Big 12 football picks, predictions for the Week 10 slate

Saturday, Nov. 7, is what most people are calling the best weekend of the 2026 college football season. It is hard to argue with that, with a marquee matchup seemingly in every time slot on Saturday.

The Big 12 is part of the madness, and you could argue the conference has the best matchup of the weekend: the Holy War between No. 3 Utah and No. 9 BYU in Salt Lake City.

Other conference games include a solid matchup between Cincinnati and Houston and Colorado visiting Arizona State. Arizona hosts TCU Friday evening to kick off the Big 12 Week 10 slate.

Our Buffaloes Wire staff picked all the conference games straight up, plus a few other marquee matchups. Here are our expert picks for Week 10

All games are scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 7, and all times are Mountain Time unless noted.

No. 22 Arizona vs. TCU

Friday, 8:15 p.m., ESPN

Ariana: Arizona

Arizona has been the more consistent team throughout this season. Their only losses have come against ranked teams - BYU and Texas Tech. They have an incredibly talented quarterback in Noah Fifita, and Isaiah Mizell has flown under the radar as one of the Big 12's most talented receivers. TCU has played well recently, but I trust the Wildcats more.

Charlie: Arizona

Noah Fifita is playing some of the best football of his career, and I don't trust TCU's defense to slow him down. The Horned Frogs might keep it close at home, but Arizona has too much firepower offensively, starting with Isaiah Mizell.

No. 3 Utah vs. No. 9 BYU

10 a.m., ABC

Ariana: Utah

Utah seems like the better team so far this season. Even when facing adversity, they have found ways to win without any controversy. BYU cannot say the same; I still wonder if they would have defeated Notre Dame if the Fighting Irish had gotten one more play, as they should have. Utes running back Wayshawn Parker is playing incredibly well, while BYU's LJ Martin has been battling injuries and most likely will not play in this game.

On a separate note, the Big 12 would be better off if Utah won. They are the only undefeated team left and the only Big 12 team that has a chance at a first-round bye in the playoffs. While it would help BYU’s playoff chances to win, it would hurt the conference overall to lose their final undefeated team.

Charlie: Utah

The Holy War has massive Big 12 and College Football Playoff implications, and I think Utah is the more complete team. Devon Dampier's ability to make plays with his legs will be the difference in a close game. Give me the Utes to remain undefeated and further cement themselves as the Big 12's best team.

Baylor vs. Iowa State

10 a.m., FS1

Ariana: Baylor

Baylor is coming off a dominant victory against UCF, where they allowed the Knights to score only nine points. Iowa State comes away with wins when they are facing a team with a bad defense, such as Oklahoma State. However, the Bears' defense has played quite well this season, and it will give Baylor its sixth win of the season, officially making them bowl-eligible.

Charlie: Baylor

Iowa State showed some life offensively against Oklahoma State, scoring in the high forties, but the Cowboys are far from a defensive powerhouse. Baylor is coming off an impressive defensive performance against UCF, and I think the Bears carry that momentum into another win.

Kansas State vs. Oklahoma State

11 a.m., TNT

Ariana: Oklahoma State

With Avery Johnson potentially being out for the season, Kansas State's season may be destroyed. Oklahoma State's defense is struggling, which the Cyclones proved last week with their 51-49 win over the Cowboys. However, they haven't lost two games in a row this season, and Drew Mestemaker is considered one of the best quarterbacks in college football right now. I would bet on Mestemaker to get Oklahoma State this win, allowing them to be officially bowl-eligible.

Charlie: Oklahoma State

Both teams are coming off disappointing losses, but Oklahoma State has the clear advantage at quarterback with Drew Mestemaker. Kansas State's quarterback situation is a mess, but I was impressed with Blake Barnett against Colorado last week and think he will put up some points.

