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
- Tulsa at Oklahoma State
I call these easy drinkers because just like a delicious Ames Lager, they will go down smoothly. This week is a little different because there are just three games on the Big 12 slate with a double digit spread and this is one of them.
We have a Friday night special in Stillwater and if you don’t want to watch that other school in the state take on the Fighting Tony Soprano’s, then this is the game for you. Mike Gundy is coming off his worst loss in his career and I am sure this team is still picking up their teeth after getting the piss beat out of them by Oregon.
The good news is that Tulsa is not good at all and are fresh off back-to-back losses against New Mexico State and Navy who beat them by nearly 20. This all comes down to if Oklahoma State will show up. Against Oregon, they were lifeless, and if they pull that stunt again then they will be beat. However, I expect the Cowboys to show up and show out in this one.
Senior Discount
- North Carolina at UCF
Our pal Bill Belichick is back in the bar, so I had to bring back the senior discount once again. However, we may need to check his girlfriend’s id because she is young enough to be his granddaughter.
All jokes aside, the Knights aren’t 100% sure on a quarterback just yet between Cam Fancher and Tayven Jackson. But it may not matter who starts due to North Carolina’s poor run defense. Scott Frost will run the ball at least 30 times in this game and try to control the clock. I expect this one to be a low scoring affair with neither offense being very good but with UCF playing at home in the bounce house, I like the Knights. Enjoy the discount Bill because I know you’re paying Jordon’s student loans.
Beer Goggles
- West Virginia at Kansas
- BYU at East Carolina
I have had my fair share of questions about Kansas and BYU. Is the beer making these two teams better than they actually are? Well, we are about to find out.
Kansas hosts West Virginia where they are a 13.5 point favorite which seems extremely high to me. Sure, Jalon Daniels and that offense can put up points but that defense of theirs is shaky at best.
With West Virginia coming off an emotional win in the backyard brawl last week, I also question how much they have left in the tank. The one thing that is for certain is that the Mountaineers are going to control the game on the ground and if Kansas can’t stop it, then this game will be closer than expected.
As for BYU, they are an enigma. Some people think they are top 25 team, and some people don’t even have them in the Big 12 title picture. Wins over the nerds (Stanford) and Portland State aren’t anything brag worthy so I am not sure what to make of them just yet. Hopefully, that will change as they head east to take on East Carolina. Last time I checked, Carolina BBQ doesn’t include roasting whole Cougar so that is good news for BYU.
Shot of the Week
- SMU at TCU
Just like when you walk into any bar, you never know what’s going to be up on that board. And just like in this game, I am not really sure what to expect.
It’s the Sonny Dykes Bowl, aka the battle of the Iron Skillet, in Fort Worth. If you are looking for a classic Big 12 shootout then look no further. Even though it’s the shot of the week, I wouldn’t recommend taking a shot for every touchdown if you want to wake up on Sunday.
Josh Hoover and the TCU offense should have no trouble putting up plenty of points against SMU’s defense but the focus here is going to be on TCU’s defense. We already know what the offense is capable of, but the Horned Frogs are going to have a tough battle ahead facing Kevin Jennings and the weapons he has around him for the Mustangs.
Top Shelf Special
- Texas Tech at Utah
- Arizona State at Baylor
Two big time games in one day? Fox was smart to air both of these. Texas Tech and Utah may not just be the most anticipated matchup of the weekend but maybe of the entire season for the Big 12.
Tech has spent a ton of oil money putting together a championship caliber team and despite not playing anyone with a pulse up to this point, you have to be impressed with the way they have handled themselves. Their defense looks much improved from a year ago and the offense has no shortage of weapons around Behren Morton with their receivers.
As for Utah, they too have yet to play anyone with a pulse (UCLA doesn’t count) but their talent in the trenches is unmatched. The Utes have dominated up front on both sides of the ball which has made life easy for Devon Dampier at quarterback. I wouldn’t be shocked at all to see these two meet up again in Jerry World come December.
Meanwhile the Sun Devils head to the land of Chip and Joanna Gaines for a big prime time matchup against Baylor. Arizona State bounced back last weekend against Texas State at home where Sam Leavitt looked like his old self.
Baylor on the other hand is coming off a bye week which is interesting. Both offenses are good enough to win this game, but the difference will be which defense can get a stop? The Bears have struggled against the run all season long and Arizona State is more than capable of taking advantage. As usual, this will determine if Baylor fans want to fire or keep Dave Aranda around for another week.
Last Call
- Wyoming at Colorado
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. Colorado heads back to Boulder after a rough loss to Houston as they host Wyoming.
Right now the Buffaloes have a quarterback conundrum because Deion Sanders just switched back to Kaidon Salter as his starting quarterback for Saturday after starting third-string Ryan Staub in Houston.
Luckily for Colorado, it may not matter who starts because Wyoming’s defense isn’t good at all. This should be a bounce back game for the Buffaloes and an opportunity for one of the three quarterbacks to step up and take the reins.
