SALT LAKE CITY — We have reached the halfway point of the college football regular season with rivalry matchups headlining this week’s College Football Pick ’em preview.
No. 18 South Florida (6-1) vs. Memphis (6-1)
Saturday, Oct. 25, 10 a.m. MDT – Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium (ESPN2)
South Florida takes on Memphis in a huge American Athletic Conference matchup that could have College Football Playoff implications.
Why South Florida will win:
The Bulls have put together a great resume with hopes of claiming the Group of Five spot in the College Football Playoffs, earning big wins against Boise State, Florida, and North Texas.
Memphis is another team that stands in the way of South Florida’s goals and for good reason. The Tigers are 6-1 with a marquee win coming against Arkansas; however, Memphis is coming off a loss to UAB in a big upset for the Blazers.
Even though the Tigers lost to an inferior opponent, the Bulls need to be at their best once again as they take on the team that was ranked No. 22 a week ago. The last time South Florida was in a similar situation, they blew out North Texas 63-36 after being tied at halftime.
The Bulls’ explosive offense is averaging 41.7 points per game which ranks seventh in the country. Led by quarterback Byrum Brown, USF’s offense will present a challenge for a Memphis defense that has not faced this caliber of offense this season.
South Florida quarterback Byrum Brown (17) looks to throw a pass against North Texas in the second quarter of an NCAA college football game Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, in Denton, Texas. (Photo: AP Photo/Richard W. Rodriguez)
Brown has quietly had a great season for the Bulls, totalling 2,170 yards and 22 touchdowns, and putting himself in Heisman conversations. As South Florida continues to stack wins and build up a resume, the national recognition will come along with it and a win against the Tigers will be a major boost for these playoff hopefuls.
Why Memphis will win:
Entering the season, many pundits had Memphis as one of the top contenders for a College Football Playoff spot and even with a bad loss against UAB last week, the Tigers have all their goals still in front of them. With a win on Saturday against the Bulls, Memphis can get back on track as they can bolster their chances of reaching the AAC Championship game.
Quarterback Brendon Lewis may not be as flashy as his counterpart in this game, but the sixth-year senior has plenty of experience in his college career to be ready for this one. Lewis has put up 1,777 total yards and 15 total touchdowns this season. He is putting together the best season of his collegiate career under Memphis head coach Ryan Silverfield, who has coached some high-scoring offenses while with the Tigers.
Silverfield will need his offense to play at a high level in order to pull off the home upset. Memphis can keep up the scoring with the best of them as they average 38.1 points per game and they were able to keep up with one of the nation’s top 20 scoring offenses in a win against Arkansas earlier this season. The Tigers are hoping last week’s loss was a case of looking ahead and they should be ready for this game that could define the AAC.
Line: USF -4.5
Over/Under: 60.5
Kansas State (3-4) vs. Kansas (4-3)
Saturday, Oct. 25, 10 a.m. MDT – David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium (TNT)
The Wildcats and Jayhawks meet in the Sunflower Showdown in a Big 12 clash.
Why Kansas State will win:
It has been a rough season for the Wildcats, who had high expectations entering the season. Their fans may forgive some of the team’s shortcomings if they can get a win against their in-state rival.
Kansas State looked like a much different offensive team when running back Dylan Edwards was finally healthy against UCF when he rushed for 166 yards and a touchdown. Edwards was hurt in the season opener against Iowa State before returning against Arizona but he had little impact in that one.
Edwards was ineffective in the Wildcats’ loss against Baylor and it has been clear that Kansas State is a much better team with him in the lineup. Edwards has dealt with multiple injuries this season and if he isn’t able to go against the Jayhawks, the Wildcats will rely on Joe Jackson in the run game.
Jackson had a season high 110 yards in the team’s win over TCU and when this offense is able to run the ball it opens things up for quarterback Avery Johnson.
Johnson has not made the strides as a passer as you’d like to see in year three but he is still a great athlete who can use his legs to his advantage. If Kansas State can get their running game going against, it will open up the passing game for Johnson and give them the edge in this one.
Kansas is allowing a Big 12 high of 183.3 rushing yards per game so it is something the Wildcats need to take advantage of, regardless of who starts in the backfield on Saturday.
