All eyes will be on Provo, Utah, Saturday night for one of the biggest games of the college football regular season.

BYU hosts Notre Dame in a top-10 showdown with College Football Playoff implications. It’s a massive game for the Big 12, too, which also features another ranked matchup Saturday night.

Here’s a look at an important Week 7 in the Big 12.

Game of the Week

No. 2 Notre Dame (6-0) at No. 8 BYU (5-0, 3-0 Big 12), Saturday, 6:30 p.m. CT, ABC

Spread: ND -10.5

This one has it all. Two historic programs ranked in the top 10 and undefeated, ESPN’s College GameDay in town for the first time in 17 years and a primetime kickoff on ABC.

The Fighting Irish rank No. 1 in total defense and allow just 11 points a game. That could spell problems for a BYU team that is without running back LJ Martin and has only scored 24 and 17 points the past two weeks against Iowa State and TCU.

Meanwhile, the Cougars are No. 7 in total defense and have only allowed 13.4 points a game. But Notre Dame averages 44 points a game, led by Heisman-candidate quarterback CJ Carr, who has thrown for 1,378 yards and 16 touchdown with just one interception.

A loss here doesn’t come close to ending either’s College Football Playoff hopes, but a win would be a big resume booster and put either in the “near lock” category.

Notre Dame is a heavy favorite, but LaVell Edwards Stadium will be rocking. Of note, this is (somehow) the first-ever top-10 matchup in Provo and only the second top-10 game the Cougars have been part of. The Irish will be the highest-ranked team to play in Provo since No. 1 USC came to BYU in 2004.

The Undercard

No. 18 Oklahoma State (4-1, 2-0) at No. 20 Houston (5-1, 2-1), Saturday, 6:30 p.m. CT, FOX

Spread: UH -4.5

As far as the Big 12 race goes, this is the top game of the week in the league.

A second conference loss might be too much for the Cougars to overcome this season with the likes of BYU, Utah and Texas Tech at the top, but a win puts them right back in the mix. The Cowboys can give themselves an inside track and cement themselves as true contenders with a win.

The Cowboys have won four straight and are one of the hottest teams in the country, and the Cougars only have a two-point loss at No. 10 Texas Tech and are coming off a dominant win at Kansas State.

It could be a shootout, as OSU is ranked sixth in total offense and Houston 12th. Whoever wins the quarterback duel between OSU’s Drew Mestemaker and Houston’s Conner Weigman, two of the conference’s best, will likely have the upper hand.

Is Texas Tech due for a slip up?

Texas Tech still has the title of defending Big 12 champions and is ranked No. 10 in the country, but the Red Raiders (5-0, 2-0) haven’t been all too convincing this season.

Tech is 73rd in total defense and 58th in total offense, neither of which are great marks for a top-10 team. Quarterback Will Hammond has only completed 61% of his passes the past two games against Sam Houston and Colorado, and he has the same amount of touchdown passes (five) as picks.

Speaking of Sam Houston (1-4) and Colorado (2-3), the Red Raiders were only up 21-14 against the Bearkats at halftime and trailed the Buffaloes 7-6 late in the third quarter.

Texas Tech hosts Arizona State at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, and the Sun Devils – who have been up meh all season – might not be the team to knock off the Red Raiders, but Tech can’t overlook them.

Arizona still alive

Since a 28-17 loss at BYU set Arizona back in Big 12 play in Week 2, the Wildcats (5-1, 2-1) have been on a roll. Don’t count them out of the Big 12 title race just yet.

Granted, the Wildcats have only played Cincinnati and West Virginia in conference play since then, but they dominated nonetheless, outscoring those two opponents 86-38. Quarterback Noah Fifita has been marvelous, throwing for 1,756 yards – No. 5 nationally – and 16 TDs.

Arizona is on a bye this week before returning home Oct. 24 against Iowa State. The Wildcats still have a trip to No. 10 Texas Tech and a home game against No. 11 Utah ahead, which will decide how serious of contenders they are. But they’re right back in the mix for now.

Source: Yahoo Sports