After a wild Week 6 in the Big 12, Week 7 brings another loaded slate for the Big 12, featuring several critical conference matchups and one massive non-conference showdown. From Notre Dame heading to Provo to Houston hosting Oklahoma State, we’re about to learn a lot more about several teams across the league. Some programs are looking to establish themselves as legitimate Big 12 contenders, while others are already fighting to avoid falling behind in the conference race.
Can BYU Hang with Notre Dame?
Of all the games in college football this weekend, none is bigger than this one. Two national brands are squaring off in a top-10 matchup, with College GameDay making the trip to Provo. Does it get much bigger than that for a regular-season game? I don’t think so.
Despite being at home, BYU enters as a double-digit underdog.
Many view Notre Dame as a legitimate national championship contender, but the Irish haven’t faced a test quite like this. At the same time, not everyone is sold on BYU, with some believing the talent gap could ultimately be too much for the Cougars to overcome. Can BYU hang with Notre Dame? That’s the million-dollar question heading into the weekend.
Will Kansas End the Streak?
Even though both teams already have a couple of losses, that doesn’t diminish the significance of the Sunflower Showdown. These programs simply do not like each other.
Unfortunately for Kansas, the rivalry has been one-sided for quite some time. Kansas State has won 17 straight meetings, and the Jayhawks haven’t beaten the Wildcats since 2008.
While Kansas has had its share of issues this season, Kansas State hasn’t exactly looked unbeatable, either. Rivalry games often produce surprises, which raises an interesting question: Can Kansas finally pull off the upset and end its lengthy losing streak against its in-state rival?
It would also mark Lance Leipold’s first victory over Kansas State after entering the matchup 0-7 against the Wildcats and Missouri since taking over in 2021.
Whose Defense Will Show Up?
While BYU and Notre Dame will dominate the headlines, don’t overlook another ranked matchup involving a Big 12 team this weekend as Oklahoma State travels to Houston.
If you’re looking for an elite quarterback battle, you’ve found it. Drew Mestemaker and Conner Weigman are among the best quarterbacks in college football.
Both Oklahoma State and Houston boast explosive offenses, but neither defense has consistently played at an elite level. Houston’s unit has been better statistically, but it also hasn’t faced an offense as potent as Oklahoma State’s.
I expect plenty of points in this one, but the game may ultimately come down to which defense can find a way to make a few key stops.
Can DJ Lagway Keep Rolling?
Even with only three starts under his belt, Baylor quarterback DJ Lagway has been impressive.
The former five-star recruit arrived in Waco with enormous expectations. While things didn’t work out at Florida, he has looked the part at Baylor. Through three starts, Lagway has thrown for 860 yards, eight touchdowns, and just two interceptions.
His completion percentage still leaves room for improvement, but he turned in a career-best performance against Arizona State in his last outing. Can he build on that momentum against TCU?
If he does, Baylor could quickly become a much more serious threat in the Big 12 race.
Will West Virginia’s Defense Finally Show Signs of Life?
It’s no secret that West Virginia owns one of the worst defenses in the Big 12, and arguably one of the worst in all of college football.
Defensive coordinator Zac Alley said the coaching staff simplified things before the Arizona game. Unfortunately for the Mountaineers, the results didn’t follow, as they surrendered more than 50 points in the loss.
Now comes another difficult test.
Cincinnati enters the weekend with one of the top three rushing offenses in the conference, an area where West Virginia has struggled all season. The Mountaineers are allowing more than 163 rushing yards per game and have had difficulty consistently stopping physical ground attacks.
With JC French not posing a major threat through the air, expect West Virginia to load the box and focus heavily on slowing Cincinnati’s rushing attack. The question is simple: Can the Mountaineers finally find a way to stop the run?