Why Kansas will win:
The Jayhawks played spoiler to plenty of Big 12 teams last season after a rough start to their season. This year hasn’t been the best start, especially after losing their rivalry game to Missouri in the “Border War” but Kansas can still make a run in the Big 12 with a little help and winning out with a schedule that is favorable for the most part. It will all begin with another rivalry game and the Jayhawks will host the Wildcats as they look to win the matchup for the first time since 2008.
Both of these teams’ defenses have struggled this season and that may play more into Kansas’ favor. Quarterback Jalon Daniels is an electric player, throwing for 1,752 yards and 18 touchdowns with just two interceptions. He has also rushed for 199 yards and a touchdown but Daniels has made a leap as a passer this season.
He has cut down on the turnovers and helped this Jayhawk offense average 32.4 points per game. Kansas has the advantage at quarterback with Daniels and he could prove to be the difference in this one.
FILE – Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels runs the ball during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Colorado, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (Photo: AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)
Head coach Lance Liepold is slowly turning around a Jayhawks program that struggled mightily before he arrived in 2021. Leipold has been a program builder everywhere he has coached but to get Kansas to that next gear in his tenure he will need to finally beat Kansas State.
Liepold has had some major wins during his time in Lawrence with his top win coming in an upset of No. 6 Oklahoma in 2023. This is one of the team’s best opportunities to get a win in the Sunflower Showdown and they will need to capitalize on it.
Line: KU -3.5
Over/Under: 56.5
Utah State (4-3) vs. New Mexico (4-3)
Saturday, Oct. 25, 1 p.m. MDT – University Stadium
The Aggies take on the Lobos as New Mexico hosts Utah State in a Mountain West matchup.
Why Utah State will win:
Utah State is coming off a win over San Jose State but the Aggies will be playing on the road on Saturday where they are 0-3. In order to flip the script and secure their first road win of the season, Utah State will need another good performance from their defense.
They only forced one turnover against the Spartans but the Aggies held them to 1-for-4 on fourth down as they came away with a victory. It wasn’t a perfect performance from the defense as San Jose State still put up 534 yards of total offense but Utah State managed to get timely stops to hold onto the win.
Quarterback Bryson Barnes had his best passing performance of the season, going 22-of-31 for 326 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for 54 yards and a touchdown. The Aggies’ success the rest of the season will be up to Barnes and how he performs during this stretch run.
Utah State’s offense has the capability to keep up with some of the top teams in the Mountain West as they average 34.0 points per game. New Mexico is allowing 26.3 points a game so the Aggies will have a chance to put up a lot of points this Saturday.
Why New Mexico will win:
The Lobos have been one of the surprise teams in college football this season. After Bronco Mendenhall left New Mexico for the second time and took the Utah State job, the Lobos hired Jason Eck, who was previously the head coach at Idaho.
Eck has guided his new team to a 4-3 record, including a win over UCLA. New Mexico also gave Michigan a tougher matchup than the Wolverines expected before eventually falling in that one. The Lobos snapped a two-game losing streak after beating Nevada last week after falling to San Jose State and Boise State.
New Mexico has impressed despite losing most of its production from last season, ranking 121st in the nation in that category. Most of the Lobos’ roster has come from the portal, many of which followed Eck from Idaho, including starting quarterback Jack Layne.
One of the team’s biggest portal adds has been tight end Dorian Thomas, a transfer from Arizona. Thomas’ best game came against Michigan when he caught 10 passes for 71 yards and two touchdowns. Thomas can provide matchup nightmares for defenses and he will have a chance to cause problems for the Aggies.
New Mexico has a chance to get revenge on a coach that bailed on them after one season and with Utah State’s struggles on the road this season, they will be in prime position to knock off the Aggies.
Line: UNM -3.5
Over/Under: 61.5
No. 11 BYU (7-0) vs. Iowa State (5-2)
Saturday, Oct. 25, 1:30 p.m. MDT – Jack Trice Stadium (FOX)
The Cougars travel to Ames to take on the Iowa State Cyclones in a massive Big 12 matchup.
Why BYU will win:
It wasn’t always pretty but BYU got the job done against Utah last week, grinding out a win with their defense, rushing attack, and timely big throws from freshman Bear Bachmeier. Bachmeier looked calm as he made big plays against the Utes, protecting the football in the process.
With a young quarterback, it is important to establish the run and limit turnovers and that is what the Cougars have done this season. Iowa State has allowed 141.6 rushing yards per game while BYU averages 232.9 rushing yards. LJ Martin could make his stamp once again in this one.
