Big 12 Football Predictions: Our Picks for Week 9

SALT LAKE CITY – It’s time for another week of Big 12 football predictions.

The ninth week of the Big 12 football season offers championship contenders an opportunity to create distance in the standings. Meanwhile, some teams are trying to get back into the win column.

Each week throughout the 2024 Big 12 season, our insiders here at KSL Sports, Mitch Harper and Steve Bartle, will share their weekly Big 12 football predictions. Follow their coverage throughout the season on their personal X accounts: @Mitch_Harper & @BartleKSLsports.

Big 12 rankings enter week nine

• BYU – 4-0 (7-0 overall)
• Iowa State – 4-0 (7-0)
• Kansas State – 3-1 (6-1)
• Colorado – 3-1 (5-2)
• Texas Tech – 3-1 (5-2)
• Cincinnati – 3-1 (5-2)
• Arizona State – 2-2 (5-2)
• TCU – 2-2 (4-3)
• West Virginia – 2-2 (3-4)
• Utah – 1-3 (4-3)
• Arizona – 1-3 (3-4)
• Baylor – 1-3 (3-4)
• UCF – 1-3 (3-4)
• Kansas – 1-3 (2-5)
• Houston – 1-3 (2-5)
• Oklahoma State – 0-4 (3-4)

Big 12 Football Predictions: Week 9 of the 2024 Season

Here’s the seven-game slate to kick off our eighth edition of Big 12 football predictions.

Season totals

(Until week 8)

• Steve Bartle: 58-20
• Mitch Harper: 57-21

No. 11 BYU at UCF

• Saturday, October 26th
• Kick-off: 1:30 p.m. (MT)
• TV: ESPN
• Radio: KSL NewsRadio (102.7 FM, 1160 AM) – Extended preview begins at 9 p.m

Insider Predictions

• Steve Bartle: UCF
• Mitch Harper: BYU

RELATED: BYU calls UCF ‘Best 3-4 team in the country’

BYU’s run defense suffered a disappointment last week against Oklahoma State. After going against Mike Gundy for a bye week, I’m willing to give them a mulligan. There are no exceptions this week. The Knights are a one-dimensional team with QB Jacurri Brown. BYU’s run defense will bounce back. Plus, no one is talking about the emergence of a BYU ground attack. LJ Martin is a star in the making. -Harper

This probably isn’t the smart decision, but I’m calling for a surprise in Orlando this weekend. Gus Malzahn knows he needs a big win. After pulling off a surprise offense against Iowa State last week, his program will make another attempt this weekend. The Cougars went on an incredible run and turned the college football world on its head. That’s not to say the run is over, but after watching Ollie Gordon and Oklahoma State – who were near the bottom of the league before the game – run for 269 yards at 7.2 yards per pop against the Cougars, the top -Rushing Unit of the Season It’s tough to beat the conference. -Bartle

Oklahoma State at Baylor

• Saturday, October 26th
• Kick-off: 1:30 p.m. (MT)
• TV: Big 12 Now on ESPN+

Insider Predictions

• Steve Bartle: Baylor
• Mitch Harper: Baylor

Baylor FINALLY got the win they came so close to all season. A major upset over Texas Tech has reignited some confidence and optimism in the program. Oklahoma State has Alan Bowman back at the helm. The Bears win. -Bartle

Sawyer Robertson at quarterback changed everything for Baylor. The Bears are poised to make a second run this season. They drive past Oklahoma State. -Harper

Texas Tech at TCU

• Saturday, October 26th
• Kick-off: 1:30 p.m. (MT)
• TV: FOX

Insider Predictions

• Steve Bartle: Texas Tech
• Mitch Harper: TCU

TCU had a dominant performance against Utah. Much of this is due to Utah’s own ineptitude. Texas Tech won’t make it that easy. The Red Raiders were a good, balanced team that seemed to have a bad weekend. The Red Raiders bounce back with a hard-fought win over the Horned Frogs. -Bartle

Both teams are up and down, but the offenses are strong and the defenses are unconvincing. This game has the makings of an old-school Big 12 shootout. Horned frogs at close range. -Harper

Utah in Houston

• Saturday, October 26th
• Kick-off: 5:00 p.m. (MT)
• TV: Big 12 Now on ESPN+

Insider Predictions

• Steve Bartle: Utah
• Mitch Harper: Utah

RELATED: Utah prepares to transition to Houston

This will be a hard-fought game. That’s crazy considering how safe Utah looked a few weeks ago. But the Utes are in transition, making it difficult to know exactly what to count on. The defense was tough, not perfect, but really good and motivated to get better. With the change at offensive coordinator, the focus must be on building a foundation for Wilson’s execution. With a few tweaks, that should mean the offense scores more than 7 points this week, right? -Bartle

If Utah loses this game, they will not play in a bowl game this season. Houston is expected to have Zeon Chriss back at quarterback this week. He was injured in the loss at Kansas. Still, I can’t see Utah losing to this Houston team. -Harper

West Virginia in Arizona

• Saturday, October 26th
• Kick-off: 5:00 p.m. (MT)
• TV: FS1

Insider Predictions

• Steve Bartle: West Virginia
• Mitch Harper: Arizona

Both teams are struggling. Arizona’s defense losing Jacob Manu is significant, but this is a three-time zone game. We saw on the road in Cincy last week how much of an impact this has had on Arizona State. This week it’s West Virginia. Give me the Wildcats to get a much-needed win. -Harper

The only team that has had as much injury luck as Utah this season has been Arizona, and the results are similar. The Wildcats are struggling and it’s hard to imagine that changing any time soon. The Mountaineers get the win on the road. -Bartle

Kansas at No. 16 Kansas State

• Saturday, October 26th
• Kick-off: 6:00 p.m. (MT)
• TV: ESPN2

Insider Predictions

• Steve Bartle: Kansas State
• Mitch Harper: Kansas State

I imagine this game will be surprisingly competitive. Ultimately, I think the Wildcats are getting the job done, but it will be deep into the 4^Th quarter before the Wildcats pull away. -Bartle

Kansas never beats Kansas State in the Sunflower Showdown. I don’t expect that to change this week in the Little Apple. -Harper

Cincinnati, Colorado

• Saturday, October 26th
• Kick-off: 8:15 p.m. (MT)
• TV: ESPN

Insider Predictions

• Steve Bartle: Colorado
• Mitch Harper: Colorado

The Buffs play good football on both sides. They’ve even figured out how to run the ball effectively. Colorado will simply be too much for the Bearcats. -Bartle

Colorado sends another statement late last night that people need to take this team seriously. -Harper

Steve Bartle is the Utah insider for KSL Sports. He hosts the Utah Blockcast (SUBSCRIBE) and appears on KSL Sports Zone to beat the Utes. You can follow him on X for the latest Utah updates and game analysis.

Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (12-3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on X: @Mitch_Harper.

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