Big 12
North
Colorado
|
Iowa St
|
Kansas
|
Kansas State
|
Missouri
|
Nebraska
South
Baylor
|
Oklahoma
|
Oklahoma State
|
Texas
|
Texas A&M
|
Texas Tech
Past Big 12 Predictions:
Week One |
Week Two |
Week Three
How'd we do so far? 32-4 straight
up, 11-17-2
ATS
Big 12 Week
Four Fearless Predictions,
Part 2
Big 12 Game of
the Week
Iowa State
(2-1)
at
Texas
(2-1) 3:30 pm EST ABC Saturday,
Sept. 23
Why to watch:
You'll have to forgive Iowa State if it
has the dry heaves when it looks at its
upcoming schedule. Not only is it coming
off a nasty rivalry game with Iowa (a
27-17 loss), it has to play the
defending national champion, then it
gets a breather against Northern Iowa,
then Nebraska, then at Oklahoma, then
Texas Tech. It's not like the Cyclones
can catch the Longhorns looking ahead to
Oklahoma with a scrimmage against Sam
Houston State to follow. Mack Brown's
club bounced back from the drubbing from
Ohio State to bomb Rice 52-7. With the
road portion of the slate over the
second half of the season, Texas has to
take advantage of every home game it can
to not just win, but to be impressive
enough to get the pollsters buzzing
again.
Why Iowa State might win: Colt
McCoy has played well, but he's still a
first year starter prone to making
mistakes like any new quarterback. Iowa
State has picked off three passes in the
first three games and hasn't been
turning the ball over. It has to win the
turnover battle and it has to get
consistent pressure on McCoy to do that.
The redshirt freshman has been solid
throwing six touchdown passes with only
one interception, but the Cyclones have
to force him into errors. If they don't
...
Why Texas might win:
... it's bombs away. The Cyclone
secondary hasn't been close to slowing
down a passing game yet giving up 367
yards to Toledo, 218 to UNLV (but
struggled late), and 274 to Iowa. McCoy
can dink and dunk on ISU, or it can bomb
away. If his line gives him time, expect
a fantastic day and the type of
eye-opening big numbers that will get
everyone to take notice.
Who to watch: Iowa State's Bret
Meyer is one of the league's few veteran
quarterbacks, and he'll need to use
every ounce of his experience to keep
this interesting. He hasn't had to run
as much as last year with Stevie Hicks
back and healthy at running back, but
he's better when he's on the move and
keeping defenses on their heels. He has
to be deadly accurate coming off a 15 of
31 performance against Iowa and a
mediocre day against UNLV. If he's not
outplaying McCoy by a large margin,
there will be big problems.
What will happen: Iowa State
won't be a pushover, but Texas will have
too much success in all phases of its
offense to get upset.
CFN Prediction:
Texas 41 ... Iowa State 16
... Line: Texas -23.5
Must See Rating: (5
skip the birth of your first born - 1
The Janice Dickenson Modeling Agency) ...
3
Louisville
(3-0)
at
Kansas State
(3-0) 12:10 pm EST Saturday, Sept.
23
Why to watch:
Someone ought to hurry up and get a
full-time psychologist on staff at
Louisville. Two weeks after losing
Michael Bush to a broken leg, and on the
same day the Cards humiliated Miami,
Brian Brohm suffered a thumb injury
that’ll shelve him for about a month.
The emotional rollercoaster ride
continues with this week’s journey to
Manhattan. Even with Hunter Cantwell
behind center, the expectations won’t
change for a program that stamped itself
among the nation’s elite with Saturday’s
31-7 dissection of the Hurricanes.
Kansas State is taking baby steps in Ron
Prince’s first season as Bill Snyder’s
successor. The Wildcats have improved
each week since eking out a win over
I-AA Illinois State, particularly on a
defense that’s creating turnovers and
hasn’t given up a point over the last
two games. A win here instantly changes
the program’s timetable for winning the
Big 12 North.
Why Louisville might win:
All the talk about the Cardinals’
offensive playmakers makes it easy to
lose sight of a defense that’s playing
really well. One week removed from
shutting out Miami over the final 52
minutes, Louisville is No. 3 nationally
in run defense and 17th in
scoring defense. They’ve also got a
dozen sacks, which presents a problem
for a jittery Wildcat offensive line
that had five false starts last week.
Despite opening with three bad football
teams, Kansas State is No. 87 in the
country in total offense, raising doubts
they can run with the Louisville
offense.
Why Kansas State might
win:
Everything seems to be lining up for the
Wildcats to pull an upset that knocks
Louisville out of the top 10. No Bush
and no Brohm this week for a quick
Kansas State D that’s 14th
nationally in scoring defense and No. 15
in sacks. Defensive coordinator Raheem
Morris will turn the dogs loose on
Cantwell, who’ll be starting just the
third game of his career.
Who to watch:
Well, if Louisville is going to win a
Big East title or more, it’s up to
Cantwell to tap into his inner Earl
Morrall long enough until Brohm gets
healthy. When Brohm went down last
year, Cantwell was rushed into the
lineup with no warning. Today, he’s a
very different quarterback with quality
game experience against Virginia Tech
and Miami to go along with a full spring
as the No. 1 guy under his belt.
