The Big 12 Broadcast: Week 9

By Simon Carroll

The Big 12 never seems to be short of talking points, and Week 9 is no exception. One head coach has already paid the price for a disappointing tenure, another program is searching for a signature win to get its season back on track, and the conference has been forced to take a much firmer stance on discriminatory behaviour in the stands.

Add a quarterback injury, a potential College Football Playoff eliminator in Lubbock and a few hundred tequila shots courtesy of one particularly generous head coach, and we’ve got plenty to get through.

Let’s get into this week’s Big 12 Broadcast!

Dave Aranda Sacked: How Big Can Baylor Go?

Dave Aranda’s time in Waco is over. Baylor announced on Sunday that Aranda had been relieved of his duties following a painful 25–24 defeat to Kansas, a result that proved to be the final straw after years of inconsistency.

Aranda leaves with a perfectly symmetrical 40–40 record across his seven seasons in charge. There were some spectacular highs, most notably the 12–2 campaign in 2021, when Baylor won the Big 12 Championship and defeated Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl. That team looked capable of establishing the Bears as a regular contender in the conference.

Instead, that season became the exception rather than the rule. Baylor followed it with a 6–7 record in 2022, a miserable 3–9 campaign in 2023 and an 8–5 bounce-back in 2024. Last season’s 5–7 finish left the Bears watching bowl season from home, and although a 4–1 start to 2026 briefly suggested progress, consecutive defeats to TCU and Kansas ended Aranda’s tenure.

It’s a familiar story in college football: one glorious season can buy a coach time, but it cannot buy unlimited patience. So, just how big is the Baylor job?

There is a compelling argument that it is one of the more attractive vacancies in the country. Baylor is a private university in a talent-rich state, has the resources to compete and has already demonstrated that it can win a Big 12 title. Its Christian identity is also an important part of the university’s culture, which may appeal to candidates who value that environment.

But Baylor isn’t Texas or Texas A&M when it comes to its natural recruiting advantages, and the Big 12 is hardly a forgiving place to rebuild. Utah, BYU and Texas Tech have all demonstrated the potential to compete at the highest level, while the conference’s depth makes sustained success difficult.

Baylor needs a coach who can recruit Texas, develop talent and build a team capable of challenging for championships without needing a once-in-a-generation roster to do it.

The name that will inevitably generate headlines is Clemson’s Dabo Swinney. If Clemson were to part ways with its long-serving head coach, could Baylor make an ambitious approach? Swinney has built a national championship-winning program around a strong sense of identity, and his publicly expressed Christian faith could make Baylor an interesting cultural fit.

That is a hypothetical, however; not evidence that Swinney is available or interested in the job. Baylor would also need to consider the financial and practical realities of persuading a coach of his stature should he leave Clemson.

There are more immediately plausible candidates. UTSA’s Jeff Traylor has deep Texas high-school connections and a record of building competitive teams. Boise State’s Spencer Danielson is another name worth watching, while New Mexico’s Jason Eck has shown he can build a program in one of the hardest outposts in College Football. Robert Griffin III has also publicly expressed interest in returning to his alma mater, although his lack of coaching experience would make that an enormous gamble.

Baylor athletic director Doug McNamee has a defining decision ahead of him. Does he go for the splash hire that makes everyone sit up and take notice, or find the coach most likely to give the Bears a sustainable winning identity? The right appointment could put Baylor back in the Big 12 Championship conversation. Get it wrong, and the program could spend another half-decade wondering whether 2021 was as good as it gets.

Special Teams for Special Players: Blake Herold Delivers

Sometimes, one play tells the whole story of a football game. Kansas defensive tackle Blake Herold supplied precisely that moment against Baylor, producing a field goal block that will live long in the memory of Jayhawks fans.

With just 22 seconds remaining and Kansas clinging to a 25–24 lead, Baylor lined up for a 45-yard field goal that would have put the Bears ahead. Herold broke through, blocked the kick and secured a desperately needed Big 12 victory for Kansas.

It was his first career field goal block, and it earned him Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week honours. Kansas has now blocked four field goals this season, the second-highest total nationally. The Jayhawks haven’t recorded that many in a season since 2013.

The significance went beyond the immediate result. Kansas claimed its first Big 12 win of the season and ended a run of defeats against Baylor that stretched back to 2007. It also meant that Aranda’s final game as Baylor head coach ended in the most agonising fashion imaginable.

