Iowa State +14 @ Oklahoma State
(18) Texas Tech -1.5 @ TCU
(4) Kansas State +3 @ (17) West Virginia
Kansas +35 @ (10) Oklahoma
Baylor +9.5 @ Texas
I'm not really sure what to think of the 11:00 (12:00 for most of you I guess) game. If Walsh still starts and Tracey Moore, Isaiah Anderson and Jeremy Smith are all out things could get ugly for my Cowboys. Not that there's anything wrong with Walsh other than he's not Wes Lunt. I think that spread is too big to bet OSU even if we were healthy. This Iowa State defense is pretty salty, and their offense is better than 95% of Big 12 fans think it is. TCU and Kansas State haven't let anyone else score more than the Cyclones. I think we're a better team than Iowa State, but maybe not this weekend. I'll still go with the Cowboys, but ISU covers.
Texas Tech and TCU both looked good on the scoreboard last weekend. TCU needed 6 Baylor TO's to route the Bears though. West Virginia got owned, but not because they were handing Tech the football. I think Tech wins this one, and it might not be close. Eventually depth is going to cost TCU. Tech did come out flat after their big upset in Norman last year though.
Kansas State is very good. They won't beat themselves. This isn't the week you want to face Holgosen's offense though, and as good as their defense can be it can be beat in the secondary (see their games with OU, OSU and Baylor last year). I think they'll need 50 from Klien and company to win this, and while that's not out of the question against West Virginia's defense I still thin they'll need a + 2 TO margin to get there. I'm going with West Virginia in a close one, 1-7 point victory. I wish the spread was smaller, but at 3 it's playable.
I never like the idea of spreads over 21. Oklahoma is a much better team than Kansas, but 35 isn't easy, and I think the Sooners won comfortably without approaching the spread in this one last year. This is a good week to catch the Sooners too. They always put so many eggs in the Texas basket that it's tough to get back up just a week later. The flip side of that is it's at home, and the Sooner Nation will be fully behind them for the first time this year after that beat down in Dallas. I like OU to win handily, but I would never play a 35 point spread. Kansas has a good shot to cover.
Baylor is getting no respect coming into this, and their players are now desperate for a win, and this is probably the one they want most on their schedule. Texas needs a win too, but I think right now their coaches are probably more desperate than the players. Mack went 12 or 13 years without losing the week after the Red River game, but that streak is over. I think Baylor's offense is every bit as well equipped to take advantage of the Texas defense as OSU, WVU or Oklahoma, and unlike Texas they'll be fired up this weekend. I think they get the upset. If Texas does win this one, especially of they cover, I'll be impressed with their toughness. I have been impressed by their talent at times this year, but they haven't convinced me yet that they're close to where they were mentally prior to the end of 2009, and they've just barly escaped an 0-3 start to conference play.
(18) Texas Tech -1.5 @ TCU
(4) Kansas State +3 @ (17) West Virginia
Kansas +35 @ (10) Oklahoma
Baylor +9.5 @ Texas
I'm not really sure what to think of the 11:00 (12:00 for most of you I guess) game. If Walsh still starts and Tracey Moore, Isaiah Anderson and Jeremy Smith are all out things could get ugly for my Cowboys. Not that there's anything wrong with Walsh other than he's not Wes Lunt. I think that spread is too big to bet OSU even if we were healthy. This Iowa State defense is pretty salty, and their offense is better than 95% of Big 12 fans think it is. TCU and Kansas State haven't let anyone else score more than the Cyclones. I think we're a better team than Iowa State, but maybe not this weekend. I'll still go with the Cowboys, but ISU covers.
Texas Tech and TCU both looked good on the scoreboard last weekend. TCU needed 6 Baylor TO's to route the Bears though. West Virginia got owned, but not because they were handing Tech the football. I think Tech wins this one, and it might not be close. Eventually depth is going to cost TCU. Tech did come out flat after their big upset in Norman last year though.
Kansas State is very good. They won't beat themselves. This isn't the week you want to face Holgosen's offense though, and as good as their defense can be it can be beat in the secondary (see their games with OU, OSU and Baylor last year). I think they'll need 50 from Klien and company to win this, and while that's not out of the question against West Virginia's defense I still thin they'll need a + 2 TO margin to get there. I'm going with West Virginia in a close one, 1-7 point victory. I wish the spread was smaller, but at 3 it's playable.
I never like the idea of spreads over 21. Oklahoma is a much better team than Kansas, but 35 isn't easy, and I think the Sooners won comfortably without approaching the spread in this one last year. This is a good week to catch the Sooners too. They always put so many eggs in the Texas basket that it's tough to get back up just a week later. The flip side of that is it's at home, and the Sooner Nation will be fully behind them for the first time this year after that beat down in Dallas. I like OU to win handily, but I would never play a 35 point spread. Kansas has a good shot to cover.
Baylor is getting no respect coming into this, and their players are now desperate for a win, and this is probably the one they want most on their schedule. Texas needs a win too, but I think right now their coaches are probably more desperate than the players. Mack went 12 or 13 years without losing the week after the Red River game, but that streak is over. I think Baylor's offense is every bit as well equipped to take advantage of the Texas defense as OSU, WVU or Oklahoma, and unlike Texas they'll be fired up this weekend. I think they get the upset. If Texas does win this one, especially of they cover, I'll be impressed with their toughness. I have been impressed by their talent at times this year, but they haven't convinced me yet that they're close to where they were mentally prior to the end of 2009, and they've just barly escaped an 0-3 start to conference play.
