Exploring Big 12 Matchups That Might Impact Arizona State

The Sun Devils play a crucial game on Saturday - but other conference games are worth paying attention to as well.

Dec 7, 2024; Arlington, TX, USA; Iowa State Cyclones wide receiver Jayden Higgins (9) catches a pass in front of Arizona State Sun Devils defensive back Kyan McDonald (38) during the second half at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

TEMPE -- Kenny Dillingham's Arizona State Sun Devils are seeking to move to 3-0 in Big 12 play on Saturday night when they take on the Utah Utes in a road battle.

Arizona State will have an opportunity to win despite QB Sam Leavitt being ruled out on Friday afternoon per multiple sources.

There are other Big 12 games that are of interest to Sun Devil fans outside of the night-cap game - ASU on SI explores the implications of a small handful of the other games within the league below.

UCF @ Cincinnati

Cincinnati has become an under-the-radar contender in the Big 12 after defeating Iowa State at home last week.

This week, the Bearcats look to remain undefeated against a UCF team that has been better than expected, but also is dealing with numerous injuries at quarterback.

Iowa State @ Colorado

Iowa State is traveling to face a Colorado squad that has competed with BYU and TCU in recent weeks coming off of a massive loss last week.

An Iowa State loss eliminates them from Big 12 title contention for all intents an purposes - before they even face the Sun Devils on November 1.

Rocco Becht and Matt Campbell will look to squeeze out a victory against Deion Sanders' team that has shown great fight in recent weeks as previously mentioned.

Kansas @ Texas Tech

Kansas remains a sneaky factor in the race for the Big 12 title, as their only blemish to this point is. 37-34 loss to Cincinnati.

More important is Texas Tech - the top-10 ranked Red Raiders have dominated their first five games from wire-to-wire and get a home battle before traveling to Tempe to face the Sun Devils next week.

QB Behren Morton is coming off of a strong performance as well, as he has the potential to settle in fully for the October 18 game.

BYU @ Arizona

Brigham Young is ranked inside of the top 20 following a fairly convincing 5-0 start to the season. They have faced a general lack of high-level competition, but the trip to Tucson will be fascinating for freshman QB Bear Bachmeier.

Arizona isn't a superb squad, but Noah Fifita is experiencing a bit of a resurgence after struggling in 2024, and the Wildcats have nearly secured enough victories ro secure bowl eligibility.

Arizona State does not face BYU this season, while the Wildcats visit to Tempe in the last game of the regular season on November 28.

Read more about Arizona State basketball coach Bobby Hurley speaking directly to fans ahead of the start of the 2025 season here, and on previewing key individual Utah players ahead of the Sun Devil football game on Saturday here.

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