Behind another strong defensive showing that limited Utah’s offense and quarterback Devon Dampier, BYU was able to force two turnovers and hold the Utes to 1-for-5 on fourth down. With linebacker Jack Kelly making his return to the lineup, the Cougars’ defense took it up a notch and they will need to continue to play at a high level if BYU wants to remain unbeaten.
BYU will need to use that formula again as they take on the Cyclones in one of the toughest road environments in the Big 12. The game plan should be similar to last week’s and if the Cougars can pull that off, they should be able to shock the home crowd.
Why Iowa State will win:
Coming off back-to-back losses after starting the season 5-0, Iowa State is desperate to get back on track and they will have a chance to be home favorites against BYU. The Cyclones’ home field advantage will certainly be in their favor for this one as this will be the toughest road environment for Bachmeier to this point in his career.
He has answered the call in BYU’s previous away games but Iowa State is experienced and well coached by Matt Campbell.
No other team has been able to force Bachmeier to make mistakes consistently so that may not be the key for the Cyclones in this one. It will help but Iowa State needs to get back to doing what they have been good at over the last couple of seasons and thats running the football and playing good defense.
They ran the ball well against Colorado with Abu Sama III rushing for 177 yards and two touchdowns but the Cyclones failed to force any turnovers. The Cougars’ defensive front is stout but Iowa State boasts two capable running backs with Sama and Carson Hansen.
Sama and Hansen will need to get the run going to help out the offense and quarterback Rocco Becht, who was a freshman the last time the Cyclones faced BYU. Becht is a better pure passer than Dampier is and should demand more attention from the Cougars’ secondary.
With their talented backs and quarterback, Iowa State will show why they are favored in this matchup but they will need turnovers from their defense, one that has struggled to force them in 2025.
Line: ISU -2.5
Over/Under: 49.5
Colorado (3-4) vs. Utah (5-2)
Saturday, Oct. 25, 8:15 p.m. MDT – Rice-Eccles Stadium (ESPN)
Utah hosts Colorado in their second-straight rivalry game.
Why Colorado will win:
The Buffaloes are coming off a bye week in preparation for this matchup with their last win coming over a ranked upset of No. 22 Iowa State. It was a balanced win for Coach Prime and his team over the Cyclones with quarterback Kaidon Salter playing well and the defense holding Iowa State to just 17 points.
Colorado is slowly figuring things out after a shaky start to begin the season as the team experimented at the quarterback position. The defense is also playing its best football in Deion Sanders’ three years with the program.
Colorado quarterback Kaidon Salter, left, eludes Delaware cornerback Kshawn Cox Jr. for a short gain in the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025, in Boulder, Colo. (Photo: AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
They will be taking on a Utes team in a hostile environment and coming off an emotional loss last week. This is a tough spot for the Buffaloes who finally look to be trending in the right direction; however, Utah has some concerns entering this game with linebacker Lander Barton suspended for the first half of the game due to a targeting call in the second half of the team’s loss to BYU.
The health of quarterback Devon Dampier is a question mark entering this Colorado game and freshman Byrd Ficklin could be in line to start.
With these question marks for the Utes, the Buffaloes have a chance to pull off the road upset but will need their veteran quarterback Salter to have control of the offense. Salter has plenty of experience going back to his time at Liberty and with the playmakers Colorado has despite losing Travis Hunter to the NFL, they could make noise against Utah.
Why Utah will win:
Coming off a loss to their biggest rival, the Utes find themselves in another rivalry game against Colorado in another chapter of the Rumble in the Rockies. Self-inflicted wounds cost Utah in their matchup against BYU last week and they will need to clean those mistakes up in order to take care of business Saturday.
Even without Barton for the first half of the game, the Utes’ defense is still one of the top units in the Big 12 and should have a chip on their shoulder to make a statement after losing to the Cougars.
Utah hopes Dampier will be good to go in this matchup but if not Byrd Ficklin will most likely get the nod to start. Ficklin has a similar skill set to Dampier and he even had some plays drawn up for him last week. Isaac Wilson could also be in play if Dampier is unable to go but he struggled against the Buffaloes in Boulder last season.
If the Utes are without their starting quarterback, the defense will likely need to step up and help put the offense in position to succeed. Utah’s home-field advantage may cause problems for Colorado and its offense which should help the Utes in this rivalry game.
Line: Utah -12.5
Over/Under: 49.5
The Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.
