{
  "id": 15028829,
  "title": "Top Big 12 football games to watch, best matchups and upset pick",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/top-big-12-football-games-to-watch-best-matchups-and-upset-pick",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-16T19:45:34.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/top-big-12-football-games-194534842.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "This week promises to be exciting for Big 12 football, with several top matchups and potential upsets. The best game of the week is likely to be Notre Dame vs. BYU, both teams ranked in the top 10 and undefeated. Notre Dame has gone unbeaten this season, while BYU has come close against TCU and Iowa State. This will be BYU's first game against a ranked team and a matchup of their strong defenses.\n\nAnother closely watched game is Houston vs. Oklahoma State, despite Houston being favored due to Oklahoma State's recent loss to Texas Tech. Oklahoma State is ranked higher in the AP poll and has a talented quarterback, Drew Mestemaker, who has thrown for over 1,500 yards in just five games. Still, Houston is a well-rounded team capable of beating any opponent.\n\nOther notable games include Cincinnati vs. West Virginia, where the Mountaineers are favored at home despite losing their last three games. Both offenses rely heavily on the run, which will likely determine the winner. Utah will take on Colorado, hoping to stay undefeated, while Colorado tries to secure their first Big 12 win. Kansas will face off against Kansas State in an intense intrastate rivalry, and Texas Tech is favored against Arizona State. Baylor is also favored to beat TCU.\n\nThree teams in the Big 12 are on a bye: Arizona, Iowa State, and UCF, with Arizona entering the break with a 2-1 conference record. The rest of the teams are currently 1-2 in Big 12 play.",
  "summary": "Notre Dame-BYU and Oklahoma State-Houston headline the Big 12's Week 7 slate, while Cincinnati-West Virginia is another interesting matchup.",
  "key_points": [
    "Notre Dame vs. BYU, top 10 ranked and undefeated",
    "Houston favored over Oklahoma State, despite recent loss",
    "Cincinnati vs. West Virginia, run-heavy offenses crucial"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}