Big 12 Fearless Predictions, Sept. 20

Is Colorado ready to step back into the big time? Beating West Virginia on national TV would be a start, but to pull off the win, star freshman Darrell Scott needs to come up with a breakout performance, Check out the Previews and Predictions for the Week 4 Big 12 Games

Big 12
North Colorado | Iowa St | Kansas | Kansas State | Missouri | Nebraska
South Baylor | Oklahoma | Oklahoma State | Texas | Texas A&M | Texas Tech

Big 12 Fearless Predictions Aug. 30 | Sept. 6 | Sept. 13

- Big 12 Week Four Predictions, Part 2

How are the picks so far? SU: 28-3 ... ATS: 14-9

Big 12 Game of the Week

West Virginia (1-1) at Colorado (2-0), 8:30 EST, ESPN, Thursday, September 18
Why to watch: Now what, West Virginia? It’s not as if the Mountaineers haven’t suffered devastating losses in recent years, but the steady hand of Rich Rodriguez was always around to get the program back on track. Now there’s a new coaching staff with a new philosophy being asked to energize a program that was bounced by East Carolina, failing to score a touchdown for the first time in seven years. Abruptly out of national championship contention, West Virginia is still determined to remain the top dog in the Big East. While Colorado is unbeaten, it might be in a similar quandary as the Mountaineers if the early schedule was tougher. After skating past Colorado State, the Buffs needed to pull a Houdini act to escape Eastern Washington. A visit from West Virginia will go a long way to determining which was the real Colorado and whether the program is prepared to take a step forward in Dan Hawkins’ third season.
Why West Virginia might win: If the Mountaineers want to lean more on Pat White’s left arm, this week’s opponent won’t offer a ton of resistance. Colorado has concerns in the defensive backfield that were exposed by Eastern Washington QB Matt Nichols. He threw for 303 yards and was sacked just once in 51 attempts. If White gets similar time, he’ll find ways to get the ball to sprinters Noel Devine and Jock Sanders in space. In general, this is not a great matchup for the back seven of the Buffalo defense.
Why Colorado might win: The Buffs will be facing a different defense than the one that was so ornery in 2007. West Virginia looked lost at times in the East Carolina game, and is clearly missing injured MLB Reed Williams. The Mountaineers were picked apart by the Pirates, getting just one sack and no turnovers. C Daniel Sanders is the catalyst of a physical line that’ll give Cody Hawkins the passing lanes needed to find his slickest target, Scotty McKnight. Don’t discount the impact of a Thursday night home crowd that senses the big-picture importance of this game.
Who to watch: Like so many, this game will be decided in the trenches, specifically when West Virginia has the ball. The veteran Mountaineers line has future pros in Greg Isdaner and Ryan Stanchek, but they’ll get pushed by Colorado’s inside tandem of George Hypolite and Brandon Nicolas. Both big and quick, the two seniors are capable of blowing up plays before they can develop. If too many runs get past this pair, the Buffs are in big trouble.
What will happen: This is not the same West Virginia team that’s been so scary good for the last three years, but it’s going to go back to what worked. Welcome back to the running game. Colorado will play well in front of a national TV audience and an electric crowd, but White and the Mountaineer attack will run its way back into respect
CFN Prediction: West Virginia 34 … Colorado 27 ... Line: WVU -3
Must See Rating: (5 Dr. 90210 - 1 Biggest Loser: Families) … 3.5
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Wednesday, September 17

