I think it’s a conspiracy or belief against the Big 12 format. Yes, there will be further discussions about adding a deregulated conference championship game. “They were the standard at that time”, coach Art Briles said this week. “If you don’t got a knot in your stomach about it and if you haven’t had it there the entire offseason, I don’t think you really buy into what we’re doing as a team, because I think it’s been everywhere”. “We may find ourselves in better shape than a few other conferences as a result of our model rather than in spite of our model”.
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The Sooners had said the right things all year about not overlooking opponents and remaining focused on the process of improving as they faced the teams at the bottom of the Big 12 standings. The hope is that someone wins out and goes undefeated. If they knock off FSU, they head to the SEC Championship in Atlanta with a guaranteed win-and-in situation. I’m not saying Oklahoma State is truly a top-five team, but compare their schedule and resume with Baylor, their Big 12 counterpart.
Oklahoma Sooners running back Joe Mixon (25) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Iowa State Cyclones during the fourth quarter at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.
As good as the quarterback’s numbers were in Baylor’s win over the Wildcats, the Bears still put up 143 less yards than their average, and scored only 31 points compared to their normal rate of 57 points per contest. They lead the league in rushing averaging over 300 yards a game rushing, so it all begins there.
Oklahoma State’s football team is 9-0 for the third time in school history thanks to a 49-29 spanking of No. 8 TCU last Saturday. Against the similarly high-powered Horned Frogs – coming off their first loss of the season – the first-year Kansas coach won’t be able to spin an ounce of optimism. With Baylor at #6, OSU at #8 and OU ranked 11th the committee is taking a wait and see approach to the Big 12, but I have to wonder-will anyone really get a big boost with a sweep? Thanks for the update, though. They might have a chance, depending on help from others. Cruise control is set. You can get away with that when you’re playing a wounded West Virginia team at home, and maybe even a Baylor team later this month, again at home; but you’re not going to get away with passing like that in Stillwater or Norman, especially early. A win and Baylor moves on to the next challenge of November at No. 8 Oklahoma State on Nov. 21 – assuming the Cowboys take care of business at Iowa State. Iowa State recorded four sacks versus Oklahoma and has 23 for the season, its most since recording 24 in 2006.3. The four squads combined for 208 points. Kansas is putting up just 16.9 points and 347.8 yards per game on offense this season, while the defense is allowing 48.4 points and 583.3 yards per game.
LSU (-7¹/₂) over Arkansas: Only Alabama’s top-ranked run defense could slow Leonard Fournette. However, his cryptic yet seemingly optimistic tweet made it sound like the All-American will be back in 2015, and if that’s at the cost of missing his penultimate home game, and his final Saturday game in the Carter, I’ll live with that.
ARIZONA (+6) over Utah: When the 80 percent threshold is crossed by the public, the contrarian is the play.
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Minnesota (+12¹/₂) over IOWA: Expect three-plus quarters of “How can Iowa be ranked No. 5 in the nation?” before the Hawkeyes ultimately pull out another close win.
