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
- Kent State at Texas Tech
- Bowling Green at Cincinnati
- Delaware at Colorado
- West Virginia at Ohio
- Cal Poly at Utah
- Army at Kansas State
- Houston at Rice
- North Carolina A&T at UCF
I call these easy drinkers because just like a delicious Ames Lager, they will go down smoothly.
Even if Behren Morton doesn’t play against Kent State, the Red Raiders will be fine with Will Hammond under center. Kent State is one of the worst teams in the country and is currently on an FBS-high 21-game losing streak.
The Bearcats return to action after a tough loss to Nebraska and they get a Bowling Green team that isn’t very good. Cincy is favored by three touchdowns and what I want to see is their offense, particularly their receivers get back on track in that one.
As for Colorado, they will not have to worry too much about Delaware, but the focus will be on their offense because there is a good chance we get to see the debut of freshman quarterback Julian Lewis.
West Virginia has the tightest line out of this group facing Ohio but are still favored on the road. The Bobcats have had a major overhaul on both sides of the line which is where I expect running back Jahiem White to take over. Last week, the Mountaineers ran for over 300 yards in their home opener against Robert Morris.
The Utes look to build off their big win over UCLA last week with an easier opponent this week in Cal Poly. In a game like this, I doubt the Utes even throw the ball over fifteen times and have their backups in by late third quarter.
Kansas State on the other hand has an interesting matchup against Army who is fresh off a loss to Tarleton State at home. But the Wildcats are coming off their own scare against North Dakota last week. Hopefully, this is the week they wake up and get their act together finally.
The rivalry game against Houston and Rice is always fun with the Bayou Bucket on the line. Houston’s defense should have zero problems with Rice but it’s the offense that will be the one thing to watch with Connor Weigman leading the way.
Last but not least is UCF and North Carolina A&T. Have the Knights finally figured out which quarterback to start? It’s either going to be Cam Fancher or Tayven Jackson and to me, the answer should be Jackson but either one should have zero trouble this week.
Bouncers Special
- Oklahoma State at No. 6 Oregon
If you like watching a total butt kicking, then this is the game for you. Much like a bouncer kicking a drunk fool out of a bar, I expect this game to go a similar way.
Oklahoma State lost their starting quarterback Hauss Henjy in their opener against UT Martin with a broken foot which means Zane Flores will have to fill in. No offense to Zane but he’s not ready to go on the road and beat a team like Oregon quite yet. I just hope Oregon just throws Oklahoma State out of the bar and not try and throw more punches out in the parking lot.
Shots of the Week
- Baylor at No. 17 SMU
- Kansas at Missouri
Just like when you walk into any bar, you never know what’s going to be up on that board. And just like in these games, I am not really sure what to expect.
Baylor is coming off a horrendous loss to Auburn at home by double digits in a game where they gave up over 300 rushing yards. While SMU quarterback is mobile, he is no Jackson Arnold.
The Bears offense looked fine with Sawyer Robertson, and I expect them to have better luck against SMU. Dave Aranda needs a bounce back win to stay off the hot seat and a win against a top 20 SMU team could do the trick.
Meanwhile, for Kansas they face an old rival in Missouri this weekend. Jalon Daniels has been playing like the Jalon Daniels from a few years ago which is good news for the Jayhawks. Plus, Missouri has some quarterback injuries right now which isn’t ideal this early in the season. If Kansas can play defense the way they have over the first two games, then I wouldn’t be shocked at all for them to walk away with a win this weekend.
Ring the Bell
- No. 12 Arizona State at Mississippi State
A bell in a bar can mean many things but this week it stands for the thousands of cowbells that will be ringing in Starkville this weekend. The Big 12 favorites are hitting the road to SEC country which is always a tough place to play.
For me, quarterback Sam Leavitt is going to have to be the difference maker because Mississippi State’s run defense has much improved from a year ago. This will be a game where star receiver Jordyn Tyson is going to have to shine and help him out.
Meanwhile, former Baylor quarterback Blake Shapen is the starting quarterback for Mississippi State. While he can certainly be inconsistent at times, he is capable of lighting a defense up. However, I trust Arizona State’s defense to keep him under control. The Big 12 needs a bounce back win over an SEC team and this is the perfect opportunity for that.
Top Shelf Special
- Iowa at No. 16 Iowa State
You all know why this game is the top shelf special. It’s not only the biggest game of the week in the Big 12, it’s arguably the biggest game in the country. This is finally the first time in a while where I feel like Iowa State deserves to be favored in this matchup.
We still don’t know much about Iowa’s offense yet after their game against Albany with Mark Gronowski at quarterback but it’s no secret that the Hawkeyes will try to establish the run game and slow this thing down.
The one thing I do know is that Iowa State’s offense is firing on all cylinders. Rocco Becht has looked like the best quarterback in the Big 12 so far this season. Even if the Cyclones struggle to run the football in this one, I feel confident in Rocco and the weapons around him to score some points. But in this rivalry game, anything can happen and there will be some moments of chaos on both sides.
Last Call
- Weber State at Arizona
- Stanford at BYU
Both kickoff times are set for 9:00 p.m. central time or later which is perfect for all you late night sickos out there. Unless you are a degenerate gambler like me, these two games should mean absolutely nothing to you.
Arizona is fresh off a beatdown of Hawaii and the last time I checked, Webster State is worse than Hawaii which should mean an easy win for the Wildcats.
Speaking of Hawaii, Stanford actually lost to them in week zero which is good news for BYU. Unless Andrew Luck somehow suits up for Cardinal, the Cougars should have no problem being Stanford by double digits.
You can hear Derek Duke react to all of these games on Sunday’s with Jake Brend on their Bigger Than 12 Podcast on IowaEverywhere.
