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Colorado
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Kansas State
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Missouri
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Baylor
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Oklahoma
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Oklahoma State
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Texas
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Texas A&M
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Texas Tech
Past Big 12 Predictions:
Week 1 |
Week 2 |
Week 3 |
Week 4 |
Week 5
Week 6 |
Week 7 |
Week 8 |
Week 9 |
Week 10
How'd we do so far? 51-14 straight
up, 23-34-2
ATS
Week
11
Big 12 Fearless Predictions, Part 2 |
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Big 12
Game of the Week
Texas Tech
(6-4) at
Oklahoma
(7-2) 7 PM EST Saturday
November 11th
Why to Watch: While Texas appears
to be a lock to win the South and go off
to play for the Big 12 championship, the
battle for second in the division might
also be a battle for second in the
conference. Oklahoma has been terrific
over the last month highlighted by wins
over Missouri and Texas A&M. In the
team's final home game of the year, a
win over Texas Tech would keep alive
hopes for a top bowl while getting
revenge for last year's controversial
23-21 loss in Lubbock on a last-second
Taurean Henderson touchdown that Sooner
fans are still disputing. Texas Tech has
been one of the year's flakier teams
losing to Colorado but beating Texas A&M
and bombing away for over 500 yards in a
loss to Texas. A win over Oklahoma would
do wonders for the Red Raiders' bowl
slot.
Why Texas Tech Might Win: Just
how good is the Oklahoma secondary? The
statistics might be strong, but the pass
defense hasn't exactly faced a who's who
of passing teams. Certainly the
defensive backs have been better since
getting thrown on too easily over the
first three games, and has picked off
seven passes and allowed just one
touchdown pass over the last four games,
but now it has to deal with a real
passing game that's finding its stride
just at the right time with Graham
Harrell throwing for 1,370 yards and 13
touchdowns over the last three games.
The OU pass rush has been non-existent
in stretches.
Why Oklahoma Might Win: While
Texas Tech's defensive front is active,
it can be shoved around. Texas rumbled
over the Red Raiders for 227 yards, and
Colorado ran around then for 228. Any
ground game with a heartbeat has been
able to crank out yards in chunks, and
OU should be able to do the same. The
Sooner attack has been even more
effective over the last two weeks than
it's been all season long cranking out
231 yards against Missouri and 224
against Texas A&M thanks to the play of
RB Allen Patrick and ...
Who to Watch: ... Left tackle
Chris Messner, left guard George "Duke"
Robinson, center Jon Cooper, right guard
Brandon Walker, and right tackle Trent
Williams. These five aren't getting much
in the way of national attention, but
they've been critical in turning
Oklahoma's season around after the loss
to Texas. A concern going into the
season, the line has jelled into one of
the team's biggest strengths doing a
batter job in pass protection over the
last few weeks and dominating in the
ground game. It's not a stretch to say
this group is the key to the game with
the way it can help the Sooner attack
crank out long, drawn out drives.
What Will Happen: Do you like the
OU ground game or the Texas Tech passing
attack? Both will work, but the Sooners
will get just enough passing yards to
come away with another tough win.
CFN Prediction:
Oklahoma 31 ... Texas Tech 24 ...
Line: Oklahoma -9.5
Must See Rating: (5 skip the
birth of your first born - 1 Santa
Clause 3: The Escape Clause)
... 4
Baylor
(4-6) at
Oklahoma
State
(5-4) 12:30 PM EST Saturday
November 11th
Why to Watch: It's a battle for
survival in the hunt for a bowl bid, and
while it's a bit misleading to say that
this is also a battle to avoid the Big
12 South basement, that's exactly what
it is. Baylor, without starting
quarterback Shawn Bell, wasn't even
close to keeping up the pace with Texas
Tech in a 55-21 loss last week. While
this is hardly the Baylor the Big 12 has
kicked around for so many years, it
needs to win this week and beat Oklahoma
next week to be bowl eligible and avoid
the number six slot in the division.
Oklahoma State has three chances to get
the sixth win needed for a bowl, but
this week represents the best shot with
a road trip to Texas Tech followed up by
the Oklahoma rivalry. Bobby Reid and the
bunch took a step back last week getting
blown out 36-10 by Texas, but this is an
exciting, up-and-coming team that should
be able to fight Baylor's fire with more
fire.
