Photo by wvusports.com

Welcome to Week 9 of Big 12 football, where the only thing more unpredictable than the games themselves is trying to figure out which streaming service you need to watch them. This weekend features seven conference matchups on Saturday, October 25, 2025, and the conference race is tighter than your uncle’s grip on the TV remote during Thanksgiving football. BYU stands alone as the conference’s last undefeated team at 7-0, while Cincinnati (6-1) joins them with a perfect 4-0 conference record. Texas Tech (6-1, 3-1) just suffered their first loss to Arizona State, proving once again that nobody survives October unscathed in this conference.

Kansas State (3-4, 2-2 Big 12) at Kansas (4-3, 2-2 Big 12)

12:00 PM ET | TNT
Prediction: Kansas 31, Kansas State 28

The Sunflower Showdown returns, and both teams are perfectly mediocre at 2-2 in conference play, which is basically the Big 12 equivalent of being “Facebook official” in a relationship—everyone knows you’re there, but nobody’s particularly impressed. Kansas State limps in at 3-4 overall, which has Wildcats fans wondering if they accidentally hired the wrong purple team’s coach. The Jayhawks are 4-3 and have somehow become competent at football, which still feels like a glitch in the matrix that nobody’s bothered to patch. Lance Leipold has Kansas playing actual defense now, which is about as surprising as finding out your dad knows how to use TikTok. I’m giving the home team the edge because Lawrence gets loud, and K-State’s offense has the consistency of gas station sushi. Expect both fan bases to be equally disappointed by the fourth quarter, just for different reasons.

#22 BYU (7-0, 4-0 Big 12) at Iowa State (5-2, 2-2 Big 12)

3:30 PM ET | FOX
Prediction: BYU 27, Iowa State 24

This is the game FOX circled in red ink when the schedule came out, because nothing says “marquee matchup” like the Cougars visiting Ames in late October. BYU is the Big 12’s last remaining undefeated team at 7-0 overall and a perfect 4-0 in conference play, which has Cougar fans experiencing emotions they haven’t felt since joining a conference that actually plays defense. Kalani Sitake’s squad has been methodical, efficient, and shockingly competent—all words that historically have not applied to BYU football in November. Iowa State sits at 5-2 and 2-2 in conference, which means they’re good enough to beat teams they shouldn’t and lose to teams they absolutely should’ve handled. Matt Campbell has turned the Cyclones into a perennial “almost” team, and if there was a trophy for moral victories, Jack Trice Stadium would need a bigger trophy case. This game will be decided by whichever team commits fewer turnovers and makes fewer baffling special teams mistakes. I’m taking BYU because they’ve survived every trap game so far, and their divine destiny apparently includes ruining everyone’s playoff brackets. Expect a close, low-scoring affair that somehow ends with both coaches looking frustrated.

Oklahoma State (1-5, 0-3 Big 12) at #14 Texas Tech (6-1, 3-1 Big 12)

4:00 PM ET | ESPNU
Prediction: Texas Tech 42, Oklahoma State 14

Oh boy, where do we even start with this one? Oklahoma State stumbles into Lubbock at 1-5 overall and 0-3 in conference play, fresh off firing legendary coach Mike Gundy after 21 seasons and 170 wins. Nothing says “we’re in a good place” like canning your winningest coach ever three games into a conference schedule. The Cowboys are now being led by interim head coach Doug Meacham, who inherited a dumpster fire that’s somehow still getting worse. Meanwhile, Texas Tech is 6-1 and still very much in the Big 12 race despite suffering their first loss last week to Arizona State 26-22. Joey McGuire has the Red Raiders playing angry football after that defeat, and their offense has been scoring touchdowns like they’re going out of style. This game should come with a mercy rule. Oklahoma State’s defense has been about as effective as a screen door on a submarine, and their offense has scored fewer points than a bad Scrabble hand. Tech will win this by three touchdowns minimum as they take out their frustrations on the hapless Cowboys. Honestly, this might get ugly enough that ESPNU just switches to a documentary about tortillas halfway through.

Baylor (4-2, 2-1 Big 12) at Cincinnati (6-1, 4-0 Big 12)

4:00 PM ET | ESPN2
Prediction: Cincinnati 28, Baylor 23

The Bearcats welcome Baylor to Nippert Stadium in what’s shaping up to be a legitimately important conference game—shocking, I know. Cincinnati sits at 6-1 and 4-0 in Big 12 play, joining BYU as the only teams with perfect conference records. Scott Satterfield has the Bearcats playing sound football, which is more than most people expected when they joined a conference where teams actually have to play defense occasionally. Baylor comes in at 4-2 and 2-1, still trying to figure out if they’re good or just lucky. Dave Aranda’s defense has been solid, but the Bears’ offense has the consistency of a Magic 8-Ball—sometimes it works, sometimes you get “Ask Again Later,” and sometimes it just gives you an error message. This game will be a rock fight in the trenches, featuring approximately 87 three-and-outs and at least one questionable targeting call that will dominate social media for 72 hours. I’m taking Cincinnati at home because they’ve earned it, and Nippert Stadium under the lights is a tough place to win. Plus, Baylor has that look of a team that’s about to lose a game they absolutely should win.

