Week 6 of the 2026 Big 12 football season is officially in the books, and it was a huge weekend across the conference. BYU stayed undefeated with a win over Iowa State, Utah pulled away from Kansas, Oklahoma State and Houston continued their impressive starts, and Arizona put up 52 points on West Virginia. The action started Friday night in Provo and didn’t wrap up until late Saturday night in Tempe, giving us plenty of good, bad and downright ugly to sort through.
The Good
BYU: Bear Bachmeier Bounces Back as Cougars Stay Unbeaten
Even though the Cougars won the game by two touchdowns, I think it’s safe to say that nobody was overly impressed with their performance Friday night. Sure, the defense looked great, but the offense left a ton of points out there, and the special teams miscues weren’t great.
The good news is that Bear Bachmeier had a big bounce-back game with nearly 440 total yards and two scores. It just felt like BYU couldn’t get out of its own way at times and should have won this game by 30. But hey, a win is a win.
Arizona: Noah Fifita Keeps the Wildcats Rolling
If there were any questions about Arizona’s offense, they were answered in Morgantown. Sure, the Mountaineers aren’t great defensively, but the Wildcats still managed to put up 52 points and pile up the yards.
Noah Fifita continues to wow me, and even with Arizona’s top three receivers out, the offense didn’t skip a beat. The defense needs some tweaking, but as long as Fifita is there, Arizona can compete with almost anyone. This team is better than people give it credit for.
Oklahoma State: Cowboys Find Another Gear in the Second Half
The Cowboys had me worried a bit in the first half before they kicked it into another gear in the second, outscoring UCF 21-7. After a fumble on the opening drive, Oklahoma State scored on six of its final eight drives of the game, and if not for a lazy ref, it would have been seven of eight.
Drew Mestemaker threw for over 300 yards as he continues to look good, and it feels like this offense has found its rhythm over the last couple of weeks. Plus, the defense made some great adjustments and anchored down in the second half.
Houston: The Cougars Are For Real
How about the Houston Cougars? They went into the Little Apple and simply put a beatdown on Kansas State.
Houston started early and kept its foot on the gas, scoring on five of its final seven drives. Connor Weigman tossed four touchdown passes to Patrick Overmyer, while the running game was on fire with more than 200 yards on the ground. On top of that, the defense looked much better.
I just hope people show up next weekend when Houston hosts a Top 25 Oklahoma State team because this team deserves some support from its fan base.
Utah: Utes’ Offense Keeps Rolling
This one was a little tougher than expected for the Utes, but they still put on a show offensively against Kansas.
Wayshawn Parker ran all over the Jayhawks with 171 yards and two touchdowns, while Devon Dampier tossed three scores and added another on the ground. This offense looks good, and I like how much it revolves around Parker, who is truly a triple-threat back. He can run, catch and pass protect.
The defense needs to clean a few things up, but overall, Utah still looks like one of the three best teams in the Big 12 right now.
Arizona State: Sun Devils Get the Bounce-Back Win They Needed
There’s not a whole lot for me to take away here since Arizona State played Hawaii. However, I thought the Sun Devils’ defense played well, and it was nice to see the running game pop off for more than 230 yards.
There are still a few things to work on, as Kenny Dillingham said after the game, but it was a nice bounce-back win for the Sun Devils as they get into the meat of their Big 12 schedule.
The Bad
UCF: Second-Half Problems Strike Again
Just like in the Houston game, the first half went great. Unfortunately, UCF’s second-half woes came rearing their ugly head once again.
I love the fight the Knights showed in the first 30 minutes, but they simply collapsed in the second half. Over their last two games, the Knights have been outscored 48-14. I know this team is really banged up, but something needs to be done about the way UCF has played in the second half of games this season.
Kansas: A Better Effort, But the Same Problems Remain
I’ll admit that I didn’t think Kansas would put up much of a fight against Utah, but the Jayhawks did. It truly was a close game in the fourth quarter, as Kansas had multiple opportunities to score late but failed to convert.
The defense was able to force a pair of turnovers, which helped, but it still ended up allowing Utah to score 40-plus points. Isaiah Marshall continues to struggle with his accuracy, and the running game is nowhere to be found.
It was a good effort, but there are still a lot of problems with this football team.
The Ugly
Iowa State: This Offense Is Painful to Watch
I know the scoreboard doesn’t look that bad, but I can think of a million things I’d rather do than have to watch Iowa State’s offense again.
It wasn’t until the fourth quarter that the Cyclones went over the 100-yard mark, as Jaylon Raynor struggled to keep the chains moving. Iowa State finished just 2-of-13 on third down, and if not for BYU’s mistakes, this game would have been a blowout.
Outside of Aiden Flora, there is nothing about this offense that is going well right now.
West Virginia: The Defense Somehow Keeps Getting Worse
When defensive coordinator Zac Alley said he was going to simplify things, I didn’t think it would somehow get worse, but it did.
West Virginia’s defense was atrocious once again, giving up more than 50 points and nearly 500 yards. This is the third straight game in which the Mountaineers have allowed more than 40 points, and through their first three Big 12 games, they are giving up an average of 46 points per game.
It doesn’t matter how many yards Cam Cook and Michael Hawkins Jr. run for because if this defense can’t stop anyone, none of it will matter.
Kansas State: Wildcats Hit a New Low Under Collin Klein
Losing by nearly 20 points in front of your home crowd when you were the favorite is certainly not ideal.
The defense struggled to get Houston off the field and essentially let the Cougars do whatever they wanted. It’s clear that the Wildcats have trouble stopping the run, and Houston took advantage of it.
To make matters worse, the offense wasn’t great either, as Avery Johnson struggled to connect with his receivers.
I thought this team could compete in Year 1 under Collin Klein. I was dead wrong.
