Ranking the Big 12's Most Exciting Week 3 Games

The conference will have plenty of interesting action this weekend.

Oct 21, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; General view of the Big 12 logo on the field at TDECU Stadium before the game between the Houston Cougars and the Texas Longhorns. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Oklahoma State might not be in action in Week 3, but plenty of intriguing Big 12 matchups are on the slate.

Last week, the Cowboys didn’t exactly make the Big 12 look good with their 69-3 loss at Oregon, but with the Pokes sidelined this weekend, the conference has a chance to make some noise again. 

Big 12’s Top 5 Games of Week 3

1. Colorado at Houston (Friday @ 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPN)

This matchup automatically gets the top spot because it’s the only Big 12 conference game of the week. With Colorado and Houston each hoping to make it into the Big 12 title race this season as dark horses, this matchup could somewhat crush the Buffaloes’ hopes early or solidify the Cougars as an improved squad to watch out for.

2. Pittsburgh at West Virginia (2:30 p.m. on ESPN)

While it would be easy to disregard the Mountaineers after they lost at Ohio last week, there’s something about the Backyard Brawl that could help turn the tide for West Virginia. Although it hasn’t been pretty for the Mountaineers early this season, a matchup at home against a bitter rival might be all it takes for Rich Rodriguez’s squad to turn things on ahead of Big 12 play.

3. Kansas State at Arizona (Friday @ 8 p.m. on Fox)

Although this is a matchup of two conference teams, it won’t go down as a Big 12 game, with this nonconference game already scheduled before realignment brought Arizona to the Big 12. Still, this matchup of Wildcats could serve as a perfect opportunity for Kansas State to get back on track or even for Arizona to prove it could be a legitimate Big 12 contender.

4. Oregon State at No. 21 Texas Tech (2:30 p.m. on Fox)

While the Beavers aren’t a Power Four team anymore, they could still be a solid test for the Red Raiders, at least compared to what they’ll see when Big 12 play begins. Still, this game has plenty of potential to look similar to Texas Tech’s beatdowns over the first two weeks of the season.

5. No. 20 Utah at Wyoming (7 p.m. on CBSSN)

This one might not be all that great, but a night game at Wyoming has gone wrong for Big 12 teams in the past. For the Utes, taking care of business against an inferior opponent as they’ve done thus far would be yet another sign that Utah deserves its spot in the Big 12 title discussion.

Every other Big 12 game in Week 3

Samford at Baylor (11 a.m. on ESPN+)
Northwestern State at Cincinnati (2:30 p.m. on ESPN+)
No. 14 Iowa State at Arkansas State (3 p.m. on ESPN2)
Abilene Christian at TCU (7 p.m. on ESPN+)
Texas State at Arizona State (9:30 p.m. on TNT)

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