The first, official week of Big 12 football is here. We’ve enjoyed a couple of conference matchups already, but this week brings a respectable slate of games to your television sets.
Instead of watching from home, though, you might consider putting up the cash for a ticket, parking, Saturday fanfare – whatever. There’s some budget-friendly football in the Big 12 this weekend, so you’re in luck.
COLORADO AT BAYLOR ($12)
Both Baylor and Colorado are searching for win No. 3, but the Buffaloes enter this matchup with far more to prove offensively than the Bears.
DJ Lagway is expected to return this week after Nate Bennett guided the receiver corps for 567 yards of work through just two starts, and the Buffaloes are coming off their worst showing of the season, a 41-7 loss at Northwestern, where four turnovers and a 4-of-12 record on third down ultimately doomed Julian Lewis and the Colorado offense. Can the Buffs get back on track in Waco?
More: Deion Sanders Calls Out WR Trainers For Not Calling His Team During the Offseason
TCU AT UCF ($13)
For a matchup this close, consider a weekend at the Bounce House for a steal.
The Knights look to move forward with quarterback Keyone Jenkins, replacing the injured Alonza Barnett III, after a 44-30 win over Georgia State last week, when UCF trailed its opponent at halftime. Jenkins completed just seven passes on the day, but the Knights leaned on running back Duke Watson for 177 rushing yards and two touchdowns, including one to regain the lead 27-24 coming out of the break.
Jenkins and UCF must get off to a faster start this week when Jaden Craig and TCU roll into Orlando for their first true Big 12 test following non-conference breathers against Grambling State and Arkansas State. The Frogs are top-25 in the country with Craig in the pocket, and star wideout Jordan Dwyer is expected to make his season debut at UCF this weekend, giving the Frogs a boost in the pass game.
More: UCF Using ‘Unlimited Hot Dogs’ to Fill its Football Stadium
No. 15 UTAH AT IOWA STATE ($26)
Jimmy Rogers and the Iowa State Cyclones are just 7.5-point underdogs against a top-25 Utes team at home in Jack Trice Stadium. After a blowout win over Bowling Green, it’s measuring-stick time for Jaylen Raynor and the Cyclones against one of the league’s best offenses over three games. The Utes shut out Utah State 33-0 and limited the Aggies to just 188 total yards of work through four quarters. Moreover, Utah’s linebacker unit will provide the steepest challenge yet to Raynor and the Iowa State offense.
After a 2-1 start, marred only by a 16-13 loss to in-state rival Iowa, could this be the game where Iowa State breaks through the mold, or will the Utes double down on high expectations for Big 12 play?
More: Can Iowa State Neutralize Utah’s Run Game on Saturday?
