Well, that escalated quickly. Just one week after the Big 12 was riding high with multiple undefeated teams and legitimate conversations about putting multiple teams into the College Football Playoff, Saturday served as a reminder of just how quickly things can change in this conference.
BYU went to Orlando and was stunned by UCF in double overtime, while Texas Tech suffered its first loss of the season on the road against Cincinnati. Kansas pulled off a wild comeback against Baylor, West Virginia continued to surprise, and several teams suddenly find themselves looking at a very different path through the second half of the season.
The Big 12 race is tightening, the margin for error is shrinking and Week 8 gave us plenty to discuss.
Here are the five biggest takeaways from Week 8 in the Big 12.
BYU’s Hangover Game Was Real
All week long I said I didn’t like this spot for BYU. The Cougars were fresh off one of the biggest wins in program history, had to travel 2,000 miles and take on an underrated UCF team off a bye. No thanks. It’s one of the reasons I predicted back in August that BYU would BEAT Notre Dame and then lose to UCF. Now, this past week, I wrote that BYU would win, but that UCF +6.5 was a lock. I thought the Cougars could get it done. Turns out, they couldn’t. There was some officiating drama at the end of regulation, and then again in double overtime when it looked like UCF would have to settle for a field goal, but a penalty for running into the kicker gave UCF a fresh set of downs, which they eventually used to score a touchdown. BYU was stopped and the Knights had pulled off their biggest upset ever in front of the Orlando Faithful. What a game, and what a well-deserved win for Scott Frost, Alex Grinch and the entire program that had been playing better than their record would have indicated this season.
Texas Tech’s Hangover Season Continues
Maybe you think that headline is dramatic considering they came into the weekend 6-0. Anyone who watched Texas Tech knew that this was a very vulnerable 6-0 team that did not come close to mirroring the team we watched in 2026. And then came Saturday, when the Red Raiders went to Cincinnati and got their doors blown off by the Bearcats. Texas Tech was beat on both lines of scrimmage, got smoked for 255 rushing yards by the Bearcats, had 13 penalties, plus three turnovers. It was a culmination of many things that had gone wrong so far this season for the Red Raiders wrapped into one game.
Now can Texas Tech still achieve its goals this season? Yes, but there’s no margin for error. And Texas Tech just needs to take it one game at a time. It’s cliché, but this team can’t overlook anyone, especially not Arizona, who is quietly playing some of the best football in the country right now, and heads to Lubbock next week.
Devon Dampier Stole the Show
The Utah quarterback took over in the second half at home against Houston with his team down 10-0 to the Houston Cougars at home. He outplayed his counterpart Conner Weigman in the second half to finish 18/26 for 204 yards, but it was his running game that really took Utah over the top, finishing with 15 carries for 150 yards and two touchdowns. And then, with Houston having a chance late down 14-13, Weigman was sacked and fumbled, which set up Utah’s final touchdown to win 21-13.
Utah is now in sole possession of first place in the Big 12 Conference at 4-0 in league play after the Texas Tech and BYU losses and find themselves in the driver’s seat going forward in the conference. I have some concerns about this team, but there isn’t another team in the league that wouldn’t trade places with Utah right now.
Are We Paying Enough Attention to Arizona?
I said on the Big 12 Week 7 preview show we host on YouTube (subscribe here) that Arizona is a team we aren’t talking enough about. They lost in Week 2 to BYU, and many seemed to write off the Wildcats. That would have been a mistake. They are playing some of the best football not just the Big 12, but in the country.
On Saturday, the Wildcats outgained Iowa State 477 to 221 on their way to a 38-3 win over Iowa State. This was one of my favorite picks of the week. I didn’t think Iowa State would be able to keep up with the Wildcats, and that happened, and then some. I continue to be impressed by Arizona’s front seven, which held Iowa State to 52 rushing yards on 31 carries, while also piling up four sacks and five tackles for loss. This Wildcats team should have a ton of confidence going into Lubbock next week for their Week 9 showdown.
Texas Two-Step Hot Seat?
Baylor lost a tough game to Kansas 25-24, and TCU fell to West Virginia 24-20. Both Baylor and TCU were favorites going into their respective games. And now, Dave Aranda and Sonny Dykes may find themselves with seats that may be warming up fairly quickly. We knew that Dave Aranda was coming into a must-win season in 2026 after another mediocre campaign in 2025. And as for Dykes, this season has unraveled quickly, despite multiple changes to the staff in the off-season.
If these jobs open up in the same offseason, they will attract a similar candidate, and both schools would likely have a similar short-list of targets. This was noted by Yahoo Sports’ Dan Wolken on Saturday.
I find it unlikely that both programs move on from their head coach, but in today’s climate, anything is possible. But now, we have to keep a close eye on both coaches week-to-week to see if one university decides to pull the trigger first and get a head start on the coaching carousel.
