|
Nebraska (3-2) at Texas Tech
(5-0),
3:00 EST
Why to watch: Nebraska
used to own Texas Tech. Nebraska
used to own everyone. The
Huskers had beaten the Red
Raiders seven straight times,
and then came a 70-10 Texas Tech
destruction in 2004 that showed
just how much times had changed
in Lincoln. The two teams only
played once since then, a 30-17
Red Raider win in 2005, and now
the gap has really widened. This
is the strongest Texas Tech team
head coach Mike Leach has ever
fielded, while Nebraska is
floundering in year one under Bo
Pelini. The Huskers closed out a
five-game homestand with
back-to-back losses to Virginia
Tech and Missouri. Now the real
work begins with three road
games in the next four,
finishing up with a trip to
Oklahoma.
Meanwhile, Texas Tech has yet to
be given any sort of a shove.
Last week’s trip to Kansas State
was supposed to be a battle, but
a 58-28 win showed otherwise.
This game against Nebraska was
supposed to be a trap, as is
next week’s date at Texas A&M,
but neither will be if the
Huskers and Aggies play like the
have over the first part of the
year. The key is to keep tuning
up without blowing up. Tech is
always good for one or two
out-of-the-blue clunkers a year,
and with Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma
State and Oklahoma still to deal
with, this can’t be one of those
games.
Why Nebraska might win:
Texas Tech has faced only one
team with any semblance of a
running game, Nevada, and it got
ripped up for 224 yards despite
the loss of Wolf Pack star RB
Luke Lippincott to a knee
injury. Mike Rozier, Ahman Green
and Lawrence Phillips aren’t
exactly hanging around Lincoln
lately, and while Marlon Lucky
is a good, strong back, he’s not
being used enough. This is the
game for the Nebraska running
game to take charge, and with a
good pass rush that should be
able to generate a little bit of
pressure, the combination of a
ground game and a sack or two
could get the job done. However
…
Why Texas Tech might win: …
that same formula was supposed
to be used last week against
Missouri. Chase Daniel completed
18-of-23 passes for 253 yards
and three touchdowns, and the
Huskers got down so quickly that
they only finished with 76
yards. The Nebraska secondary is
a nightmare, and if QB Graham
Harrell gets a little time to
work, he’ll have a field day.
Who to watch: This time
last year, after five games,
Harrell had thrown for 2,301
yards and 24 touchdowns. This
year, so far, he has thrown for
2,027 yards and 18 scores. While
the numbers might be a bit down
next to the astronomical stats
of last year, he has still been
solid and decisive. This is year
three running the offense; he
gets it. He hasn’t thrown an
interception in the last three
games, he isn’t forcing his
throws, and he’s using his
running backs more and more in
all phases. He’ll be under
pressure this week, and he’ll
have to be a bit sharper.
What will happen: It won’t
be 70-10, but it won’t be far
off. Pelini is a defensive
wizard who simply doesn’t have
the horses to do everything he
wants to. Missouri rolled at
will, and so will Texas Tech.
CFN Prediction: Texas Tech
48 … Nebraska 24 ... Line: Texas
Tech -21
Must See Rating: (5 The
Girls Next Door: Season 5
- 1 2008 Chicago Cub Playoff
Highlights) … 3
-
Click here to receive ATS
Consultants FREE selections
Iowa State (2-3) at Baylor (2-3),
7:05 EST
Why to watch: This isn’t
exactly a preview of the Big 12
Championship, but these two
aren’t the doormats of the past,
either. Iowa State head coach
Gene Chizik and his Cyclones had
Kansas on the ropes last week
with a 20-0 halftime lead, only
to see it go up in smoke in a
rough 35-33 loss. That loss, on
top of a heartbreaking overtime
loss to UNLV and a clunker of a
rivalry game against Iowa has
made for a tough month around
Ames. However, a win in Waco can
turn things around. With
winnable home games against
Nebraska and Texas A&M up next,
Iowa State can honestly dream of
a bowl game with a win this
week. Baylor has sparked up with
the emergence of freshman dynamo
Robert Griffin at quarterback
under the direction of new head
coach Art Briles. The Bears got
blasted at Oklahoma last week,
but that’s hardly anything to
cry over. They battles in a good
road loss to Connecticut and
lost to Wake Forest in the
opener before Griffin took over.
Now the team is in need of a
real win. Beating Washington
State doesn’t really count. With
only two road games left and
with Oklahoma State, Texas,
Missouri and Texas Tech still to
deal with, any hope for a
winning season starts with a win
over the Cyclones. Iowa State
holds a 4-3 edge all-time.
Why Iowa State might win:
The Cyclones are tied with
Minnesota and Wake Forest with
the most takeaways: 17. Chizik’s
defense might give up yards in
bunches, but it wins its share
of drives by forcing the big
play. Baylor has a tremendous
offensive line with some next
level talent, but it’s having a
hard time in pass protection.
Part of the problem is having a
mobile, freshman quarterback to
work in front of, but there are
also some consistency issues. If
Chizik and his staff can find a
way to get into the backfield on
a regular basis, the BU attack
will shut down.
