What a Bedlam win! The Pokes now find themselves in control of their own destiny, as they say: win out and you’re in Arlington. If Texas wins out, that’s who the Pokes would meet. I doubt I’m alone amongst OSU fans in saying I would love one last shot at Texas before the Horns head to the SEC.
In terms of the Whiskey Cup, after ten weeks of competition, which Trent has lead ever since Week 2, I’ve at last pulled back even with him. We’ve got three weeks left of the regular season.
Trent last week: 4-3 (.571)
Nate last week: 5-2 (.714)
Trent overall: 59-25 (.702)
Nate overall: 59-25 (.702)
Texas Tech 24, No. 16 Kansas 30. This is a popular upset pick this week, but I don’t know that I see it that way. Leipold knows how to win. Texas Tech’s Joey McGuire seems pretty good at losing close games.
Baylor 13, No. 25 Kansas State 28. Is this Dave Aranda’s last year? Seems possible: everything seems headed in the wrong direction for the Baptists. These two teams are locked at 10-10 all-time.
No. 15 Oklahoma State 42, UCF 30. With Oklahoma State favored by only 2.5 points, bettors seem to think this one looks like an OSU let-down of sorts, presumably anticipating a post-Bedlam hangover for the Pokes. It’s true that Central Florida, despite losing all five of its games to so-called legacy Big 12 squads, has at least played respectably in losses to WVU and K-State, and lost narrowly to BU and Oklahoma. If OSU had lost last week against the Sooners, I’d definitely have them marked down for a loss on their first ever trip to Orlando to play UCF. I just think these Pokes are having too much fun to lose this one. Hopefully they stay focused.
West Virginia 27, No. 17 Oklahoma 26. Upset-of-the-week. Basically using the same logic here as I said above, if the Pokes had lost. The air around Brent Venables’s program seems bad. On the other hand, things seem as good right now in Morgantown as they have in years. If not for a flukey hail-mary loss to Houston, WVU would be 7-2 right now, its only losses against an opening-week top ten-ranked Penn State and a redhot OSU.
Cincinnati 23, Houston 28. Houston needs to take two of its next three—including OSU at home and a trip to Orlando—in order to go bowling. I think Holgorsen’s squad takes care of business this week.
No. 7 Texas 35, TCU 28. You could easily make an argument that this would be a much better upset pick than West Virginia over OU. The game, after all, is at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Crowd should be wild. And TCU has owned Texas since joining the Big 12, too, going 8-3 against UT since 2012. The Horned Frogs just haven’t shown anything lately—or really over the course of the season—that says they could pull off a big one like this. The Frogs upcoming schedule is tough. Next week is the Revivalry. After that a final trip to Norman to close out the season. UT on the other hand has a tough task next week, at night in Ames, and then against Tech at home to close out the year. Win out and the Horns are in Arlington.
Iowa State 24, BYU 20. It’s truly been a tough first year in the conference for BYU: the Couglets have now had the Joseph-Smith-Praisin’-be-stuffins beaten out of them in three of their past four games, losing to West Virginia, Texas, and TCU by a total of 116-24. You’d think they’re surely due for a better game. And this is ISU’s first trip into that Wasatch altitude since 1973. Might be tough for ISU, though I think the Cyclones prevail.