Big 12 Week 7 Matchups and Predictions

Kansas State at Colorado highlights the Big 12 slate, while several marquee games take place outside of the conference in Week 7.

Sep 28, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) rolls out to pass against the UCF Knights during the first quarter at FBC Mortgage Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images / Mike Watters-Imagn Images

Week 7 of college football has arrived, and this week will help establish the true rankings of the Big 12.

This week is exclusively conference play! There are five conference games. The best game of the week is Kansas State versus Colorado. Both teams look to prove themselves as contenders for the conference. This is a prime opportunity for both teams to win an in-conference game.

*Baylor, Houston, Kansas, Oklahoma State, TCU, and Texas Tech all have their bye week this week.

Big 12 Week 7 Matchups and Predictions

All times listed are Central Time.

#16 Utah at Arizona State

Friday 9:30 p.m., ESPN

Oct 5, 2024; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils quarterback Sam Leavitt (10) against Kansas Jayhawks defensive end Dylan Wudke (95) in the second half at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Utah has looked shaky ever since they lost quarterback Cam Rising. Isaac Wilson has not played particularly well and has thrown more interceptions than touchdowns. The win against Oklahoma State has increasingly looked worse and worse, as the Cowboys have been exposed for three weeks straight. Arizona State has everything it needs to beat Utah this week. This is a night and home game for the Sun Devils. Also, ASU's quarterback Sam Leavitt and running back Cam Skattebo deliver a lethal one-two punch. Leavitt is a phenomenal runner, and his ability makes it very hard for teams to plan for. Arizona State will shock many people and win or keep this game very close.

Pick: Arizona State

Cincinnati at UCF

Saturday, 2:30 p.m., ESPN2

Sep 28, 2024; Lubbock, Texas, USA; Cincinnati Bearcats quarterback Brendan Sorsby (2) is tackled by Texas Tech Red Raiders defensive back Ben Roberts (13) in the second half at Jones AT&T Stadium and Cody Campbell Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images / Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images

The Bearcats travel to the Bounce House this weekend for what should be a close game. Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby is playing like a top-five quarterback in the nation. He has thrown for 1481 yards with twelve touchdowns and just one interception. Sorsby has the fifteenth most passing yards in the country and is tied for the least interceptions in the top fifteen quarterbacks. He has done all that with the fortieth-most attempts of any quarterback. UCF has a superb rushing attack, with running backs R.J. Harvey and Penny Boone, who may be the best duo in the country. UCF is ranked as the 103rd team in the country against the pass, whereas Cincinnati is ranked 83rd against the run. This game will come down to who can stop the other's strong suit. The spread is -3 UCF; I think Cincinnati will win this game outright.

Pick: Cincinnati

Arizona at #14 BYU

Saturday, 3:00 p.m., FOX

Oct 5, 2024; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan (4) catches the football against Texas Tech Red Raiders during second quarter at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images / Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

If there were an award for overachievers of the year, BYU would win it. Vanderbilt may have beat Alabama, but nobody had BYU being a top fourteen team. BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff is doing enough to win games. The real strength of BYU comes from its stout defense, which held SMU to fifteen points and Kansas State to nine. This game should be a great test for the team. Arizona has Tetairoa McMillan, one of the top three wide receivers in the nation. He has thirty-seven receptions for 664 yards and four touchdowns. Arizona quarterback Noah Fafita is having a sophomore slump this season, but still a great quarterback. This matchup will be determined by whether BYU's defense can stop Arizona's offense.

Pick: BYU

#11 Iowa State at West Virginia

Iowa State Cyclones quarterback Rocco Becht (3) passes the ball over Baylor Bears safety DJ Coleman (33) during the first quarter in the NCAA football at Jack Trice Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Ames, Iowa. / Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Saturday, 7:00 p.m., FOX

West Virginia beat Oklahoma State handily and looks to shock the country by beating Iowa State. Morgantown is one of the toughest environments in the country to play in. This will make it even harder for a not-great Iowa State offense to play. Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht is playing smart with the ball; he has only thrown three interceptions. Iowa State's game plan will use different stunts and blitzing packages to confuse and pressure Garret Greene. He struggled against the blitz when playing Penn State and Pittsburgh. Greene is not a quarterback who will cost you the game consistently, but he will not win the game with his athleticism. This will be a close game due to the environment and the fact that the Mountaineers average the thirteenth most rushing yards per game; can the Cyclones stop it?