Kansas State (2-0) at Louisville (1-1), 8:00 EST, ESPN2
Why to watch: Is Kansas State this year’s Kansas out of the Big 12, as some have begun to wonder? A trip to Louisville will provide a much better measuring stick than visits from North Texas and Montana State. Still, considering how poorly the Wildcats finished last season, there’s cause for optimism and confidence around the campus no matter who was on the schedule the first two weeks. Now, if they can beat an FBS program on the road, the positive vibes will start bleeding beyond Manhattan. Louisville got a brief reprieve from its headaches, spanking Tennessee Tech, 51-10, a couple of weeks ago. Now it’s back to the proving ground for a Cardinal program that barely made an appearance in the opener with Kentucky and needs to play markedly better in this week’s crossroads game.
Why Kansas State might win: Yeah, the Wildcats are one big, purple-clad mystery, but against weaker competition, they’ve been downright flawless. Blending in a mixture of holdovers and junior-college transfers, they’ve been balanced on offense and stifling on defense. Josh Freeman looks like a different quarterback, playing with poise and accounting for nine touchdowns without a turnover. Playing behind an underrated offensive line, there’s no reason he can’t keep the good times rolling versus the suspect Louisville D.
Why Louisville might win: The questionable Kansas State secondary has yet to be tested, but that’ll change Wednesday night. Cardinal QB Hunter Cantwell rebounded from a miserable start, and should stay hot for a second straight game. The underachieving Wildcat defensive front has registered just two sacks. Cantwell will have time to locate favorite target Doug Beaumont. While the talented Louisville line is banged up, standouts Eric Wood and George Bussey should be ready for kickoff. For all the offseason hand-wringing about the defense, Ron English’s unit has played surprisingly well, especially against the run.
Who to watch: Of all the transfers playing at Kansas State, none have had a more immediate impact than diminutive WR Brandon Banks. Despite being just 5-7 and 150 pounds, he has sprinter speed and has already caught nine passes for 183 yards and three touchdowns. In his first big game at this level, he’s going to test a Louisville secondary playing with something to prove.
What will happen: When the curtain finally gets pulled back on Kansas State, the public might be surprised by what it sees. The Wildcats are a transient bunch, to be sure, but they’re gelling nicely and poised for the increase in competition. Freeman will outplay Cantwell, throwing two touchdown passes and running for a third in a poignant win for the program.
CFN Prediction: Kansas State 30 … Louisville 21 ... Line: KSU -4
Must See Rating: (5 Dr. 90210 - 1 Biggest Loser: Families) … 3
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 Friday, September 19

Baylor (2-1) at Connecticut (3-0), 8:00 EST, ESPN2
Why to watch: Only two teams out of the downtrodden Big East remain unbeaten. Connecticut is one of them (USF the other). The Huskies are coming off their best performance in the last few years, a 45-10 demolition of Virginia that included contributions from all three units. Yeah, the Cavaliers are awful, but if UConn keeps getting monster efforts from the defense and RB Donald Brown, it’s going to be a legitimate threat for a BCS bowl game. Baylor, too, is riding high after thumping Washington State, 45-17. True freshman QB Robert Griffin is quickly becoming the face of the program under first-year head coach Art Briles. An exciting dual-threat with an enormous upside in this offense, he rushed for a school-record 217 yards in Friday night’s victory.
Why Baylor might win: While Griffin is young and still raw as a passer, he’s the type of difference-maker who’s making everyone on the Bear offense better. After facing the vanilla attacks of Hofstra, Temple, and Virginia, Connecticut will be facing a culture shock when Griffin and the diverse Baylor offense roll into Storrs. If the Bears can turn this game into a shootout, the Huskies, Virginia game aside, still haven’t shown that they have the offensive firepower to win that type of a game on a consistent basis.
Why Connecticut might win: The Huskies will prevent the game from becoming a shootout. The defense is No. 8 nationally in points allowed and has been air-tight against the pass. Griffin is a budding star, but you don’t beat this disciplined D with a one-man gang. Scott Lutrus, Cody Brown, and Lawrence Wilson will create pressure up front and limit the number of big plays allowed. Baylor yielded 41 points in the opener with Wake Forest, a school with the same grind-it-out approach as Connecticut.
Who to watch: If UConn QB Tyler Lorenzen can use last week’s efficient game as a springboard for the balance of the season, the Husky offense will be infinitely tougher to stop. He went 13-of-15 for 124 yards and a touchdown, while adding 52 yards rushing on 10 carries. At some point, the Huskies are going to need him to be more of a threat in order to keep defenses from stacking the box on Brown.
What will happen: This is a tough spot for Baylor, which will be traveling to enemy territory to face one of the better coached defenses in the country. Griffin will have his hand in more turnovers than touchdowns, and Brown will stay on fire with his fourth straight 100-yard day to start the season.
CFN Prediction: Connecticut 28 … Baylor 13 ... Line: Connecticut -13
Must See Rating: (5 Dr. 90210 - 1 Biggest Loser: Families) … 2.5
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 Saturday, September 20