For Herold, though, the moment was the culmination of an impressive season in which he has also been making his presence felt on defense. The value of an interior defensive lineman is often measured in pressures, tackles for loss and the disruption he causes without necessarily appearing on the stat sheet. Herold has been contributing on that side of the ball, too, making his special teams heroics all the more impressive.

Special teams can sometimes feel like an afterthought in college football coverage, particularly when everyone is busy discussing quarterbacks and offensive fireworks. But a blocked kick can be every bit as decisive as a touchdown pass, and Herold provided the perfect reminder.

Kansas will need more performances like this if it is to turn the season around, but the Jayhawks have looked a lot better than their 3-4 record may indicate. For now, Herold has delivered a moment on Homecoming Weekend that will be replayed in Lawrence for years to come.

UCF Fined $100,000: The Big 12 Draws a Line

UCF’s remarkable overtime victory over previously unbeaten BYU should have been the story of the weekend in Orlando. Instead, the game has become the centre of a wider debate about discriminatory behaviour at college football games.

Anti-Latter-day Saint chants were heard from sections of the UCF crowd before the Knights’ 39–31 double-overtime victory. The Big 12 subsequently fined UCF $100,000, acknowledging that the university had followed pregame protocols and taken action during the game, including removing some of those responsible.

The conference has also introduced a tougher, conference-wide policy on discriminatory conduct at sporting events. Under the updated rules, a first confirmed incident brings an automatic minimum $100,000 fine and a formal warning. A second confirmed incident during the same game can trigger an in-game competitive penalty, such as a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in football, alongside the possibility of an additional $500,000 fine. Fans ejected for discriminatory conduct can also be barred from athletic events for the remainder of the academic year.

This is not an isolated incident. BYU teams have been targeted by anti-Mormon chants at multiple venues in recent years. Colorado and Oklahoma State have previously received $50,000 fines for similar incidents, while other episodes have prompted criticism and apologies without the same financial consequences.

The pattern raises a difficult question: why has it taken repeated incidents for the conference to introduce a more consistent framework for dealing with this behaviour?

Rivalry, passion and hostile home crowds are part of college football’s appeal. Discriminatory abuse is not. There is a difference between giving an opposing quarterback a hard time and targeting players or their university community because of their religious identity.

The Big 12 deserves credit for introducing clearer consequences, particularly the prospect of an in-game penalty if behaviour continues after the initial warning. The challenge now is consistency. Rules are only meaningful if they are applied fairly, regardless of which university is involved.

UCF’s victory remains a huge result for the Knights, who toppled the No. 2-ranked Cougars in double overtime. But the conference has made it clear that results on the field cannot excuse what happens in the stands.

The Big 12 has drawn its line. Now it must ensure that every school knows exactly where it stands.

Avery Johnson's Injury Leaves Kansas State Searching for Answers

Kansas State’s 28–17 defeat at Arizona State was a significant setback, but the biggest concern for the Wildcats is what comes next.

Quarterback Avery Johnson missed the game through injury, ending his run of starts as the team’s established signal-caller. Backup Jacob Knuth stepped in, but the Wildcats struggled to get the result they needed against an Arizona State team dealing with quarterback problems of its own.

Now Johnson has been ruled out of Saturday’s game against Colorado, and Knuth has been listed as doubtful. Kansas State could therefore be preparing to use a third different starting quarterback in as many weeks. That is a difficult situation for any program, particularly one trying to remain competitive in a Big 12 race that offers very little room for error.

Johnson’s value goes beyond his ability to throw the football. His athleticism gives Kansas State an additional dimension in the running game, while his familiarity with the offense allows the Wildcats to operate with greater flexibility. Losing that combination forces the coaching staff to rethink how it wants to attack opposing defenses.

The uncertainty surrounding the quarterback position makes the situation even more challenging. Kansas State head coach Collin Klein has declined to disclose details of Johnson’s injury, and rightly so. The immediate priority must be ensuring that the quarterback recovers properly rather than rushing him back for the sake of one Saturday.

But the Wildcats cannot afford to ignore the bigger picture. With Colorado next on the schedule, they need to find a way to keep their season alive while their quarterback room is under pressure. Knuth’s potential absence would leave the offense relying on another option with limited preparation as the starter. That places additional responsibility on the offensive line, running backs and defense to keep the game manageable.

The Wildcats’ remaining season could look very different depending on how quickly Johnson returns. If he can get healthy, Kansas State retains a quarterback capable of helping it compete with the best in the conference. If the absence extends, the coaching staff will need to establish an identity that doesn’t depend on him being available.