No. 17 Houston vs. Cincinnati

1:30 p.m., Fox

Ariana: Houston

Cincinnati had an impressive win against Texas Tech, but they are not consistently good enough to keep taking down ranked teams. Houston is similar to Arizona; they are a very talented team with two losses to ranked teams - Texas Tech and Utah. The Cougars are in line to potentially play in the Pop-Tarts Bowl, whereas Cincinnati has not become bowl-eligible yet. Houston wins this game, and the Bearcats must wait another week to get to six wins.

Charlie: Houston

Cincinnati has already proven it can pull off a major upset at home, but I think that was a one-time occurrence. I expect a close game at Nippert Stadium, with Conner Weigman making enough plays to get the Cougars another important Big 12 win.

Kansas vs. UCF

1:45 p.m., ESPN2

Charlie: Kansas

This is a tough one to pick, especially with UCF playing at home. However, the Knights followed up their impressive win over BYU with a very ugly loss to Baylor. Kansas has been competitive against some good teams, and I think the Jayhawks find a way to steal one on the road.

Arizona State vs. Colorado

5:30 p.m., ESPN2

We shared our Colorado-Arizona State predictions in a separate post, with each staff member providing a final-score prediction and thoughts on the game.

No. 15 Texas Tech vs. West Virginia

7:30 p.m., ESPN

Ariana: Texas Tech

West Virginia has a good team, perhaps even better than expected this season. But they still do not have the roster to take down a top-15 team like Texas Tech. The only thing that would make me question whether the Mountaineers could pull off the win is their talented run game. The Red Raiders lost to Cincinnati because of the run game, and West Virginia is even better at running the ball. This could be an upset to watch, but I still think Texas Tech wins.

Charlie: Texas Tech

West Virginia's rushing attack concerns me, especially after watching Cincinnati expose Texas Tech's defense. However, the Red Raiders have too much talent to lose another game they should win. I expect Tech to pull away in the second half as they did against Arizona.

No. 5 Alabama at No. 14 LSU

1:30 p.m., ABC

Ariana: LSU

Honestly, I would prefer Alabama to win (something I never thought I would say) because of my disdain for Lane Kiffin. However, given the Crimson Tide's struggles on offense, even in their win over Texas A&M, and the Tigers' dominant wins over Mississippi State and Auburn, LSU seems like the better team in this matchup. They also have home-field advantage, and Alabama has struggled on the road, which further supports LSU winning.

Charlie: Alabama

I'm not ready to count out Alabama even in Death Valley. The Crimson Tide haven't looked particularly impressive offensively, but I trust their defense to make enough stops against an LSU offense led by Sam Leavitt that honestly really doesn't excite me.

No. 1 Miami at No. 11 Notre Dame

5:30 p.m., NBC

Ariana: Notre Dame

Losing Malachi Toney for the rest of the regular season with a high ankle sprain is devastating for Miami's offense. Toney has over 1,000 receiving yards, but no other receiver on the Hurricanes has over 400 receiving yards. Simply put, they do not have the talent to make up for his loss, at least not against Notre Dame.

Charlie: Notre Dame

I agree that losing Malachi Toney is a massive blow, especially heading into South Bend against a Notre Dame team desperate for a signature win. The Fighting Irish have plenty to prove after their controversial loss to BYU. The spread being a touchdown in favor of the Irish is suspicious, though, and I expect a much closer game

No. 2 Georgia at No. 10 Ole Miss

5:30 p.m., ABC

Ariana: Georgia

I know Ole Miss is at home, but Georgia is the better overall team. In fact, they appear to be the most well-rounded team in college football, especially after Malachi Toney's injury, which could severely impact Miami's season. Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss also has eight interceptions compared to Gunner Stockton's four, which gives me more confidence in the Bulldogs.

Charlie: Ole Miss

Georgia might be the best team in the country, but that home loss to Auburn sticks with me. Winning in Oxford is never easy, and Trinidad Chambliss will need to protect the football, but I think Ole Miss makes enough explosive plays to pull off the upset and shake up the College Football Playoff race.

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