What will happen:
Louisville is ripe for the upset, but
with its offensive stars on the mend,
the underrated Cardinal defense will
step up and prevent a post-Miami
meltdown.
CFN Prediction:
Louisville 31 ... Kansas State 17
... Line: Louisville -7.5
Must See Rating: (5
skip the birth of your first born - 1
The Janice Dickenson Modeling Agency) ...
3
Colorado
(0-3)
at
Georgia
(3-0) 12:30 pm EST GamePlan
Saturday, Sept. 23
Why to watch:
This appeared to be a good idea at the
time. Who could've possibly imagined
that Colorado would come into this game
on a seven game losing streak with one
of the nation's most inept offenses?
Wasn't Dan Hawkins supposed to take a
Big 12 North champion and make it blow
up? Give Hawkins time and this program
should be fantastic, but it's dying a
painful death this season with no hope
in sight. Georgia hasn't been anything
special on offense, but the defense has
been out of this world allowing just 12
points on the year and going more than
two games without allowing a score. This
tune up against the Buffs, and next
weeks against Ole Miss, should have the
Dawgs battle ready for Tennessee. But
first, there's the formality of dealing
with CU.
Why Colorado might win: Georgia's
offense hasn't exactly rocked anyone's
world. The special teams have been
unbelievable, and the defense is playing
at a national title level. However, the
attack is still trying to find some sort
of a groove, treading water while
freshman QB Matthew Stafford gets more
experienced. Lost in the horrific start
for Colorado has been a solid
performance by its defense, especially
against the run. The front line has
generated tremendous pressure so far,
and it should be able to get to Stafford
a few times. If the offense can do
anything to capitalize on mistakes, this
might not be a blowout.
Why Georgia might win:
The Colorado offense simply isn't
working. It ranks 115th in the nation in
total offense averaging 194 yards per
game, 115th in passing, and 114th in
scoring with only two touchdowns so far
this season. The Georgia defense has
been eating opposing running games
alive, which means CU and Bernard
Jackson will have to try to win, or at
least try to move the ball through the
air.
Who to watch: The kickers. As
crazy as this might sound, Colorado's
Mason Crosby and Georgia's Brandon Coutu
might be the two best pro prospects in
this game, and they're certainly among
the two best kickers in America. Coutu
has been automatic so far hitting all
seven of his field goal attempts and,
for his career, nailing 59 of 59 extra
points. While he has one of the
strongest legs in college football, he
doesn't quite have the range of Crosby.
However, he's more accurate. Crosby has
only hit three of six shots so far, but
his range goes out to the parking lot.
What will happen: Colorado's
offense is too inept to win this game,
but the defense will keep it from being
embarrassing.
CFN Prediction:
Georgia 26 ... Colorado 6
... Line: Georgia -26.5
Must See Rating: (5
skip the birth of your first born - 1
The Janice Dickenson Modeling Agency) ...
2.5
Ohio
(2-1)
at
Missouri
(3-0) 2 pm EST Saturday, Sept. 23
Why to watch:
One ... more .. non-conference ... game
to go. There was plenty of talk around
Missouri this off-season about wanting
to finally get through a non-conference
schedule unscathed, and this is the team
to do it. The defense is ranked second
in the nation, the offense is diverse
and effective, and very quietly, this is
starting to become the sleeper team in
the upcoming Big 12 race. Of course,
Ohio isn't just going to come in and lie
down for the Tigers. Frank Solich's team
has played well over the first few weeks
shocking Northern Illinois and playing
Rutgers relatively well. However, this
is the the team's third road game in a
row before resuming MAC play against
Bowling Green next week.
Why Ohio might win: The defense
has held up well despite playing against
two great backs in NIU's Garrett Wolfe
and Rutgers' Ray Rice. The pass defense
has been fantastic so far and the rest
of the team is doing many of the little
things right with good special teams and
just enough timely offense, including an
explosion over Northern Illinois, to be
competitive. This is no cupcake rolling
into Columbia.
Why Missouri might win:
The Bobcat offense is way too
inconsistent to win this game. It
somehow found a way to tear up NIU for
332 yard through the air, but its
running game, even with a great back in
Kalvin McRae, was held to -6 yards
against Rutgers. The Tiger defense has
been a brick wall against the run so far
allowing just 132 yards in three games.
If Ohio doesn't get a brilliant game out
of QB Austen Everson and/or Brad Bower,
it's going to lose and lose big.
Who to watch: Brad Smith was both
good and bad for Missouri. The
record-setting former quarterback was a
tremendous talent who could win games by
himself, but he also had to try to often
to do it alone. This year's Tiger team
is getting more production out of all
the skill players, and it's paying off
in a better, finer-tuned attack. One of
the big pluses has been the emergence of
junior RB Tony Temple, who tore off 168
yards last week against New Mexico for
his second 100-yard day in the first
three games.
What will happen: Expect Ohio's
defense to keep this tighter than Tiger
fans might like for about a half. And
then look for the Mizzou D to capitalize
on a few big Bobcat offensive mistakes.
