Arizona Wildcats Will Be Keeping Close Eye on Key Big 12 Conference Matchup in Week 5
The Arizona Wildcats have a massively important matchup in Week 5 on the road against the Utah Utes.
It is their first official Big 12 conference game as their Week 3 tilt with the Kansas State Wildcats did not count. Because that game was scheduled before realignment, it was considered out of conference.
Thankfully for the Wildcats, it didn’t count, as they were dismantled in Manhattan, 31-7. Coming off a bye, they will hopefully have a better showing against their former Pac-12 rivals and get their new conference schedule off on the right foot.
However, they will be keeping a close eye on the Kansas State matchup earlier in the day. They are hosting the Oklahoma State Cowboys in a game that Bill Connelly of ESPN has labeled as a “Big 12 Elimination Week I”.
“The teams ranked second (Kansas State), third (Oklahoma State) and fourth (Kansas) in the preseason have all started 0-1 in conference play, and the team ranked fifth (Arizona), though technically 0-0, got blown out by Kansas State in "nonconference" play. SP+ now says that unbeaten Iowa State (sixth in the preseason poll) is the No. 2 favorite, followed closely by UCF (eighth). Even as someone who revels in the thought of Big 12 chaos, this is a lot to take in,” Connelly wrote.
That puts some added pressure on this game, as neither program wants to start the season 0-2 in the conference. An early season hole of that size, especially with other teams thriving, would put them way behind the eight-ball for a potential championship game berth and College Football Playoff spot.
On the other end of the spectrum, the winner of this game will be right back in the title game mix. Such is life in a megaconference that has 16 teams and standings that will be jumbled every week.
Arizona likely doesn’t have a rooting interest in this matchup. Oklahoma State isn’t on their schedule this season, so the only time they would meet up is in a potential championship game matchup.
Given the lopsided loss they took against the Wildcats too weeks ago, maybe they would lean toward the Cowboys coming out ahead, dropping Kansas State to the bottom of the conference standings.
Alas, the outcome doesn't matter too much if the Wildcats cannot get the job done themselves in the evening against the Utes. A victory in Salt Lake City would vault them up the projected standings as the BYU Cougars are the only other ranked opponent currently on their schedule.
