Once again we have a weekend where not every Big 12 team is in action as two teams, Missouri & Oklahoma State, have a bye before conference play goes into full swing. Luckily there are three conference matchups to watch this weekend and all three should be exciting to watch.
I am trying to make my push back into the positive for the season but the opening weekend where I went 2-8 is making it an uphill climb. This week looks to be a challenging batch of games to pick as there are a few games that look like they could go either way and one contest with a extremely large spread.
So down below are the games, their spreads and my predictions. Results article will happen following all the contests with my cumulative record as well, no matter how bad it turns out. Please feel free to make any comment you want on how you think the games will turn out in relation to the spread or how you feel about my choices.
Please note the spreads I use come from the website www.vegasinsider.com and I try to use the most common spread listed amongst the different sports books assuming there is a variance.
MY RECORD AGAINST SPREAD THIS SEASON: 10-14
Texas A&M Aggies vs Arkansas Razorbacks * - A&M is a 3 point favorite
* Game to be played at Cowboys Stadium - Arlington, TX
Saturday - 11:00 Central - ESPN
MY PREDICTION: A future middle of the road SEC team against a current middle of the road SEC program face off in Cowboys Stadium early on Saturday and it should be a good contest. The Razorbacks will be looking for their third straight win over the Aggies whom they beat 24-17 last season and 47-19 the season before. Both teams look to get back on track as Arkansas was throttled against Alabama 38-14 last weekend while the Aggies blew a 17 point lead against visiting Oklahoma State and then had to hear the chanting of "Big 12" from the visiting Cowboy fans. As for this game I think the Aggies get back on track as they are not facing Brandon Weeden and Justin Blackmon this week. I expect A&M to pound the ball against Arkansas with Cyrus Gray while Ryan Tannehill should be more efficient and safe with the football. I am going to say A&M wins the game and covers the spread in the process.
Texas Tech Red Raiders at Kansas Jayhawks - Tech favored by 6.5 points
Saturday 11:00 Central - FSN
MY PREDICTION: If you are an Arena football fan then this game will probably be to your liking as neither team appears to field much in the way of a defensive unit. The Jayhawks last outing provided Georgia Tech an opportunity to print up t-shirts while Tech's game this past Saturday vs Nevada was almost just as ugly from a defensive perspective. Who to choose in this game is anyone's guess as this could be KU's best chance of the season to get a conference win while Tech should come in expecting to be able to rack up points every time they touch the ball. If I had to make a selection I would place my money on the home team getting the points so I will go with KU to cover this spread. Not sure if the Jayhawks get the win outright since this game could come down to the final possession so whoever has it last could win.
Baylor Bears at Kansas State Wildcats - Baylor is a 3.5 point favorite.
Saturday - 2:30 Central - ABC
MY PREDICTION: What a difference a week makes as the Wildcats went on the road and defeated a Miami team who was coming off a thrashing of perennial power Ohio State. Now the K-State fans get to see if their defense is for real as they take on Heisman Trophy candidate (favorite?) Robert Griffin III who as you may have heard has more TD passes this season than incompletions. The question in this game is can K-State force the Baylor offense to punt it away a few times and hold the Bears to field goals and not touchdowns. The Wildcats should be able to run the ball and put up points against the Baylor defense but they will need to be efficient in the red zone as they cannot afford to settle for field goals after long drives. I got burned last week by going against Bill Snyder and the Wildcats but I am going to do it again here as I think the Bears come in with too many athletes. I say RG3 and the Bears keep their early season success going as they travel to Manhattan and come away with not only a win but the cover.
Texas Longhorns at Iowa State Cyclones - Texas favored by 9.5 points
Saturday - 6:00 Central - FX
MY PREDICTION: The Longhorns revenge tour continues this Saturday night in Ames, IA as they take on the Cyclones who defeated Texas last season by a score of 28-21 in Austin. The Longhorns have already traveled to UCLA and beat down the Bruins who also beat UT last season so many people are expecting a similar result in this game. The loss last season should provide Texas with the kind of motivation that some previous Longhorn teams may not have had when traveling to take on Iowa State. The Cyclones are riding high as they are an unexpected 3-0 with victories over in-state rival Iowa and a road victory at UConn. Those three wins have come despite the Cyclones being minus five in turnover differential. While I am still not sold on the combination of Case McCoy and David Ash at quarterback for the Longhorns it does seem to be a significant upgrade over Garrett Gilbert. As for the game I think the Cyclones have been living somewhat dangerously this season and I think this is the week where some of their errors catch up to them. I have to pick Texas to travel into Jack Trice Stadium and come away with the win and the cover in this one.
Ball State at Oklahoma Sooners - Sooners favored by 37.5 points
Saturday - 7:00 Central - FX
MY PREDICTION: Who the heck knows on spreads like this since everyone knows OU is going to win by a wide margin but no one knows if Bob Stoops will rest players like Ryan Broyles and Landry Jones in preparation for conference play. Since they are playing at home and maybe a touch upset over losing the #1 ranking to LSU despite easily handling Missouri I am going to pick OU to win and cover this spread.
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