CFN Prediction:
Missouri 30 ... Ohio 10
... Line: Missouri -20.5
Must See Rating: (5
skip the birth of your first born - 1
The Janice Dickenson Modeling Agency) ...
2
Troy
(1-2)
at
Nebraska
(2-1) 7 pm EST Saturday, Sept. 23
Why to watch:
Will someone please return the Nebraska
offense? It was seen falling out of the
team plane somewhere around Nevada on
the way into the greater Los Angeles
area. After a strange performance in the
28-10 loss to USC, the Huskers have to
refocus and get their groove back in
time for the start of the Big 12 season.
This is still a real, live contender for
the Big 12 championship, and it needs to
show against a suddenly improved Troy
defense that it can be the efficient
machine it was over the first two games.
The Trojans have been a nasty houseguest
pushing Florida State around in a 24-17
loss and giving Georgia Tech a few
problems in a 35-20 loss.
Why Troy might win: The defense
has been fantastic for three quarters.
It only allowed 14 points to Georgia
Tech before a 21-point fourth quarter
explosion, and it shut out the Seminoles
in the first half before giving up ten
points in the third quarter. If Troy's
offense can somehow get off to decent
start and find a way to control the ball
to keep its defense on the sidelines in
the second half, it'll have a chance to
make this very interesting.
Why Nebraska might win:
And then there's the fourth quarter.
Troy simply can't hold up after getting
pounded on for three quarters. This is a
smallish defense that relies on
athleticism and speed, so if the Husker
offensive line can help get the running
game going early and beat on the Trojans
early, it should be able to dominate in
the fourth quarter.
Who to watch: For the first time
in years, Troy has not one, but two
receiving weapons. Gary Banks went from
being a decent possession receiver to a
dangerous midrange threat averaging 10.7
yards per catch with four touchdowns.
He's coming off a fantastic day against
Georgia Tech where he outplays Calvin
Johnson by catching eight passes for 104
yards and a score. Running mate Toris
Rutledge has the tools and the talent to
grow into more and more of a deep threat
as the season goes on. These two might
look like they're running in mud to the
Nebraska corners after playing USC last
week, but they're still dangerous.
What will happen: Eventually,
Troy is going to wear down after all the
tough road dates. After the way Nebraska
played against USC, it'll be looking to
be sharp and will want to make a
statement.
CFN Prediction:
Nebraska 38 ... Troy 10
... Line: Nebraska -21
Must See Rating: (5
skip the birth of your first born - 1
The Janice Dickenson Modeling Agency) ...
2.5
Middle
Tennessee
(2-1)
at
Oklahoma
(2-1) 7 pm EST Saturday, Sept. 23
Why to watch:
After a gut-wrenching, highly-emotional
34-33 loss at Oregon, the Sooner fans
are frothing at the mouth to see their
team get back on the field, while the
players should come out roaring. But can
the Sooners let what's in the past stay
in the past and focus on the task at
hand? Fortunately, OU can bring its B
game and get by a Middle Tennessee team
looking to prove it can hang around with
a good D-I squad. The Blue Raiders have
a Sun Belt showdown with North Texas
next week and don't want to be too
beaten up, while OU needs to get all its
anger out with two weeks off to prepare
for Texas.
Why Middle Tennessee might win:
Where's OU's head? Head coach Bob Stoops
spent the first part of the week venting
over the horrible officiating in the
loss to Oregon, and the overall focus on
the program hasn't exactly been on
Middle Tennessee. The OU defense has
been anything but steady over the first
three games, while the offense might
have more problems than it's expecting
against an attacking defense that's
third in the nation in tackles for loss
and 11th in the nation overall allowing
just 219 yards per game.
Why Oklahoma might win:
Raise your hand if you want to play
Oklahoma this week? It's one thing to
stop FIU and Tennessee Tech, and it's
another to deal with an Oklahoma offense
that's starting to hit its stride.
Thanks to the magnificent play of Adrian
Peterson and the improved passing of
Paul Thompson, the Sooners have been
balanced and explosive. Middle Tennessee
doesn't have nearly enough firepower to
keep up if OU gets out to any sort of a
lead.
Who to watch: A number two Sooner
rushing option would be nice. If you
think there's screaming and yelling
around Norman this week, imagine what
would happen if Peterson got dinged up
two weeks before the Texas showdown by
running 30+ times against Middle
Tennessee? Stoops hasn't been the least
bit shy about feeding his superstar the
ball, but it's time to give the
franchise a little bit of help. So far,
Peterson has 90 of the team's 107
carries. QB Paul Thompson has 13.
Someone else needs the ball, if nothing
else, to get some game action in case
something happens to Peterson down the
road.
What will happen: Middle
Tennessee has to withstand an early
storm. If it does, this will be close
late into the third quarter.
CFN Prediction:
Oklahoma 41 ... Middle Tennessee 13
... Line: Oklahoma -29
Must See Rating: (5
skip the birth of your first born - 1
The Janice Dickenson Modeling Agency) ...
2
Big 12 Week
Four Fearless Predictions,
Part 2