Buffalo (2-1) at Missouri (3-0), 2 EST
Why to watch: Buffalo has proven to be a real, live contender for the MAC title after coming up with a great win over Temple, complete with a thrilling Hail Mary for a 30-28 win. With a good performance against Pitt and a blowout win over UTEP, this isn’t the UB doormat of past seasons. While it’s not good enough to beat Missouri without a major meltdown from the Tigers, it should provide a decent test for at least a quarter. Mizzou has been rocking and rolling from the start putting up 52 points against both Illinois and SE Missouri State before blowing up Nevada in a 69-17 win. The Tigers lead the nation in total offense, and they get one more tune-up before kicking off the Big 12 season at Nebraska.
Why Buffalo might win: UB might not have the firepower to keep up with the Tiger attack, but it has a veteran quarterback in Drew Willy who’s been a master of his offense. He’s unflappable with the ability to spread the ball around and keep the chains moving. Ultra-efficient, he and the Buffalo passing attack should be able to crank out over 300 yards.
Why Missouri might win: The Buffalo pass defense couldn’t handle Temple’s Adam DiMichele. Chase Daniel is the souped-up version of the Owl veteran. The Buffalo defensive back seven isn’t strong enough to shut down any phase of the Missouri passing game, while there isn’t enough talent on the defensive line to provide a steady pass rush.
Who to watch: Missouri all-around star Jeremy Maclin has been even better than expected. It helps that Daniel is putting the ball in places where his sophomore sensation can do something with it, but Maclin is making big things happen on his own. Showing no signs of the ankle injury that knocked him out of the opener against Illinois, he caught six passes for 172 yards and three touchdowns last week after catching two passes for 20 yards and a score against SE Missouri State. He hasn’t been used too much as a runner, but he’s been tremendous on kickoff returns averaging 36.8 yards per try.
What will happen: Buffalo will get the offense moving just enough to annoy Mizzou for a half, and then Daniel and company will go on a major run to put the game away early in the third quarter.
CFN Prediction: Missouri 48 … Buffalo 17 ... Line: Missouri -34
Must See Rating: (5 Dr. 90210 - 1 Biggest Loser: Families) … 2
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Miami (1-1) at Texas A&M (1-1), 3:30 EST, ABC
Why to watch: A couple of major programs seeking an identity will hook up for the second time in as many years. In Florida last September, Miami doubled up Texas A&M, 34-17, helped partially to a strange Aggie game plan that ignored RB Jorvorskie Lane, who was the team’s hot back at the time. This is a much different ‘Cane program, a younger program trying to recapture the glory days with a roster that’s littered with talented freshmen and sophomores. In its first big test of the year, Miami got outclassed by Florida, 26-3, but earned high marks for the play of the defense. The coaching staff is calling the loss a building block that can pay dividends over the next three months. The Aggies are off to a rocky start in Mike Sherman’s first season, dropping a stunner to Arkansas State and nearly getting picked off by New Mexico. The Aggies are adjusting slowly to Sherman’s new pro-style attack and have been hindered by injuries to QB Stephen McGee and RB Mike Goodson.
Why Miami might win: The Hurricane defense may be young, but it’s very fast and getting better with each passing week. In the game with Florida, it held the high-powered Gator offense to just one touchdown. Athletic linebackers Colin McCarthy, Darryl Sharpton, and Sean Spence will add to the Aggies’ woes on offense, especially if McGee and Goodson are less than 100%. A&M has been awful stopping the run, which will lead to a career day for Graig Cooper, who’ll get more reps now that Javarris James is injured.
Why Texas A&M might win: Until proven otherwise, Miami will have problems winning on the road with inexperienced quarterbacks. Freshmen Robert Marve and Jacory Harris managed to complete just 12-of-22 for 79 yards and no touchdowns in Gainesville, allowing the Gators to key on the Hurricane running backs. The Aggies will use the same blueprint, daring Miami to beat them through the air. Jordan Pugh and Jordan Peterson are a couple of physical defensive backs who’ll keep the young ‘Cane receivers from making plays without getting tagged.
Who to watch: With a game under his belt, Marve should take the next step in his progression as the quarterback of the future in Miami. Playing in the Swamp is an unfair debut for any freshman quarterback, but navigating the Texas A&M defense won’t be nearly as demanding. The ‘Canes need a threat from the passing game to open things up for the rest of the offense. 
What will happen: The speed and intensity of the Miami defense will be too much for a Texas A&M offense in transition. The ‘Canes will also get a huge day from Cooper, who’ll rush for 150 yards and two scores, sending the Aggies to an 0-2 start at Kyle Field
CFN Prediction: Miami 27 … Texas A&M 20 ... Line: Miami -4
Must See Rating: (5 Dr. 90210 - 1 Biggest Loser: Families) … 3
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- Big 12 Week Four Predictions, Part 2