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. And this week we have enough to get you and your entire family drunk due to the poor slate this weekend as all these games have double digit spreads.
- No. 13 Utah at Kansas
- No. 5 Texas Tech at West Virginia
- Colorado at Kansas State
- Iowa State at Oklahoma State
- UCF at BYU
The journey starts in Lawrence, Kansas where the only thing staler than the Jayhawks are the leftover dinner rolls from Thanksgiving that never get eaten. After six years, the Jalon Daniels era will come to an end and it’s only fitting that it ends with a loss against Utah who will run the football down their throat. I expect Utah to have as many rushing yards as I have calories on Thursday.
We stay in the sunflower state with Kansas State hosting Colorado. Truth be told, I don’t know who is having a worse season between the two. Deion is holding an open tryout to replace everyone next season and Chris Klieman is just trying to keep a job. A win over Colorado should be easy to get the Wildcats to a bowl game and if they have a party in Manhattan for it, Chris Klieman can certainly cry if he wants to.
250 miles south is where the tarps off movement was born and it’s also where Iowa State is headed. As much as I have enjoyed the movement I have also realized when that is the biggest ongoing story with your football program about as dead and dry as the turkey in Christmas Vacation. Yes, the shitter was full, and it was full of Oklahoma State football. Give me the Cyclones by at least a baker’s dozen to get to eight wins.
Next up is Texas Tech and West Virginia which feels like two uncles that you have and whose lives have gone in two completely different directions. Your Texas Tech uncle fell into a pit of oil money and is driving a $140,000 truck while your West Virginia uncle is lucky to get his truck to start at all, but he does have a jar of shine under the seat in case of emergencies. Sorry West Virginia uncle, but Texas Tech is just too much to compete with.
Last but most likely least is UCF and BYU. The Cougars have a lot riding on this one to punch their ticket to Jerry World and the Knights are trying to get to a bowl game if they can pull off a miracle. But no amount of luck, prayer, or preparation is going to help UCF win this game in Provo. These BYU fans are going to be sugar high all week long for this one.
Shots of the Week
Just like when you walk into any bar, you never know what’s going to be up on that board. And just like these two games, I am not really sure what to expect.
- Houston at Baylor
- Cincinnati at TCU
We got a Lone Star showdown in Waco where Baylor needs a major overhaul that even Chip and Joanna Gaines couldn’t even fix. Bringing Dave Aranda back for another season is like bringing non-alcoholic beer to Thanksgiving. What’s the point in bringing it if you know it’s not going to get you to where you need to be.
Speaking of not being where you need to be is Houston. While the Cougars have been a pleasant surprise this season, they aren’t exactly playing their best football. In fact, they have been playing down to competition and if that’s the case in Waco then someone will need to bring a shovel to get all the shit off the field.
After the first shot in Waco, the next one is up in Fort Worth. And unlike their rival to the south, they aren’t afraid to sell beer inside their stadium despite being a religious school which is mind boggling to me because both fan bases need it this year.
The good news for TCU is that Scott Satterfield is 1-10 in the month of November since taking over at Cincinnati which has earned him the nickname of September Satterfield by our very own Jake Brend. Unfortunately, it’s November and both teams are on a downward spiral but one of these teams can end their season on a high note by finishing with 8 wins.
Top Shelf Special
- No. 25 Arizona at No. 20 Arizona State
You won’t need to wait until Saturday for your special this week and you won’t need to run up your credit card to buy useless crap that you don’t need for this Black Friday deal. In the battle of the Territorial Cup there is no love lost in the Grand Canyon State between Arizona and Arizona State.
The Wildcats are playing some of their best football right now between Noah Fifita and their defense clicking at the right time. Meanwhile the Sun Devils are about as banged up as my first truck that I owned yet they are somehow still here winning games with Jeff Sims at quarterback. In rivalry games this evenly matched, it always a toss up so loosen up those pants after stuffing your face with leftover turkey and grab a cold one for this one.
