Big 12 football returns Saturday with seven different matchups and six league games defining the Week 5 slate.
No. 10 BYU and No. 12 Texas Tech remain the frontrunners in the conference at this juncture, but there’s room for those programs in the hunt to make some noise in this week’s Big 12 Budget Seats.
Here’s a look at this week’s best budget seats in the Big 12:
No. 10 BYU at TCU ($31)
The BYU Cougars travel to Fort Worth, Texas, in hopes of staying perfect on Saturday, as the TCU Horned Frogs scramble to prevent an 0-2 start to Big 12 play for the first time since 2022. A 6.5-point favorite in most sportsbooks, the Cougars are out to reverse a historical disadvantage against TCU, where they’re just 2-4 in all-time meetings.
BYU, winning last year’s meeting 44-13 in Provo, brings one of the country’s best rushing attacks, led by LJ Martin, to take on Jaden Craig and a TCU offense that’s struggled to protect the football through its first four games. TCU, historically, has stepped up against top-10 opponents. At home this week, the Frogs are looking to reset defensively following a 21-13 loss at UCF, where TCU managed seven different stops, including two fumbles forced out by cornerback Vernon Glover Jr. and safety Kylin Jackson.
WEST VIRGINIA AT IOWA STATE ($23)
One of the thinnest lines of the weekend, West Virginia and Iowa State are in for a Big 12 clash as both programs look to regain some footing after taking losses on the chin last week.
West Virginia’s tempo offense, fueled by quarterback Michael Hawkins, is another big test for the Iowa State defense that gave up 31 points to Utah at home last weekend in Ames. The Cyclones will lean on quarterback Jaylen Raynor and primary rusher Aiden Flora to generate enough offensively to keep up with the Mountaineers on Saturday.
BAYLOR AT ARIZONA STATE ($17)
The cheapest ticket on this week’s list, Baylor at Arizona State serves up quite the late-night matchup with two offenses capable of breaching 30 points in a contest favoring the Sun Devils by as little as 3.5 points.
The Sun Devils capitalized on self-inflicted wounds by Kansas two weeks ago in London and come into this contest a bit fresher than Baylor and DJ Lagway, who threw for 221 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in a 23-13 home win vs. Colorado last week in Waco. Lagway’s return to form continues as the leading storyline for the Bears in this one, as they test their limits against a tough Arizona State secondary. Cutter Boley completed just 11 passes against the Jayhawks in Week 3 and was sacked twice, which is one area where Baylor’s pass rush could play a role in defining Saturday’s result.
