What a weekend it was for the Big 12. Five of the nation’s top 10 teams lost in Week 7, but the Big 12’s top contenders all survived and, in some cases, thrived. The result? Three Big 12 teams now sit inside the top 10 heading into Week 8, giving the conference plenty of momentum as the second half of the season begins.
Let’s dive into some Week 7 overreactions and look ahead to what’s next in the Big 12.
The Big 12 Is the Best Conference in College Football Right Now
The results are in, and the Big 12 has a legitimate argument as the nation’s top conference.
BYU’s win over Notre Dame vaulted the Cougars to No. 2 in the rankings. Texas Tech dominated Arizona State and climbed to No. 8. Utah survived a late-night battle with Colorado and landed at No. 10. Meanwhile, Houston jumped to No. 14 after knocking off a top-20 Oklahoma State team.
The ACC has only one team in the top 10 and top 15 with Miami sitting at No. 1. The SEC has just two top-10 teams. The Big Ten and Big 12 each have three teams in the top 10, but with BYU checking in at No. 2, the Big 12 gets the nod.
Will that still be true next week? Maybe not. But after seven weeks, no conference can match the combination of depth and top-end rankings the Big 12 currently possesses.
Kansas Might Be the Worst Team in the Big 12
Kansas entered the Sunflower Showdown desperately needing a breakthrough.
Instead, the Jayhawks suffered another frustrating collapse.
Kansas State erased a halftime deficit by scoring the final 17 points of the game to secure a 35-24 victory, extending its winning streak in the rivalry to 18 straight games. Once again, Kansas struggled to finish, something that has become an unfortunate trend.
There are still opportunities ahead for Lance Leipold’s team, but right now it’s fair to wonder whether Kansas has fallen to the bottom of the conference standings.
West Virginia Is the Most Entertaining Team in the Big 12
No team in the conference is more fun to watch than West Virginia.
The Mountaineers don’t play much defense, but they make up for it with explosive offense and high-scoring games. Every West Virginia game has gone over the posted total this season, and each contest has featured at least 55 combined points.
Even more impressively, the Mountaineers’ last three games have all produced more than 80 total points.
West Virginia may not win the conference, but if you’re looking for drama and fireworks, they’re must-watch television every Saturday.
With the overreactions out of the way, let’s look ahead to Week 8.
BYU Is on Letdown Alert
BYU just secured one of the biggest wins in program history by knocking off Notre Dame.
Now comes the difficult part.
The Cougars travel to Orlando to face UCF, a team coming off a bye week and eager to play spoiler. BYU is a touchdown favorite and the more talented team, but emotional victories often lead to dangerous situations the following week.
Adding to the challenge is the fact that the Holy War against Utah is looming in the coming weeks, a game that could have major Big 12 Championship implications.
BYU cannot afford to overlook the Knights, even if UCF doesn’t have Alonza Barnett at quarterback. If the Cougars want to remain in the College Football Playoff conversation, this is a game they simply have to handle.
Arizona Has a Chance to Stay in the Race
The schedule gets much tougher for Arizona down the stretch.
The Wildcats still have road games against Texas Tech and a home showdown with Utah remaining. Before that, though, they host Iowa State in a crucial conference matchup.
Both teams are coming off a bye week, meaning preparation shouldn’t be an issue. Arizona enters as a double-digit favorite and has an opportunity to remind everyone that it remains a legitimate player in the Big 12 race.
Take care of business at home, and the Wildcats will keep themselves firmly in the conversation.
Game of the Week: No. 14 Houston at No. 10 Utah
This one has all the ingredients of a Big 12 classic.
Houston enters fresh off a three-point victory over Oklahoma State, while Utah is trying to build on a narrow 27-24 win over Colorado.
The stakes are enormous.
A Houston loss would leave the Cougars with defeats against both Texas Tech and Utah, making the path to Arlington significantly more difficult due to tiebreaker implications. A win, however, would place Houston directly in the thick of the conference title race with a favorable remaining schedule.
Utah faces similar pressure. Defend home field, and the Utes strengthen their position near the top of the standings. Lose, and suddenly the margin for error disappears.
This game could go a long way toward shaping the Big 12 Championship picture.
Final Thoughts
Week 8 offers another loaded slate of Big 12 action.
From Texas Tech’s road trip to Cincinnati in the early window to Houston and Utah battling under the lights in Salt Lake City, there will be no shortage of intrigue across the conference.
If Week 7 taught us anything, it’s that the Big 12 race is far from settled. And that’s exactly what makes it so much fun.