The Colorado game is therefore about much more than bouncing back from a defeat. It’s an opportunity to discover whether Kansas State can remain competitive while its most important offensive player watches from the sidelines.

Game of the Week: Arizona at Texas Tech

If you’re looking for a game with major Big 12 implications, Saturday’s meeting between Arizona and Texas Tech is the obvious choice.

Both teams enter the contest at 6–1 overall and 3–1 in conference play, with Arizona riding a five-game winning streak and Texas Tech coming off its first defeat of the season. The Wildcats are ranked No. 22, while the Red Raiders sit at No. 13.

Arizona has quietly put together one of the most promising seasons in the conference. Noah Fifita continues to lead an explosive passing attack, and the Wildcats arrive in Lubbock after dismantling Iowa State 39–3. They limited the Cyclones to just 52 rushing yards and 221 total yards, demonstrating that this is a team capable of winning games on both sides of the ball.

Head coach Brent Brennan has also been making sure the good times are shared with the fanbase. Following the victory over Iowa State, Brennan bought approximately 300 tequila shots for fans at Dirtbag’s, a popular bar near campus.

His explanation was simple: if you want people to show up for your program, you have to show up for them. It was an expensive five minutes, apparently, but an excellent way to celebrate a five-game winning streak. Brennan has certainly given Arizona supporters plenty to enjoy; the question now is whether the Wildcats can take the next step and win a major conference road game against the defending Big 12 champions.

Texas Tech, meanwhile, has a few questions of its own to answer. The Red Raiders’ 37–24 defeat at Cincinnati was a shock, particularly given their ambitions after winning the Big 12 last season and reaching the College Football Playoff quarterfinals. The defense was repeatedly exposed, while Cincinnati took advantage of a slow start to establish control of the game.

The defeat also brought a public reaction from influential Texas Tech booster Cody Campbell, who wrote on social media that there was no excuse for losing a game like that and that the program needed to be better.

The comments attracted plenty of attention, particularly given Campbell’s previous public remarks about the Red Raiders’ ambitions and their rivalry with Cincinnati following the Brendan Sorsby saga. The Bearcats made sure to enjoy the moment, too.

However, Campbell has since reaffirmed his support for head coach Joey McGuire, making clear that the defeat has not prompted a change in his view of the man leading the program. That leaves McGuire with a more straightforward challenge: respond on the field.

Texas Tech still has a talented roster, home-field advantage and the opportunity to put the Cincinnati disappointment behind it. But Arizona’s offense is dangerous, and the Wildcats have shown that they can be just as effective defensively.

The matchup between Fifita and the Red Raiders’ defense could be decisive. Arizona will look to exploit any weaknesses exposed in Cincinnati, while Texas Tech needs to re-establish the defensive identity that helped it dominate opponents during its unbeaten start.

There is also a wider Big 12 picture to consider. With both teams sitting at 3–1 in conference play, the winner will strengthen its position in the race for the championship game and keep its College Football Playoff ambitions firmly alive. Arizona has the momentum. Texas Tech has the home advantage and the experience of last season’s title run. Both have plenty to prove.

And with Brennan buying the tequila, it seems the Wildcats are certainly enjoying themselves.

Big 12: Week 9 Schedule (Times BST)

Friday:

11:30pm: Baylor (4-3) @ UCF (4-3)

Saturday:

4pm: #22 Arizona (6-1)) @ #13 Texas Tech (6-1)

6pm: Kansas State (4-3) @ Colorado (2-5)

7:30pm: Arizona State (4-3) @ #8 BYU (6-1)

7:30pm: Kansas (3-4) @ TCU (3-4)

7:45pm: #6 Utah (7-0) @ Cincinnati (5-2)

11pm: #24 Oklahoma State (5-2) @ Iowa State (3-4)

Bye Week:

Houston (6-2), West Virginia (5-3)

Mock Draft

SIMON CARROLL

Lead Writer, Head of Content

PREVIOUSLY THE FOUNDER OF NFL DRAFT UK, SIMON HAS BEEN COVERING COLLEGE FOOTBALL AND THE NFL DRAFT SINCE 2009. BASED IN MANCHESTER, SIMON IS ALSO CO-CREATOR & WEEKLY GUEST OF THE COLLAPSING POCKET PODCAST, COVERS THE JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS FOR SB NATION and is a college football writer for dazn.

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