I don't necessarily agree with all of this; however, I think the review of our run defense is pretty accurate. However - turnovers will be huge, and we've made veteran teams turn the ball over frequently so far, so I think that's a huge advantage for us with a frosh qb, young rb and such for Baylor. I'll say flip the score and that's my prediction, due to 4 TOs by Baylor!
Iowa State (2-3) at Baylor (2-3), 7:05 EST
Why to watch: This isn’t exactly a preview of the Big 12 Championship, but these two aren’t the doormats of the past, either. Iowa State head coach Gene Chizik and his Cyclones had Kansas on the ropes last week with a 20-0 halftime lead, only to see it go up in smoke in a rough 35-33 loss. That loss, on top of a heartbreaking overtime loss to UNLV and a clunker of a rivalry game against Iowa has made for a tough month around Ames. However, a win in Waco can turn things around. With winnable home games against Nebraska and Texas A&M up next, Iowa State can honestly dream of a bowl game with a win this week. Baylor has sparked up with the emergence of freshman dynamo Robert Griffin at quarterback under the direction of new head coach Art Briles. The Bears got blasted at Oklahoma last week, but that’s hardly anything to cry over. They battles in a good road loss to Connecticut and lost to Wake Forest in the opener before Griffin took over. Now the team is in need of a real win. Beating Washington State doesn’t really count. With only two road games left and with Oklahoma State, Texas, Missouri and Texas Tech still to deal with, any hope for a winning season starts with a win over the Cyclones. Iowa State holds a 4-3 edge all-time.
Why Iowa State might win: The Cyclones are tied with Minnesota and Wake Forest with the most takeaways: 17. Chizik’s defense might give up yards in bunches, but it wins its share of drives by forcing the big play. Baylor has a tremendous offensive line with some next level talent, but it’s having a hard time in pass protection. Part of the problem is having a mobile, freshman quarterback to work in front of, but there are also some consistency issues. If Chizik and his staff can find a way to get into the backfield on a regular basis, the BU attack will shut down.
Why Baylor might win: Iowa State has had problems against the run, and against running quarterbacks. UNLV’s Omar Clayton is more of a passer than a runner, but he was able to get moving a little bit while Frank “The Tank†Summers barreled for 109 yards. Kent State’s Julian Edelman ran for 65 yards while RB Eugene Jarvis ran for 139 yards and a score. Basically, Iowa State’s defensive front can be run on. BU might have been blasted by OU, but Griffin got his 102 yards and two touchdowns in. However, if Baylor is going to win, it also needs …
Who to watch: … sophomore RB Jay Finley to get going. He ran for 119 yards against Washington State and 85 yards against Connecticut, but Griffin is the running offense. Finley hasn’t rushed more than 11 times, but that needs to change. Griffin isn’t a big guy and might not last a full season if he’s running 20+ times a game.
What will happen: It’ll be the Griffin show. He’ll bounce back from a shaky passing day against Oklahoma to keep the Baylor offense moving both through the air and on the ground, but Iowa State will get its licks in. QB Austen Arnaud can move, too. The two quarterbacks, and throw in a third, ISU’s Patrick Bates, who should see more work this week, will combine for close to 200 rushing yards.
CFN Prediction: Baylor 33 … Iowa State 27 ... Line: Baylor -4
Must See Rating: (5 The Girls Next Door: Season 5- 1 2008 Chicago Cub Playoff Highlights) … 2.5
Iowa State (2-3) at Baylor (2-3), 7:05 EST
Why to watch: This isn’t exactly a preview of the Big 12 Championship, but these two aren’t the doormats of the past, either. Iowa State head coach Gene Chizik and his Cyclones had Kansas on the ropes last week with a 20-0 halftime lead, only to see it go up in smoke in a rough 35-33 loss. That loss, on top of a heartbreaking overtime loss to UNLV and a clunker of a rivalry game against Iowa has made for a tough month around Ames. However, a win in Waco can turn things around. With winnable home games against Nebraska and Texas A&M up next, Iowa State can honestly dream of a bowl game with a win this week. Baylor has sparked up with the emergence of freshman dynamo Robert Griffin at quarterback under the direction of new head coach Art Briles. The Bears got blasted at Oklahoma last week, but that’s hardly anything to cry over. They battles in a good road loss to Connecticut and lost to Wake Forest in the opener before Griffin took over. Now the team is in need of a real win. Beating Washington State doesn’t really count. With only two road games left and with Oklahoma State, Texas, Missouri and Texas Tech still to deal with, any hope for a winning season starts with a win over the Cyclones. Iowa State holds a 4-3 edge all-time.
Why Iowa State might win: The Cyclones are tied with Minnesota and Wake Forest with the most takeaways: 17. Chizik’s defense might give up yards in bunches, but it wins its share of drives by forcing the big play. Baylor has a tremendous offensive line with some next level talent, but it’s having a hard time in pass protection. Part of the problem is having a mobile, freshman quarterback to work in front of, but there are also some consistency issues. If Chizik and his staff can find a way to get into the backfield on a regular basis, the BU attack will shut down.
Why Baylor might win: Iowa State has had problems against the run, and against running quarterbacks. UNLV’s Omar Clayton is more of a passer than a runner, but he was able to get moving a little bit while Frank “The Tank†Summers barreled for 109 yards. Kent State’s Julian Edelman ran for 65 yards while RB Eugene Jarvis ran for 139 yards and a score. Basically, Iowa State’s defensive front can be run on. BU might have been blasted by OU, but Griffin got his 102 yards and two touchdowns in. However, if Baylor is going to win, it also needs …
Who to watch: … sophomore RB Jay Finley to get going. He ran for 119 yards against Washington State and 85 yards against Connecticut, but Griffin is the running offense. Finley hasn’t rushed more than 11 times, but that needs to change. Griffin isn’t a big guy and might not last a full season if he’s running 20+ times a game.
What will happen: It’ll be the Griffin show. He’ll bounce back from a shaky passing day against Oklahoma to keep the Baylor offense moving both through the air and on the ground, but Iowa State will get its licks in. QB Austen Arnaud can move, too. The two quarterbacks, and throw in a third, ISU’s Patrick Bates, who should see more work this week, will combine for close to 200 rushing yards.
CFN Prediction: Baylor 33 … Iowa State 27 ... Line: Baylor -4
Must See Rating: (5 The Girls Next Door: Season 5- 1 2008 Chicago Cub Playoff Highlights) … 2.5