Why Baylor might win: Iowa
State has had problems against
the run, and against running
quarterbacks. UNLV’s Omar
Clayton is more of a passer than
a runner, but he was able to get
moving a little bit while Frank
“The Tank” Summers barreled for
109 yards. Kent State’s Julian
Edelman ran for 65 yards while
RB Eugene Jarvis ran for 139
yards and a score. Basically,
Iowa State’s defensive front can
be run on. BU might have been
blasted by OU, but Griffin got
his 102 yards and two touchdowns
in. However, if Baylor is going
to win, it also needs …
Who to watch: … sophomore
RB Jay Finley to get going. He
ran for 119 yards against
Washington State and 85 yards
against Connecticut, but Griffin
is the running offense. Finley
hasn’t rushed more than 11
times, but that needs to change.
Griffin isn’t a big guy and
might not last a full season if
he’s running 20+ times a game.
What will happen: It’ll
be the Griffin show. He’ll
bounce back from a shaky passing
day against Oklahoma to keep the
Baylor offense moving both
through the air and on the
ground, but Iowa State will get
its licks in. QB Austen Arnaud
can move, too. The two
quarterbacks, and throw in a
third, ISU’s Phillip Bates, who
should see more work this week,
will combine for close to 200
rushing yards.
CFN Prediction: Baylor 33
… Iowa State 27 ... Line: Baylor
-4
Must See Rating: (5 The
Girls Next Door: Season 5
- 1 2008 Chicago Cub Playoff
Highlights) … 2.5
-
Click here to receive ATS
Consultants FREE selections
Oklahoma State (5-0) at Missouri
(5-0),
8:00 EST ESPN2
Why to watch: Get your
popcorn ready. While the rest of
the Big 12 world will be
focusing on Texas vs. Oklahoma,
and rightly so, this should be
the best showdown of the
weekend. Missouri has the
nation’s second best scoring
offense. Oklahoma State is
third. The Cowboys are sixth in
the nation in total offense,
second in rushing offense, and
third in passing efficiency. The
Tigers are third in the nation
in total offense, third in
passing offense, and fifth in
passing efficiency. The two
teams combine to average 106
points and 1,100 yards per game,
and it’s not crazy to think that
they’ll do just that against
each other. Missouri, ranked
second in the nation, will
finally be tested for the first
time since beating Illinois in a
thrilling opening day shootout,
while Oklahoma State will
finally be tested, period. A win
for the Cowboys will propel the
Mike Gundy era to a whole other
level, while Missouri, after
blasting Nebraska 52-17 last
week, needs this win before
going to Texas. This will be
fun.
Why Oklahoma State might win:
The Tiger secondary continues to
have issues. The yards are
coming from teams in desperate
comeback mode, but still, the
pass defense is giving up too
many big yards. The Mizzou run
defense might be 15th
in the nation, allowing 95 yards
per game, but it hasn’t seen a
team that’ll run the ball like
Oklahoma State. Nebraska had to
start throwing early on, Nevada
was without star RB Luke
Lippincott but still ran for 182
yards, and Illinois gave up on
the run early on. The Tiger
defensive line is about to get
hit in the mouth by an Oklahoma
State offensive line playing at
the top of its game, but …
Why Missouri might win: …
the Mizzou offensive line is
playing just as well. OSU has
allowed two sacks all year, and
so has Missouri. The running
game works when the Tigers want
it to, but the difference will
be on the other side. Missouri’s
defensive front is devastating
when it comes to getting into
the backfield. This group makes
a living off of tackles for
loss, and the pass rush is
steady and efficient. Oklahoma
State’s defensive front is the
worst in the Big 12, and among
the worst in the nation, when it
comes to generating a pass rush.
Chase Daniel will get all the
time he needs to throw.
Who to watch: While
Daniel, Jeremy Maclin and Chase
Coffman are college football
household names, sophomore RB
Derrick Washington continues to
fly under the radar. The
nation’s leading scorer has
rushed for two touchdowns in
each of the first five games and
has caught two touchdown passes.
He was the best back in spring
ball, and he has exceeded all
expectations from the start with
130 yards against Illinois and
139 vs. Nebraska. Averaging 7.46
yards per carry on just 67
tries, he makes the most of his
chances. On the other side, OSU
sophomore RB Kendall Hunter has
been terrific. He’s fifth in the
nation in rushing with 708
yards. He ran for two scores in
each of OSU’s first four games,
but was kept out of the end zone
last week against A&M.
What will happen: It’ll be a
tremendous firefight with
several big plays, 1,000-plus
yards of total offense, and
several big highlights.
Missouri’s defensive front will
make a few plays, while Oklahoma
State’s won’t do much of
anything. That’ll be the
difference.
CFN Prediction: Missouri 48
… Oklahoma State 40 ... Line:
Missouri -13.5
Must See Rating: (5 The
Girls Next Door: Season 5
- 1 2008 Chicago Cub Playoff
Highlights) … 5
-
Click here to receive ATS
Consultants FREE selections
-
Big 12 Week
Seven Predictions, Oct.11
|