By Dane Miller, SuperWest Sports
It’s the Holy War Week in the Big 12.
With Big Noon Kickoff in Provo for the matchup, the attention is on Utah and BYU.
But Arizona State has a noteworthy game against No. 7 Texas Tech. And Arizona plays Houston, needing a bounce-back win.
I preview those three games here and provide a “look in” at the other matchups in the Big 12 for Week Eight.
Arizona at Houston
Saturday, October 18
9:00 a.m. PT, FS1
Arizona goes on the road for an early-morning kickoff in Houston.
Brent Brennan’s team practices at 9:00 a.m., arguably negating any type of advantage the Cougars might have based on the start time. But having the body clock adjusted is only part of the battle.
The Wildcats collapsed in the fourth quarter against BYU and need a strong showing to put the stumble behind them.
Houston has a stout defense that presents challenges. Willie Fritz’s team is No. 23 nationally in points allowed per game, giving up just 17.5 per contest.
But Seth Doege’s scheme is effective and, frankly, Arizona has better players. The offensive line should provide enough time for Noah Fifita to find an open receiver. And the running backs should take advantage when given their opportunities.
The game figures to come down to UA’s ability to handle Connor Weigman. The Houston quarterback is second on the team in rushing, entering the matchup with 145 yards rushing and a team-leading five scores on the ground.
Still, if Danny Gonzales schemes up the right looks and his players execute it correctly, Weigman could struggle to put points on the board.
Look for an Arizona victory in this one.
No. 7 Texas Tech at Arizona State
Saturday, October 18
1:00 p.m. PT, FOX
The entire situation surrounding Sam Leavitt is odd.
Last week, the Sun Devil quarterback was downgraded to doubtful and then ruled out, seemingly out of nowhere. After the game, Kenny Dillingham described his status as “week to week.”
But just a few days later, he characterized Leavitt’s status as “day to day” and the Tempe media is reporting that the redshirt sophomore is likely to start against Texas Tech.
All that after Leavitt was spotted wearing a boot. I am no doctor, and I am not putting one and two together, but something feels off.
Regardless, Arizona State faces a significant challenge in Texas Tech. The Red Raiders have an elite defensive line and an offense that puts up points.
Ostensibly, though, ASU has the players to compete. The Sun Devils also have a strong defensive line and weapons on offense. Combine that with a day game in the desert, and it’s fair to expect the final score to be close.
If Arizona State wins the turnover battle and runs the ball effectively, an upset could happen.
No. 23 Utah at No. 15 BYU
Saturday, October 18
5:00 p.m. PT, FOX
The Holy War.
It’s one of the most vitriolic rivalries in college sports. Whether they will admit it or not, both fanbases are obsessed with each other. Some even take it too far, after reports surfaced of death threats being made and a BYU fan getting arrested.
That’s crazy and indicates how deep the animosity runs between the two groups.
The Utes have dominated the series over the past ten games, winning eight of the contests. But the Cougars have won the last two and the game is in Provo.
The matchup to watch is the battle between the two quarterbacks. Or perhaps more specifically, the battle between the two lines. The Cougars ran all over Arizona last week, while the Utes did the same thing to Arizona State.
Whichever defense disrupts the opposing quarterback more often probably wins the game.
If Utah can get BYU into third-and-long situations enough times, Bear Bachmeier might throw interceptions. At the same time, if the Cougars contain Devon Dampier on the ground, the Ute offense won’t be as effective.
It’s the type of game where a special-teams play could decide the game. Or where an unexpected player can make a play when it’s needed most.
Lock in, because there are going to be fireworks.
The Rest of the Big 12
Cincinnati takes on Oklahoma State in Stillwater.
The Bearcats are finally ranked and deservedly so.
The Cowboys have been horrible the last two seasons, creating blowout expectations for the matchup.
There’s no real hope of an upset or even a competitive game. It’s the type of contest where staying healthy is the primary objective.
TCU hosts Baylor for a traditional Big 12 matchup.
Both teams are 4-2 and remain in the race to make the Conference’s Championship Game. But the Horned Frogs would be unofficially knocked out with a defeat. There’s no way a three-loss team makes it to Arlington.
In that sense, TCU is playing a Playoff elimination game. The 9:00am PT kickoff is odd for such an important matchup.
But at least it did not get the ESPN+ treatment.
UCF takes on West Virginia in Orlando.
This is a game the Knights can’t lose. Rich Rodriguez’s team might be worse than even Oklahoma State. And that’s saying something.
The spread is surprisingly narrow, with Central coming into the game favored by just a touchdown.
If you are Scott Frost, that can’t happen. You must beat these guys by three touchdowns. End of story.
Miller covers College Basketball and College Football as well as Formula 1 racing as a Senior Writer and Assistant Editor for SuperWest Sports.