Photo cred: Peter G. Aiken / Getty Images
Remember before Covid, when you could sick in a non-life-threatening way and still feel so horrible you could barely move? That’s been me the past couple days with a sinus infection. I’m on the mend, I think—my natural cravings for coffee and tobacco have returned, and I’ve got a full cup of the black and a dart burning in the ashtray beside me as I write.
Last week missed badly on Texas Tech vs. Texas. Nailed ISU-Baylor.
Both Baylor and OSU have the same amount of program wins entering this weekend: 613 a-piece, per Winsipedia, have produced the same amount of first-round NFL draft picks (31) and have spent the same amount of weeks in the No. 1 slot of the AP Poll: zilch.
Last week: 4-2 (.600)
Overall: 28-6 (.823)
Texas 45, TCU 30. Gary Patterson’s team looked unfocused and unmotivated last week against rival SMU. His quarterback, Max Duggan, couldn’t hit a downfield receiver to save his life. His defensive backs looked like they’d each eaten a fistful of Benadryl before the game started. At the same time, the Horns showed a bit of swagger against Tech, enough that it’d be tempting to see their performance as a preview of things to come under Sarkisian. We’ve seen this show too many times before to jump the gun on that. I will say, though, that the Frogs might be in trouble if they don’t get things figured out—and soon.
No. 6 Oklahoma 27, Kansas State 17. I get the sense that most OU folks don’t want to think about this game. They just want it to be over. And I get that, after the last two years. OU is 6-4 against the Wildcats this past decade. Just to put that into perspective, let’s look at how the Sooners have done in the past decade against other conference foes dating back to 2011. Against Texas: 8-3. OSU: 8-2. ISU: 9-2. Baylor: 8-3. TCU: 9-1. Tech: 9-1. WVU: 9-0. KU: 10-0. The last two affairs in particular have not been pretty, with one game seeing the Sooners get dominated by the Cats and the other featuring an almost unimaginable K-State comeback that most Sooners fans likely felt should never have happened. Much as I’d enjoy it, I just don’t think KSU has the firepower for it this year, and OU is way past due to get its own offensive machine running. A fifth straight game of trouble for Rattler and co. would be pretty worrisome for Lincoln Riley.
Texas Tech 10, West Virginia 32. West Virginia did everything right last week against the Sooners but win the final few minutes of the game (and thus the game itself).
Kansas 15, Iowa State 35. Something is definitely broken in Ames. Brock Purdy has thrown as many interceptions as touchdowns this year: four of each through four games. Not great, Batman. ISU fills out the rest of its October schedule with a trip to Manhattan, the Cowboys at home, then a sojourn to Morgantown. The Cyclones could very well lose two of those three and enter what they hoped would be a dream November with four losses.
No. 21 Baylor 28, No. 19 Oklahoma State 38. Last year I was still too angry about Bedlam and a paltry showing by the Pokes against TCU to really enjoy the OSU’s 42-3 demolition of Dave Aranda’s Bears. Which is really too bad, considering that it looks like Aranda may be fashioning BU into a once-again formidable opponent. OSU comes into the game as a 3.5 point favorite; as far as I’ve seen on Twitter, Baylor fans certainly seem bullish (almost typed bearish) on their chances in Stillwater this weekend. I think the Pokes, who keep getting healthier, will cover, and pull away on a late defensive score.