TCU (4-2, 1-2 Big 12) at West Virginia (2-4, 0-3 Big 12)

6:00 PM ET | ESPN+
Prediction: TCU 35, West Virginia 21

In news that will shock absolutely nobody, this game is on ESPN+, the streaming service you forgot you had until you needed to watch a random Big 12 game at 6 PM on a Saturday. TCU arrives in Morgantown at 4-2 overall but just 1-2 in conference play, which means they’ve been feasting on cupcakes and getting demolished by anyone with a pulse. The Horned Frogs need this win desperately if they want to stay relevant in the conference race, though “relevant” might be a strong word. West Virginia is 2-4 and 0-3 in Big 12 play, and Rich Rodriguez’s return to Morgantown has been about as successful as New Coke. The Mountaineers can’t stop anyone on defense, can’t score consistently on offense, and can’t seem to figure out why they thought bringing back their ex-coach was a good idea. This is a classic “loser leaves town” match where neither team really wants to stay in town anyway. TCU should handle this comfortably, but don’t be surprised if they find a way to make it closer than it needs to be, because that’s just what TCU does. The real winner here is anyone who doesn’t have to pay for ESPN+ to watch this.

Houston (5-1, 3-1 Big 12) at Arizona State (5-2, 3-1 Big 12)

8:00 PM ET | ESPN2
Prediction: Arizona State 31, Houston 27

The Cougars travel to Tempe for a sneaky important game between two teams sitting at 3-1 in conference play. Houston is 5-1 overall and has been surprisingly good in their Big 12 debut season, which has everyone wondering if Willie Fritz is actually a football wizard or if the Cougars just scheduled really well. Arizona State is 5-2 and riding high after upsetting previously undefeated Texas Tech last week 26-22, proving that Kenny Dillingham has convinced a bunch of 18-year-olds that playing in a half-empty stadium in the desert is actually cool. The Sun Devils’ offense has been explosive when it clicks, and their defense showed up big against the Red Raiders. Houston’s strength is their defense, which will make this a fascinating chess match until the fourth quarter when it inevitably devolves into a track meet. I’m taking Arizona State at home because Mountain America Stadium at 8 PM is a tough place to play, and because the Sun Devils are playing with newfound confidence after that statement win. Expect a close game decided by special teams, which means both fan bases will be screaming at their kickers by midnight.

Colorado (3-4, 1-3 Big 12) at Utah (5-2, 2-2 Big 12)

10:15 PM ET | ESPN
Prediction: Utah 34, Colorado 20

And here we are, the nightcap, where Deion Sanders and his perfectly curated social media team roll into Salt Lake City to face Kyle Whittingham’s Utah Utes. Colorado is 3-4 overall and 1-3 in conference, which means Prime Time is learning that recruiting five-stars and posting motivational videos doesn’t actually win you conference games in the Big 12. The Buffaloes’ defense has been about as reliable as a weather app in Colorado—sometimes accurate, usually disappointing, and almost always surprising in the worst way. Utah sits comfortably at 5-2 and 2-2 in Big 12 play, doing what they do best: playing fundamentally sound football and making opposing offenses look like they’ve never seen a blitz package before. Whittingham has been coaching football since the Roosevelt administration (Teddy, not Franklin) and he’s seen every trick in the book, including whatever Deion is trying to pull. The Utes will win this game in the trenches, control the clock, and generally make Colorado’s stars look mortal. This game kicks off at 10:15 PM ET, which means East Coast fans will be asleep by halftime, and West Coast fans will be three drinks deep and overly invested in a game between two teams that won’t make the playoff. Utah by two touchdowns, and Colorado will post inspirational quotes about adversity all week.

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The Bottom Line

Week 9 of Big 12 football is where dreams go to die and chaos reigns supreme. BYU stands alone as the conference’s last undefeated team at 7-0, facing their toughest road test yet at Iowa State. Meanwhile, Texas Tech looks to bounce back from their first loss and stay in the title hunt, while Cincinnati tries to keep pace with a perfect conference record. The race is wide open, which is fantastic if you love unpredictability and terrible if you’re trying to figure out who actually deserves a playoff spot.

Will BYU survive the trip to Ames with their perfect record intact? Can Texas Tech demolish a broken Oklahoma State team and get back on track? Will anyone figure out how to watch TCU at West Virginia without ESPN+? (Answer: no.) Tune in Saturday to find out, and remember: in the Big 12, the only guarantee is that nothing is guaranteed, and everyone will complain about the refs.

Score Predictions Summary:

• Kansas 31, Kansas State 28
• BYU 27, Iowa State 24
• Texas Tech 42, Oklahoma State 14
• Cincinnati 28, Baylor 23
• TCU 35, West Virginia 21
• Arizona State 31, Houston 27
• Utah 34, Colorado 20