Pick: Iowa State

#18 Kansas State at Colorado

Sep 21, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) dives as he catches a pass during the second half against the Baylor Bears at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images / Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images

Saturday, 9:15 p.m., ESPN

This whole season, I have said that Kansas State is the best team in the Big 12. I just think this is a really hard matchup for the Wildcats. Colorado has a terrible rushing attack, and Kansas State is the sixteenth-best team in the nation against the run; this is not what I am worried about. I am concerned about how Colorado averages the ninth most passing yards per game in the country, and Kansas State is the 101st team against the pass. Additionally, Kansas State lacks speed on defense. Colorado has two players with elite speed: wide receivers Travis Hunter and Jimmy Horn Jr. Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders is playing very well this year and has continued to thrive in this offense. Both teams are coming off a bye, which helps the Buffs more because it gives Hunter more time to rest, which is crucial because he plays both ways. This being a night game in Boulder, with everything stated above, will be the reason the Buffs win.

Pick: Colorado

Week 6 Big Games Outside the Big 12

#1Texas vs. #18 Oklahoma

Saturday, 2:30 p.m., ABC

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) snaps the ball during the game against Mississippi State at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. / Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

This game will be the story of whether Oklahoma can score more than thirty points. If they can, they can win this game. Oklahoma's defense has looked great this year, but they have had a hard time scoring offensively. The Sooners benched quarterback Jackson Arnold in favor of Michael Hawkins Jr. after a very slow start to the season. Both teams are coming off a bye, which gives more time for Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers to get healthy, not that backup quarterback Arch Manning is struggling. Both are fantastic options, which will make the game hard to plan for the Sooners. For that reason, and because Texas has more talent in skill positions, such as wide receiver Isaiah Bond and running back Jerrick Gibson, I think Texas will win the game.

Pick: Texas

#4 Penn State at USC

Saturday, 2:30 p.m., CBS

Oct 5, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; USC Trojans quarterback Miller Moss (7) runs the ball against the Minnesota Golden Gophers during the first half at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

This is the best Penn State team in many years. Even still, they are a team of frauds. They have struggled against teams they should be able to kill and have a hard time putting games away. Penn State quarterback Drew Allar is playing up to his potential this season and has thrown nine touchdowns to one interception. This is great, but he struggled against Illinois, the only good team he played this season, throwing for 135 yards on fifteen completions. USC has the number thirteen passing defense in the nation and will give him a hard time. Penn State overall is rated as the fourth-best defense in the country in terms of yards per game allowed. They have a great defense but have yet to play a serious offensive threat. USC quarterback Miller Moss is a good quarterback who lacks experience, but he makes up for what he lacks in experience in arm talent. Penn State runs the ball well, and USC is seventy-eighth against the run. This is crucial. The Trojans need to find a way to stop the rush. I do not have faith in the Nittany Lions and think they are the fifth-best team in the Big 10.

Pick: USC

#9 Ole Miss at #13 LSU

Saturday, 6:30 p.m., ABC

Oct 5, 2024; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; Mississippi Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart (2) passes against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the second quarter at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images / Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

Ole Miss is one of the most entertaining teams to watch right now. The Rebels are led by quarterback Jaxson Dart, who has the second most passing yards in the football. After a fantastic season last year, he is establishing himself as a top quarterback in college football. On my list, he is the best quarterback right now. Rebels wide receiver Tre Harris leads the nation in receiving yards. Ole Miss's offense only struggled against Kentucky this year, who may be the best 3-2 team in football.

LSU's defense struggled against USC's quarterback, Miller Moss, and I expect them to do the same against Dart. Both teams are in the top ten in the nation in passing yards per game; Ole Miss is number 2, and LSU is number 7. The Rebels average 576.8 yards per game, the second most in the nation. Ole Miss has the best-running defense in the country, and that is because of transfer player Walter Nolan from Texas A&M. They have used him very well to force double teams, so there is almost always a mismatch. LSU is led by quarterback Garret Nussmeier, who has played very well this year. Nussmeier has thrown for 1652 yards with 15 touchdowns and four interceptions. This night game is in Death Valley, which is probably the most brutal environment in football. The environment can make LSU beat anyone; Ole Miss would win comfortably at home. I think the Rebels win, but in a close game.

Pick: Ole Miss

#2 Ohio State at #3 Oregon

Saturday, 6:30 p.m., NBC

Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel throws out a pass as the Ducks host the Spartans Friday, Oct. 4, 2024 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

I am a big believer in head coach Dan Lanning and quarterback Dillon Gabriel. They struggled to start the season but have started playing well recently. Ohio State has played brilliantly this season, they have looked like the best team in the Big 10 all season. This is the Buckeyes' first challenge of the season. Ohio State quarterback Will Howard has played well this season. Buckeyes' running Quinshon Judkins transferred from Ole Miss and has looked amazing this season. He averages 7.8 yards per carry and should be an issue for the Ducks defense. Ohio State's defense defense gives up the least yards per play of any team in the nation. I think the Buckeyes win this game.

Pick: Ohio State

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