Things to watch this week in the Big 12 Conference:
No. 2 Utah (9-0, 6-0, No. 2 CFP) at No. 22 Arizona (7-2, 4-2, No. 23 CFP), Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET (FOX)
Utah has won 15 games in a row overall, 11 in conference
play, after beating instate rival No. 12 BYU. Both of those are the longest active FBS streaks.
Under first-year coach and former Utes defensive back Morgan Scalley, Utah is looking to go 10-0 for only the third time. The previous two were the program's only undefeated seasons since 1930 — 13-0 in 2008 and 12-0 in 2004. They are seeking to become the seventh different Big 12 champion in seven seasons.
Arizona is coming off a comeback win over TCU that left the Wildcats in a five-way tie for third place with three games to play. Their only losses were on the road against BYU and Texas Tech.
No. 10 Texas Tech (8-1, 5-1, No. 12 CFP) at Oklahoma State (6-3, 4-2, No. 25 CFP), Saturday, 9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
A week after winning the Big 12's highest-scoring game this season, 53-48 at home over West Virginia, defending conference champion Texas Tech has the late kickoff again on the road against the league's top offense.
Oklahoma State has to win for a realistic shot at making the Big 12 championship game in its first season with coach Eric Morris, a former Texas Tech receiver. The Cowboys average 44 points and 534 total yards a game, returning home after a 66-28 win at Kansas State that followed a 51-49 loss at Iowa State. Drew Mestemaker is the Big 12's top passer (329 yards passing per game, 29 touchdowns). Running back Caleb Hawkins in the past three games has 489 yards rushing with five TDs, plus 17 catches for 224 yards and two more scores.
Texas Tech finished after midnight in the same late-night TV slot last Saturday. The go-ahead score was Thomas Castellanos' fifth passing TD with 2:44 remaining in a game that had a combined 1,220 yards of total offense.
— Oklahoma State cornerback LaDainian Fields is the first Big 12 player with seven interceptions through nine games since 2019. He had two last week against Kansas State.
— Castellanos has 100 yards rushing in both games since replacing Will Hammond as Texas Tech's starting quarterback. The former Boston College and Florida State QB had career highs of 362 yards passing and five TDs against West Virginia, becoming the first power conference player since Miami’s D’Eriq King in 2020 with 350 yards and five TDs passing in the same game with 100 yards rushing.
No. 14 Houston (7-2, 4-2, No. 14 CFP) has three 30-point games in a row for the first time since 2022. The Cougars also have allowed more than 30 points only once, the first time since 2013 doing that through nine games. ... Houston is at Colorado (3-6, 1-5), which has to win out to avoid a third losing record in coach Deion Sanders' four seasons. ... Baylor (6-3, 4-2) has scored 83 points in two wins for interim coach Joe Klanderman. Next are three consecutive games against Top 25 teams, starting Saturday at No. 12 BYU (7-2, 4-2). ... The Big 12 has seven bowl-eligible teams, and will add at least one more after Arizona State (5-4, 3-3) plays at UCF (5-4, 3-3). Cincinnati and West Virginia also could get their sixth wins Saturday.
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