Weekend Watch Guide: An Oklahoma State Fan’s Guide to Week 9 of the College Football Season

The final weekend of October is upon us, meaning the feeling of importance about every game it about to be turned up a notch.

With Oklahoma State headed out to West Texas for a game that, on paper, doesn’t look to be pretty, lets take a look at some of the best games around the Big 12 and country.

Big 12 Schedule

Kansas State (3-4) at Kansas (4-3) — 11 a.m. Saturday on TNT
No. 11 BYU (7-0) at Iowa State (5-2) — 2:30 p.m. Saturday on FOX
Oklahoma State (1-6) at No. 14 Texas Tech (6-1) — 3 p.m. Saturday on ESPNU
Baylor (4-3) at No. 21 Cincinnati (6-1) — 3 p.m. Saturday on ESPN2
TCU (5-2) at West Virginia (2-5) — 5 p.m. Saturday on ESPN+
Houston (6-1) at No. 24 Arizona State (5-2) — 7 p.m. Saturday on ESPN2
Colorado (3-4) at Utah (5-2) — 9:15 p.m. Saturday on ESPN

Sunflower Showdown: It’s not been the ideal start of the season for either of the Kansas schools, so neither will want to drop this rivalry game.

After starting 1-3, K-State has bounced back to win two of its past three. The only loss in that stretch was a one-point defeat in Waco.

Kansas’ losses are all quality (No. 15 Missouri, No. 21 Cincinnati and No. 14 Texas Tech), but three losses are still three losses.

The Jayhawks haven’t beaten the Wildcats since 2008, but the last two meetings were decided by a combined total of six points.

BYU-Iowa State: These two teams are entering this game in two vastly different spots. Undefeated BYU is coming off a the high of besting rival Utah in the Holy War. Iowa State has dropped two in a row and is coming off a bye.

BYU’s strength of schedule has been called into question this year, but the Cougars have the Cyclones, Texas Tech and Cincy left on their schedule, so collecting wins to cushion their Big 12 standing would be ideal. Iowa State’s Big 12 title hopes can’t take many more losses.

Houston-Arizona State: Speaking of teams with a Cougar as their mascot that have strength of schedule questions, Houston is 6-1 but have to go to Tempe this weekend. The Cougars’ only loss this season is to Texas Tech, but a win against the Sun Devils would undeniably put the Cougars in the title hunt.

Arizona State is back in that hunt after it upset Tech last week, with the Sun Devils’ only Big 12 loss at this point being to Utah.

Other Games to Watch

UCLA (3-4) at No. 2 Indiana (7-0) — 11 a.m. Saturday on FOX
No. 18 USF (6-1) at Memphis (6-1) — 11 a.m. Saturday on ESPN2
No. 15 Missouri (6-1) at No. 10 Vanderbilt (6-1) — 2:30 p.m. Saturday on ESPN
No. 3 Texas A&M (7-0) at No. 20 LSU (5-2) — 6:30 p.m. Saturday on ABC

UCLA-Indiana: The Hosiers proved themselves as national contenders when they went to Oregon and left victorious, but this UCLA team has been tripping opponents up over recent weeks.  The Bruins have won three in a row after starting 0-4. Indiana is the better squad, but can the Bruins keep this magical run going?

USF-Memphis: This game is big in the Group of Five playoff hunt, and it also pins two coaches who have been on many hot boards against each other. Alex Golesh’s Bulls have cruised past everyone since their loss to Miami, averaging 57 points a contest through their past four games. Ryan Silverfield’s Tigers are coming off an upset loss to UAB after the Blazers axed Trent Dilfer.

Mizzou-Vandy: Just as everyone would’ve expected five years ago, this late October matchup between Missouri and Vanderbilt is big for the College Football Playoff picture. The only loss on both of these teams’ schedules are to Alabama.

A&M-LSU: A&M doesn’t have the toughest of conference slates in the SEC, avoiding teams like Alabama, Georgia, Ole Miss and Vanderbilt, but the Aggies have played the schedule put in front of them and now have a solid shot at both the College Football Playoff and the SEC title. LSU, meanwhile, will either jump right back into the CFP hunt with a win or be forced to answer question’s of Brian Kelly’s future with a loss.

Watercooler Talk

No. 8 Ole Miss (6-1) at No. 13 Oklahoma (6-1) — 11 a.m. Saturday on ABC
Temple (4-3) at Tulsa (2-5) — 2:30 p.m. Saturday on ESPN+

Big Ten Separation?

Northwestern (5-2) at Nebraska (5-2) — 11 a.m. Saturday on FS1
No. 23 Illinois (5-2) at Washington (5-2) — 2:30 p.m. Saturday on Big Ten Network
Minnesota (5-2) at Iowa (5-2) — 2:30 p.m. Saturday on CBS

The Big Ten contenders have seemed to separate themselves from the pack with Ohio State, Indiana and Oregon looking like the class of the league, but there’s a clump of schools below that line looking to linger around the conference title hunt. As you can see, a lot of those clumped schools play each other this weekend.