Why Baylor Might Win: Even with
backup QB Blake Szymanski, Baylor can
still throw the ball. OSU has a
high-risk, high-reward defense that
leaves its corners on an island too many
times. Texas QB Colt McCoy had his best
game of the year getting to pick apart
the Cowboy secondary, and if the BU line
can somehow keep Szymanski upright,
there will be several chances to hit on
some big plays.
Why Oklahoma State Might Win:
Reid won't have two bad games in a row.
Baylor doesn't have the corners to stick
with Adarius Bowman and the OSU
receivers, while the Bear linebackers
should have problems with Reid's
mobility. Two weeks ago, Texas A&M's
Stephen McGee ran for 89 yards, and Reid
should have similar success. Yes, the BU
offense should be able to put up yards
on the OUS back seven, but Szymanski's
not Bell.
Who to Watch: Getting to
Szymanski and forcing him to hurry his
throws would likely mean another average
outing for the Bear passing game. Texas
Tech cranked out four sacks last week
and got even more hurries, and Oklahoma
State and its aggressive defense has to
do the same. It might have to do so
without top pass rusher Victor DeGrate,
who suffered a badly sprained ankle
against the Longhorns and is
questionable. If he's out, it'll mean
OSU might have to blitz a little bit
more.
What Will Happen: Oklahoma
State's offense will get back on track,
but BU will get just enough shots in to
keep it from being a runaway.
CFN Prediction:
Oklahoma State 34 ... Baylor 23 ..
Line: Oklahoma State -15.5
Must See Rating: (5 skip the
birth of your first born - 1 Santa
Clause 3: The Escape Clause)
... 3
Iowa
State
(3-7) at
Colorado
(1-9) 3 PM EST Saturday
November 11th
Why to Watch: Three months ago,
many thought this might be one of the
key battles in the Big 12 race. As it
turns out, it is; it's just that it's
critical in the race to be the Big 12's
worst team. Colorado is 1-9 after
dropping a 34-21 home clunker to Kansas
State, and with a road trip to Nebraska
to close out the year, this likely
represents the last shot at a win. Iowa
State has gone from bad to awful in a
five-game losing streak thanks to a slew
of offensive injuries and not nearly
enough from the defense to overcome the
problems. A loss here would create more
and more grumbling about Dan McCarney's
job status.
Why Iowa State Might Win: If ISU
QB Bret Meyer was ever going to get on
track, this would be the week. Of
course, that was said last week against
the abysmal Kansas secondary and he only
threw for 180 yards, but while the
Jayhawks usually give up yards in
chunks, the Buffaloes are getting
nitpicked to death. Kansas State
freshman QB Josh Freeman looked like
Peyton Manning last week completing 22
of 25 passes for 251 yards and two
touchdowns after throwing one scoring
pass all season long. Meyer should be
able to throw well if ...
Why Colorado Might Win: ...he has
anyone to throw to. WR Jon Davis and RBs
Stevie Hicks and Jason Scales are out,
and top game-breaking receiver Todd
Blythe is iffy, at best, with a virus
that knocked him out the last two weeks.
You could suit up and complete 21 of 28
passes against the horrific Cyclone pass
defense. That's not to say Colorado's
Bernard Jackson could do the same, but
one of the nation's least efficient
passers should have his easiest game
yet.
Who to Watch: Lost in Iowa
State's disaster of a year has been the
play of LB Alvin Bowen, the nation's
leading tackler. While he looks more
like a big safety than a hard-hitting
linebacker, his speed allows him to get
in on every stop. He made 18 tackles
against Kansas, nine (all solo) against
Kansas, and has made double-digit stop
in seven games this season. It'll be his
job to keep Jackson's running under
wraps.
What Will Happen: Neither team
can stop the pass, and neither team can
throw. Colorado's running game will be
the difference.
CFN Prediction:
Colorado 23 ... Iowa State 13 ..
Line: Colorado -8
Must See Rating: (5 skip the
birth of your first born - 1 Santa
Clause 3: The Escape Clause)
... 2
Week
11
Big 12 Fearless Predictions, Part 2 |
Get
Tickets for These Games