For the first time since the late Mike Leach was coaching and Graham Harrell was chucking touchdowns to Michael Crabtree, Lubbock, Texas, is the place to be on a college football Saturday.

When Texas Tech (8-1, 5-1 Big 12) hosts BYU (8-0, 5-0) at 10 a.m. on ABC, all eyes will be on Jones AT&T Stadium. It’s the biggest game of the Big 12 season.

ESPN’s “College GameDay” is there for the first time since 2008 — when No. 1 Texas was beaten on an unforgettable walk-off touchdown by Crabtree. 

This week, there’s just as much at stake.

First place in the conference is on the line.

College Football Playoff implications are at stake.

It’s the first Big 12 meeting between top 10 teams since 2021. 

It’s a dream scenario for commissioner Brett Yormark after Oklahoma and Texas moved on to the SEC.

“I can’t wait for Saturday. I think the environment is going to be absolutely incredible,” Red Raiders coach Joey McGuire said. “They’ve earned the right to play in this game. … Now they’ve got to go earn the right to win it.”

At the same time, Deion Sanders and Colorado will be facing off against West Virginia. While the game in Lubbock is between two Big 12 contenders, Morgantown will host two Big 12 cellar dwellers.

The Buffaloes and Mountaineers both enter Saturday’s game at 3-6 overall and 1-5 in conference play. The difference is WVU was expected to be in this situation. CU wasn’t. 

It’s year three for Coach Prime in Boulder, while the Mountaineers started over in the offseason by bringing back coach Rich Rodriguez for a second stint. The Buffs are supposed to be two years ahead of WVU — and competing at the top of the Big 12 like Texas Tech and BYU. 

CU’s attempted reload after losing the likes of Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders hasn’t worked. Texas Tech shows there’s no shame in buying hired guns out of the transfer portal. After a solid season last year, the Red Raiders identified their weakness, the defensive line, and spent handsomely to fix it. 

It has worked. The biggest name Texas Tech got was Stanford transfer David Bailey, who currently leads the nation in sacks.

BYU shows another way to compete for a conference title.

BYU’s roster is well-compensated, NIL-wise. But targeting the top players in the transfer portal has never been the Cougars’ formula. They supplement the roster like most top programs, but it’s not the main ingredient for building a winner, even when they have a freshman at quarterback like this season.

It starts with a top-notch staff led by Kalani Sitake, followed by a commitment to strong high school recruiting, player development and, when they turn into standout players, paying them to stay in Provo.

Coach Prime and the Buffs are doing neither of those things. They’ll likely never be a team that recruits high school players and develops them the way BYU does, so it will come down to paying the right players out of the portal.

CU’s current roster was a swing and a miss in that regard.

But it’s also about having a quality coaching staff in place to get the most out of the roster you built, even if you were out-bid for players. The Buffs don’t have that, either. That’s why this weekend, they’re playing in a game few people are talking about and not the one everyone is talking about.

King’s 5 Games to Watch

No. 9 Texas Tech vs. No. 8 BYU (10 a.m. ABC)

This game might be bigger than the Big 12 championship game itself. The conference’s hope to be more than a one-bid league in the College Football Playoff lies in these two programs. A competitive, down-to-the-wire game would be best for the Big 12 as a whole.

King’s pick: BYU +10.5

No. 19 Missouri vs. No. 3 Texas A&M (1:30 p.m. ABC)

One of the last unbeatens left in the SEC, the Aggies face a tall task in what will be the third road game already against a ranked opponent. No one has been able to stop a Texas A&M offense that has scored 30+ points in all but one game this season, but the Tigers will be looking to prove they still belong in the playoff discussion after losses in two of their last three games.

King’s pick: Texas A&M -7

Iowa vs. No. 6 Oregon (1:30 p.m. CBS)

The Ducks already conquered one of the Big Ten’s toughest environments when they beat Penn State in a “Whiteout” game at Beaver Stadium. Now, Dan Lanning enters another hostile environment at Kinnick Stadium. The Hawkeyes are on the outside looking in with the playoff discussion, but an upset win over the defending Big Ten champs would change that.

King’s pick: Oregon -6.5

No. 14 Louisville vs. California (5 p.m. ESPN2)

With Miami’s recent slide and Georgia Tech’s first loss of the season last week, Louisville might now be the top dog in the ACC. The Cardinals are still looking up at Virginia, the only team that’s beaten them, in the conference standings, but Jeff Brohm’s team can make a statement with another convincing win over a Cal team that has lost three of four.

King’s pick: California +18.5

No. 4 Alabama vs. LSU (5:30 p.m. ABC)

This heated rivalry has an added twist in the wake of Brian Kelly’s firing. Maybe the dismissal of a disliked head coach is enough to fire up a Tigers team that has underperformed. Even with Oklahoma on the schedule next week and arch-rival Auburn waiting to play spoiler at the end of the month, Alabama can’t afford to overlook LSU this week. 

King’s pick: Alabama -10.5

King’s YTD record ATS: 28-22 (2-3 last week)

King’s Top 5 Heisman Candidates

1. Marcel Reed, QB, Texas A&M

Despite watching from home last week, Reed jumps to the spot. He’s the leader of one of the top offenses in the nation and has been a dynamic playmaker both as a passer and a runner. On the road against Missouri this week, Reed will have another chance to make a statement as the Aggies look to firmly cement their status as a national title favorite.

2. Julian Sayin, QB, Ohio State

In a dominant second half against Penn State, Sayin delivered another efficient performance to keep the Buckeyes unbeaten. While dissecting the Nittany Lions defense with ease, Sayin completed 20 of 23 passes (87%) for 316 yards and four touchdowns as he continues to hold the nation’s top QBR.

3. Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana

In another dominant win for the Hoosiers, Mendoza once again didn’t have to do too much for his team to score 50 points and win by multiple touchdowns. Completing just 14 passes (his second-fewest of the season) for 201 yards to go with two total touchdowns and an interception, Mendoza finished the game on the sidelines in a 55-10 win over Maryland. A game with big numbers this week at Penn State could shoot him right back up to the top spot.

4. Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame

He may have gotten off to a slow start, but Love has reminded everyone over the last two weeks why he’s the top running back in college football. After rushing for over 200 yards against USC, the Fighting Irish star racked up 136 yards on 17 attempts (8 yards per carry) and two touchdowns in a win over Boston College.

5. Haynes King, QB, Georgia Tech

It wasn’t King’s fault the Yellow Jackets lost for the first time this season last week at N.C. State. King and the Georgia Tech offense punted just once in the 48-36 defeat, with King racking up over 500 yards of offense and four touchdowns on his own in a Herculean effort that still wasn’t enough to keep the game within a touchdown.