2026 Week 7 Top Big 12 College Football Storylines

The Big 12 enters Week 7 with aspirations of multiple bids to the Playoff.

The league has yet to receive an at-large invitation since expansion in 2024. It’s a hurdle that has weighed down the Conference.

By only placing a team in the Playoff through the auto-bid process, the Big 12 sits squarely at the bottom of the “Power Conference” totem pole.

This week’s matchup in Provo, Utah, could change that narrative. If BYU beats Notre Dame, the league’s respect would rise significantly. On Saturday, everyone in the Big 12 is a Cougar fan. The impact a victory would bring can’t be understated.

But some of the best stories in the Big 12 are often outside the national spotlight. This week, Houston is the featured team as they host No. 18 Oklahoma State.

Previews for all the Western programs in action follow, along with a peek at the Out of Region games in the rest of the league.

Here’s this Week’s Big 12 Column.

No. 18 Oklahoma State at No. 20 Houston

Saturday, October 174:30 PM PT, FOX

Welcome to the Willie Fritz Show.

The Houston coach does not get mentioned enough on the national stage. The job he is doing at UH is impressive.

Houston shouldn’t be this good. Their crowd is non-existent, and their fanbase is tiny. It pales in comparison to the Oklahoma State contingent.

The stark contrast between the programs makes what Fritz is doing that much more impressive.

Cowboy fans should be out in force at TDECU Stadium. It might even be a 50/50 split. Do you think Willie Fritz gives a shit about that?

This is a home game at Houston. It doesn’t matter how many opposing fans are in the building. That just means more of them will head home disappointed.

And it’s a long drive back to Stillwater.

Arizona State at No. 10 Texas Tech

Saturday, October 1712:30 PM PT, FOX

Arizona State heads to Lubbock for a daytime showdown with Texas Tech.

This game is a Litmus Test for the Sun Devils. Texas Tech could expose ASU.

The game against Hawai’i was too close, and the blowout loss to Baylor hasn’t been forgotten. Neither has the questionable performance in London or the defeat to Texas A&M.

The Vegas oddsmakers don’t think it will be close. The spread is hovering around 14 points. The alarm bells aren’t officially ringing in Tempe.

But an ugly loss to TTU might start the toll.

No. 2 Notre Dame at No. 8 BYU

Saturday, October 174:30 PM PT, ABC

The Game of the Week is in Provo.

The atmosphere inside LaVell Edwards Stadium should be electric. The home crowd will make an impact on the game. But the home-field advantage will only get BYU so far.

Notre Dame is highly respected and coming off a rout over Stanford. Kalani Sitake won’t have his best running back, and Bear Bachmeier could feel the need to compensate.

Any interceptions thrown by BYU could change the game. The Cougars will need to play their best football of the year to get the win.

Saturday, October 177:15 PM PT, ESPN

The pressure is on in Boulder.

Brennan Marion runs a competent scheme. But like any spread-option, it’s entirely dependent on the personnel. It usually takes until Year Two for those types of offenses to reach their maximum efficiency.

Obviously, Colorado and Marion don’t have that kind of time. They must win now. Isaac Wilson is capable of running the system. But having the capability to do something doesn’t mean you can actually do it.

CU’s scoring offense is No. 122 nationally, and the third-down conversion rate is only 35.6 percent. Utah is a tough opponent. This game could get ugly.

Cincinnati at West Virginia

Saturday, October 179:00 AM PT, TNT

West Virginia’s season hangs in the balance.

Rich Rodriguez’s teams live and die by momentum. A few early losses can derail an entire season in the same way that a few early wins can jumpstart a magical year.

Well, WVU won three in a row and has now lost three in a row. This game against Cincy could determine how the rest of the year goes. The Bearcats should be effective on the ground.

To win, the Mountaineers can’t turn the ball over.

Saturday, October 179:00 AM PT, FS1

The rivalry between the Kansas schools is known as the Sunflower Showdown.

Kansas actually leads the series 64-54-5. But K-State has won 17 in a row. Yes, that’s a real stat. The Jayhawks last beat the Wildcats in 2008.

At this point, it’s not even a rivalry.

But Kansas might be better than we give them credit for. The close game at Utah was intriguing. Perhaps KU deserves more respect.

A win in Manhattan would do the job.

Saturday, October 174:00 PM PT, FS1

Baylor may be on the verge of breaking through.

Currently 4-1, the Bears haven’t been tested outside of their Week 1 loss to Auburn. Dave Aranda’s team crushed Arizona State in Tempe and is coming off a bye.

They face a TCU squad that has not looked good this season. Yet, the spread is only six points. Something is not adding up.

Look for Baylor to cover. And it might not be particularly close.

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