Welcome to the Big 12 Buzz. This is a place where you can relax, have a drink and get your Big 12 fix. And if you just happen to catch a good buzz here then there’s no need to worry, trust me, it happens.
Think of this space as a good local dive bar. The floors are sticky, the jukebox is blaring, and the ice never melts in the urinal trough. Here, the bottles stay full, the beers stay cold, and everyone is somebody.
So pull up a stool, and let’s see what we have in store this week.
Easy Drinkers
I call these easy drinkers because just like a delicious Ames Lager, they will go down smoothly, and you’ll always have more than one.
- West Virginia at No. 22 Houston
- UCF at Baylor
- Oklahoma State at Kansas
We start the day in Houston where the Cougars are coming off a big win against Arizona State and are now ranked for the first time since joining the Big 12. They face one of the worst West Virginia teams that I can remember.
While the game may not be entertaining, what I do find interesting is the fact that Houston will be honoring the 10-year anniversary of the Cougars’ 2015 Peach Bowl team. That means Tom Herman will be coming back with his mensa brain which I find odd considering he didn’t seem that smart in his last two stops.
The next game to crack open is Baylor hosting UCF. Now, I know the Bears are only favored by 4.5 which seems crazy to me because UCF or as many as you like to say directional Florida is not very good. Baylor has struggled against the run which is what UCF does best but with Dava Aranda’s job on the line, this is a must win for the Bears in Waco. Plus, the dead cat bounce didn’t work against Cincy last week, so I am betting on a dead, dead cat bounce this week.
Last and certainly least is Oklahoma State at Kansas. If you like torturing yourself by watching Oklahoma State football on ESPN+ then congratulations, this is the game for you. There are so many other things than I would rather do than watch this game such as ripping my eyes out or getting a colonoscopy.
Shot of the Week
- Arizona State at Iowa State
Just like when you walk into any bar, you never know what’s going to be up on that board. And just like this game, I am not really sure what to expect.
Here we are first, weekend of November coming up and both Arizona State and Iowa State are 5-3. Just like we all thought, right? Wrong. I had such high expectations for both teams and instead of being a prime-time matchup, this feels more like a game of who wants to get their season over with quicker.
All jokes aside, this is a must win for Arizona State to keep their slim Big 12 title hopes alive. And for Iowa State, this is an opportunity for them to get back on track and get a win for the first time in forever. The thing to keep an eye on this week will be the status of Jordyn Tyson. They are already without stud quarterback Sam Leavitt. Without those two, the Sun Devils are nothing more than an average team at best. If they do play, Iowa State will need to play a lot better than what they did in the second half against BYU or else it could turn ugly faster than you can say “I miss last year’s team.”
Top Shelf Special
- No. 13 Texas Tech at Kansas State
This week’s top shelf special takes us to Manhattan, Kansas where a few weeks ago, I wouldn’t have even put a special on Malört. But in the Big 12, things change as quickly as the weather in Iowa and Kansas State has certainly looked like a completely different team over the last couple of weeks.
The offense has been moving the ball with Avery Johnson, and the defense is finally hitting their stride as they just crushed a good Kansas offense last week. But we are going to find out if they have risen from the dead or go back to being buried because they will face their toughest opponent yet in Texas Tech.
Behren Morton is back and ready to go for the Red Raiders who are still from top to bottom the most talented team in the Big 12 that oil money can buy. We have seen the Red Raiders struggle on the road at times this season and if they don’t get off to a quick start then this game could easily go down to the wire.
Trick or Treat
- Arizona at Colorado
I will be honest with you here, out of all the games on the slate this weekend I don’t even know where this one fits. Even though Halloween will be on a Friday, this game feels a lot like trick or treating because you never know what you are going to get in your bag.
Colorado should be legally dead after their ass kicking in Salt Lake City, but they return to Boulder to take on Arizona. The Wildcats are one of those middle of the road teams in the conference but still have enough talent on both sides to compete.
Noah Fifita is the better quarterback in this game and Arizona’s defense should have no trouble stopping Colorado’s offense. Plus at this point, how much life does Colorado have left?
Last Call
- No. 17 Cincinnati at No. 24 Utah
With kickoff set for 9:15 p.m. central time, this game is perfect for all you late night sickos and degenerate gamblers out there.
It has been nearly three years since College GameDay has been to a Big 12 venue which just goes to show that bullying someone on social media can be beneficial at times if done by enough people.
Cincinnati has been one of the best stories in the Big 12 this year and they are just one of two teams undefeated in conference action. Brendan Sorsby has been fantastic this year lighting up defenses. Speaking of defense, that is where the Bearcats can be exposed.
Utah has the number one rushing offense in the Big 12 and they love to control the game on the ground and chew up the clock. But the one thing to keep an eye on will be the health of quarterback Devon Dampier. Last Saturday, backup quarterback Byrd Ficklin lit up Colorado like Snoop Dogg lights a J and he could easily do the same to Cincinnati on Saturday night.
