College Football 2012 Schedule: West Virginia hosts Kansas State in huge Big 12 game

The mid-point of the 2012 college football season has come and gone, and two local Pittsburgh-area teams will continue conference play in Week 8 on Saturday, while the Pitt Panthers will take on a MAC opponent. Pitt will head out on the road for a game against the Buffalo Bulls, who are just 1-5 this season. But they have played a number of teams close, including a ranked Ohio squad and Big East foe Connecticut. The Bulls lost to the Huskies by just seven, so the Panthers should not expect a walkover in upstate New York.

The marquee game of the evening on Saturday will take place in the Big 12, with West Virginia hosting Kansas State. The Mountaineers will look to bounce back with fury after taking a beating at Texas Tech, and a top five opponent provides the perfect opportunity to make a statement. The Wildcats narrowly escaped with a win against Iowa State last week to stay undefeated, but this will be their toughest road test of the season.

Penn State will cap a full day in the Big Ten with a trip to Iowa City. The Nittany Lions have been one of the best teams in the conference so far, and they enter the game with plenty of rest after a bye last week. Iowa had a brutal month of September but they are coming off two straight Big Ten wins. Here's the Week 8 schedule for Pittsburgh-area teams:

Pittsburgh Panthers at Buffalo Bulls (3:30 p.m. ET, Big East Network/ESPN3)

Kansas State Wildcats at West Virginia Mountaineers (7 p.m. ET, FOX)

Penn State Nittany Lions at Iowa Hawkeyes (8 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network)