All four ranked Big 12 teams play this weekend, and only one gets to play at home. As exciting as the Big 12 has been this season, the “roller coaster” effect of the conference has not projected many teams into the College Football Playoffs.
Presently, many experts argue that the Big 12 will get just one team in. Therefore, winning the conference will be paramount. This weekend, all four ranked Big 12 Teams could lose.
The No. 16 Utah Utes, No. 14 BYU Cougars, No. 11 Iowa State Cyclones, and No. 18 Kansas State Wildcats each face tough tasks in Week 7, and none of them can afford a loss this late in the season. No. 14 BYU is clinging on to a great nonconference win over SMU, but letting one slip at home would be catastrophic for their chances at a Big 12 Title. No. 11 Iowa State heads to West Virginia, who is undefeated in Big 12 play and should be raucous on Saturday night.
But what game will be the best game? We rank the Big 12 games between ranked programs in Week 7.
This week’s four most important Big 12 games:
Game 4 No. 16 Utah Utes at Arizona State Sun Devils
In this week’s version of Big 12 meets Friday Night Lights, the Utah Utes head to Tempe, Arizona, to take on the Arizona State Sun Devils. The biggest issue for Utah, however, will be in their own backfield: who takes the snaps?
Head coach Kyle Whittingham, as recently as Monday, gave a very vague answer about starting quarterback Cam Rising’s availability. Utah is a very strong team, but without Rising they are a much more beatable one. Backup quarterback (turned starter through injury) Isaac Wilson has more interceptions than touchdowns. As a true freshman, the game appears to be moving too fast.
Arizona State’s Clayton Smith has a sack in four of his last five games and in each of his four “sack games,” Arizona State has ended up victorious. Is the long shot possible?
Game 3 No. 11 Iowa State Cyclones at West Virginia Mountaineers
Iowa State enters the weekend as the highest-ranked Big 12 team in the AP Top 25 Poll, and the West Virginia Mountaineers enter the weekend undefeated in the Big 12 conference. If the Mountaineers had won even one, let alone both, of their Power 4 non-conference games this game could have slingshotted up to the number one spot. West Virginia is averaging nearly 440 yards of offense per game, and and Iowa State allows just 271 yards per contest. Something has to break there.
Game 2 No. 14 BYU Cougars Host Arizona Wildcats
BYU sits atop our Big 12 power rankings, but Arizona has already gone into the state of Utah and taken out a top Big 12 team before. BYU rides the hot play of quarterback Jake Retzlaff. Retzlaff has over 1350 total yards and 13 total touchdowns through 5 games.
BYU is 5-0, and looking to improve on their top 15 ranking the AP Poll. Arizona entered the year as a darkhorse contender and, while that has fallen through some, quarterback Noah Fifita has been their best player in big moments. If Arizona finds some secret to winning in the state of Utah and plays spoiler again, BYU may see their season ruined.
Game 1 No. 18 Kansas State Wildcats at Colorado Buffaloes
The last person you want to play in a given week when you’re back is against the wall and you’re trying to play your way to Arlington for the Big 12 title has got to be the best quarterback in the Big 12. But the best quarterback in the Big 12 (Shedeur Sanders) and the best player in college football (WR/DB Travis Hunter)? Coach Deion “Prime” Sanders has Colorado not-so-quietly climbing up the Big 12 Leaderboards.
But, KSU quarterback Avery Johnson is as true of a dual-threat quarterback as there could possibly be. Kansas State looks to keep their run to the conference title, and perhaps a revenge game with the Cougars, and a talented Colorado team sits in their way this week.