Oklahoma State and BYU Set to Kick Off Big 12's Busy Week 8
Oklahoma State has many questions as it faces the second half of 2024, but Week 8 could be a turning point.
OSU has a bye week after playing each of the season’s first six weeks, but it will be at the forefront of the next week of the Big 12 slate. On Monday, the Big 12 announced the times and broadcast information for its Week 8 matchups.
While OSU’s matchup at BYU was already slated for a 9:15 p.m. kickoff on Friday, Oct. 18, the conference’s announcement was a reminder of the hectic weekend coming up. As the Big 12 expanded to 16 teams this season, Week 8 will mark the first time in conference history that eight conference matchups will take place.
OSU and BYU will be the lone matchup to take place before the seven-game slate on Saturday. While OSU is off this week, BYU will play in Week 7, hosting Arizona. If the Cougars can take care of business at home, they will move to 6-0, surpassing their win total from 2023.
Coming into the season, it would not have been surprising to potentially see a matchup between a .500 team and an undefeated team on Oct. 18. However, OSU being the .500 team and BYU being a potential 6-0 squad was not something anyone expected.
OSU turned its season around in 2023 with a Friday night game after a bye week. With that matchup against Kansas State in Stillwater, the Cowboys will have a much tougher time finding that same luck in a late-night game in Provo.
Considering the Cougars are in the middle of the Big 12 title race, OSU’s game there will be one of many with conference championship implications in Week 8. But with OSU firmly out of the race, its role has been reduced to spoiler moving forward.
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Ivan is a sports media student at Oklahoma State University. He has covered OSU athletics since 2022 and also covers the OKC Thunder for Inside The Thunder and Thunderous Intentions.