams will suffer their first losses, and the scenarios it outlined carry significant implications for how the conference picture could unfold.
For BYU, CBS believes their first stumble will come on October 11 at Arizona. The Cougars nearly slipped earlier this week, rallying at Colorado in a 24–21 win to stay alive. The model projects that BYU will win again to reach 5–0 before hitting the air pocket in Tucson.
Houston is pegged to fall this weekend, October 4, at the hands of Texas Tech. After opening 4–0 and tying last season’s win total, CBS sees the Red Raiders ending the Cougars’ unbeaten run in a marquee intra-conference matchup.
The Iowa State Cyclones are forecasted to keep rolling until November 8, when they travel to TCU. Given a schedule that favors them early, CBS expects their first loss to come late in the season in Fort Worth.
Finally, for Texas Tech, CBS predicts the first loss will arrive on October 18, on the road against Arizona State. The Red Raiders are anticipated to go 6–0 through their early slate, including a win over Houston, before stumbling in Tempe.
These projections aren’t guarantees, but they provide a roadmap for how CBS views the Big 12’s future. For teams like BYU and Iowa State, the path to remaining unblemished is a narrow, tough road; games, a shift in conference momentum, and the weight of expectations all pile up. For Texas Tech, projecting a loss against Arizona State suggests CBS believes the Sun Devils will be a dangerous outlier on the road. And for Houston, the pinpointed loss against a top conference rival underscores the notion that early-season wins may carry less weight when heavyweights collide.
