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 boy, do we have plenty of them this week with four games that have double digit spreads.
- West Virginia at No. 23 BYU
- No. 11 Texas Tech at Houston
- Oklahoma State at Arizona
- Colorado at TCU
We start the weekend out in Provo which is a not a place known for beer drinking because taking a sip of alcohol is a one-way ticket to hell. And if that’s true then my butt would be burnt to a crisp.
The only thing worse than soaking in Provo will be having to watch West Virginia play football. The Mountaineers are the worst team in the conference by a country mile and it’s not even close. West Virginia has given up over 500 rushing yards in their last two games and BYU has the number one rushing offense in the Big 12. You don’t need to ask the almighty himself to figure out what will happen.
Next up, the Gundy-less Oklahoma State Cowboys head west to Tucson to take on Arizona. Oklahoma State actually put up somewhat of a pillow fight against Baylor last week, but I am curious to see how long that will last after leaving Stillwater. While I don’t feel great about Arizona after getting beat up by Iowa State, there’s a reason the Wildcats are 20 plus point favorite. I would rather brush up against a saguaro than watch Oklahoma State play football again.
Meanwhile, we have a battle for oil down in Texas. Houston has to face the best the Big 12 has to offer when they take on Texas Tech this weekend. The Cougars are 4-0 for the first time since Tom Herman was there kissing players back in 2016.
While Houston is a great story, they are about to face the ExxonMobil of college football. If you don’t know anything about ExxonMobil, they are the biggest oil company in Texas and in the United States. Not even Tommy Norris from Landman could save Houston from what’s coming.
Last but not least we have Colorado heading to Fort Worth. It’s the fourth game with a double digit spread this weekend to round out the Big 12 slate. The Buffaloes are having some quarterback issues after switching back to Kaidon Salter last week while the Horned Frogs are coming off a tough loss to Arizona State.
There’s no need to pop a top on some rocky mountain Kool-Aid to figure out who is going to win this one because Josh Hoover will get back on track. I know there are plenty of mechanical bulls at the Stockyards, but we are going to see a horned frog ride a buffalo on Saturday night. So go ahead Deion, wear your ten-gallon hat and your cowboy boots when you come to Forth Worth.
Beer Goggles
- Kansas at UCF
I have had my fair share of questions about Kansas and UCF. Is the beer making these two teams better than they actually are? Well, we are about to find out.
One of the most underrated matchups of the weekend is happening down in the sunshine state between two teams who are trying to get back on track after tough losses.
UCF’s quarterback position is still up in the air at this point between Tayven Jackson and Cam Fancher. The good news for the Knights is that the Kansas defense is nothing to be afraid of. Don’t be shocked to see UCF control the game on the ground.
While I have plenty of faith in the Kansas offense led by Jalon Daniels and Emmanuel Henderson Jr., they are going to have to play some type of defense. This isn’t the 2010’s anymore where you can get into shootouts week in and week out and hope it works.
This is a put up or shut up game for both teams after suffering a loss already in conference action. The winner will live to fight another week while the loser can kiss their Jerry World hopes goodbye. And whatever you do Lance Leipold, don’t call UCF central Florida.
Shot of the Week
- Kansas State at Baylor
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.
Kansas State finally won their first FBS game of the season last week against UCF. It only took a family fight overseas and four games to get it done. Meanwhile, Baylor is still trying to determine if they want to keep Dave Aranda or not.
Avery Johnson played his best game of the season last week and that trend should continue against a below average Baylor defense. Kansas State’s defense will face arguably their biggest test of the season when they go up against Sawyer Robertson and his speedy wide outs. Call me crazy but this game has classic Big 12 shootout written all over it.
Top Shelf Special
- No. 14 Iowa State at Cincinnati
If you had told me before the season started that this game would be the best one for week six, I would have asked you what you are smoking and to pass it over. But when you look at the slate for the weekend, it’s clear that this is the biggest matchup.
The Bearcats are coming off a big win in Lawrence as their offense put up over 600 yards against Kansas with Brendan Sorsby leading the way. It seems like Cincinnati has found their offense after a disappearing act against Nebraska in week one.
Speaking of offense, Iowa State has plenty of their own with Rocco Becht. Rocco has a strong case for being the best quarterback in the conference and the emergence of Chase Sowell could take that offense to a new level. Don’t be shocked to see a high scoring affair breakout in Cincinnati. The only thing more questionable than the Bearcats defense is whatever they put into that Skyline chili. Yuck.
