The Big 12 Championship Eliminator
#8 BYU Cougars (8-0, 5-0 Big 12) at #9 Texas Tech Red Raiders (8-1, 5-1 Big 12)
- Time: Saturday, November 8, 12:00 PM EST (ABC)
- Location: Jones AT&T Stadium, Lubbock, TX
- Line: Texas Tech -10.0 | Total: 52.5
This is, without a doubt, the Big 12 Game of the Year. It pits the last remaining undefeated team in the conference (BYU) against a Red Raiders team that has been statistically dominant all season.
| Team Strength | BYU Cougars (8-0) | Texas Tech Red Raiders (8-1) |
| Offense Focus | Nationally elite rushing attack (5.4 YPC, 216 YPG). Built on a physical offensive line and strong downhill running. | Explosive, high-powered offense ranked Top 10 nationally in scoring and total offense. |
| Defense Focus | Gritty, opportunistic defense that forces turnovers. | Elite unit, also ranked Top 10 nationally in scoring and total defense. Led by Jacob Rodriguez, a consensus top defensive player. |
| The Stakes | BYU controls their destiny for the Big 12 Championship Game. A win keeps them undefeated and vaults them into the Top 5 of the CFP rankings. A loss would be devastating to their CFP hopes. | A win vaults the Red Raiders ahead of the Cougars in the Big 12 race and continues their march toward a Big 12 title game appearance. They are looking to snap a 16-game losing streak against Top-10 opponents. |
- Matchup Focus: This game will be won in the trenches. Can BYU’s physical rushing attack establish dominance against a Texas Tech defensive front that excels at creating negative plays and forcing turnovers? Texas Tech is one of only three teams ranked Top 10 in all four major statistical categories (Scoring Offense, Scoring Defense, Total Offense, Total Defense), a sign of their all-around superiority.
SEC Rivalry & Playoff Implications
LSU Tigers (5-3, 3-3 SEC) at #4 Alabama Crimson Tide (7-1, 5-0 SEC)
- Time: Saturday, November 8, 7:30 PM EST (ABC)
- Location: Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, AL
- Line: Alabama -10.0 | Total: 50.5
The always-intense rivalry game is complicated by major off-field news. LSU comes into Tuscaloosa with Interim Head Coach Frank Wilson taking the reins after Brian Kelly’s departure.
| Team Strength | LSU Tigers (5-3) | Alabama Crimson Tide (7-1) |
| Offense Focus | Talented but inconsistent, primarily a passing offense. Must rely on QB Noah Johnson and explosive playmakers. | Highly efficient passing attack led by QB Ty Simpson. Top 10 in EPA per dropback. |
| Defense Focus | Strong against the pass, ranked highly in pass success rate allowed. This is the unit’s best chance to slow the Tide’s offense. | Solid overall defense, but historically vulnerable to strong running games. |
| The Stakes | For LSU, this is a chance to play spoiler and provide a massive emotional boost for the interim staff. A win would derail Alabama’s playoff path. | Alabama controls its destiny for the SEC Championship and the CFP. A win is essential to maintaining their ranking and setting up a likely SEC title showdown. They are coming off a crucial bye week. |
- Matchup Focus: Will the new energy and emotional factor of a coaching change rally LSU for a classic rivalry upset? Alabama’s strength is its passing game, which plays directly into the strength of the LSU secondary. For LSU to win, they must find a way to establish the run against a good, but not dominant, Alabama run defense.
Major Conference Clashes
Aggies’ Road Test: #3 Texas A&M Aggies (8-0, 5-0 SEC) at #19 Missouri Tigers (6-2, 2-2 SEC)
- Time: Saturday, November 8, 3:30 PM EST (ABC)
- The Skinny: Texas A&M, one of the nation’s remaining unbeatens, is coming off a bye week and needs to avoid the trap of a road game against a sneaky Missouri team. The Aggies boast a strong run defense and a high-powered offense. Missouri is expected to start a true freshman QB, putting immense pressure on their defense to contain an Aggies squad that has excelled at explosive plays. A&M must win to keep its current projected CFP spot.
Ducks on the Road: #6 Oregon Ducks (7-1, 4-1 Big Ten) at Iowa Hawkeyes (5-3, 3-2 Big Ten)
- Time: Saturday, November 8, 3:30 PM EST (CBS)
- The Skinny: Oregon, a Top-10 team with championship aspirations, faces the always-tough challenge of playing in Kinnick Stadium. Iowa’s defense is elite, ranking in the Top 10 in scoring defense, and will test the Ducks’ high-flying offense. Oregon is an outstanding all-around team (Top 10 in both scoring offense and defense), but Iowa is known for pulling upsets at home. The Ducks are slight favorites and need a clean game to avoid falling out of the CFP race.
