Line: Texas Tech by 201/2.
Series Record: Texas Tech leads 34-32-1.
Last Meeting: 2008, Texas Tech 35-28.
What’s at Stake
Texas Tech looks to maximize its postseason possibilities with a 14th consecutive victory against Baylor. The Red Raiders beat Oklahoma 41-13 last weekend, its largest ever over the Sooners, to become bowl eligible. Baylor closes out its 15th straight season without a bowl. The Bears are coming off lopsided losses to Texas and Texas A&M. In March, the teams signed a two-year agreement to meet in the Dallas area. This year’s game is at the Dallas Cowboys’ new stadium and they will play at the Cotton Bowl in 2010.
Key Matchup
Texas Tech’s running game vs. Baylor’s defense. Mike Leach and the Red Raiders are known for their prolific passing numbers. RB Baron Batch, however, rushed for 136 yards against Oklahoma. Baylor has the worst run defense in the Big 12 and gave up 375 yards on the ground in a 38-3 loss to Texas A&M.
Players to watch
Texas Tech: DE Brandon Sharpe has 13 sacks and needs one more to tie the single-season school record. With 21/2 against Oklahoma, Sharpe is second nationally in sacks.
Baylor: QB Nick Florence, who was third on the depth chart when the season started, has been intercepted five times the past two games since throwing for 427 yards in a victory over Missouri.
Line: Oklahoma by 91/2.
Series Record: Oklahoma leads 79-17-7.
Last meeting: 2008, Oklahoma 61-41.
What’s at Stake
Oklahoma State could position itself for an at-large bid to the Bowl Championship Series — the first in school history — if it can snap a six-game losing streak against Oklahoma in the Bedlam rivalry. The Sooners are trying to protect a 29-game home winning streak.
Key Matchup
Oklahoma State RB Keith Toston vs. Oklahoma defense. Toston leads the Big 12 with an average of 121.4 yards rushing in conference play while the Sooners rank eighth in the nation in rush defense (91 ypg) even after allowing a season-high 161 yards in last week’s loss at Texas Tech.
Players to Watch
Oklahoma State: CB Perrish Cox. Besides leading the nation in passes defended, he also scored on a punt return in a win against Colorado last week.
Oklahoma: WR Ryan Broyles. A Norman native who decommitted from the Cowboys at the last minute to attend Oklahoma, he’s been the go-to guy in the Sooners’ offense with at least seven catches in five consecutive games.
Facts & Figures
Coach Mike Gundy has said Oklahoma State QB Zac Robinson will start after missing last week’s game with shoulder and head injuries. … A ranked Cowboys team is facing an unranked Sooners team for only the third time in series history. The opposite scenario has occurred 38 times. … Oklahoma has lost only twice at home under coach Bob Stoops, but one of the losses came against Oklahoma State in 2001. The Sooners have won 49 of 50 home games since. … OSU is seeking a school-record fifth straight conference road victory.
Line: Oklahoma by 6.
Series Record: Oklahoma leads 44-37-3.
Last meeting: 2008, Oklahoma 62-28.
What’s at Stake
Surprisingly little considering the history of this series. With the Big 12 South title almost out of reach, Oklahoma is playing for the best possible bowl, likely the Cotton. Nebraska is in the thick of the North race but the margin for error is closing.
Key Matchup
Oklahoma’s defensive front seven vs. Nebraska running game. If the Huskers can’t run, they probably can’t win. With Roy Helu Jr. banged up, Nebraska has not had a consistent threat in Big 12 play. Look for freshman QB Cody Green to call his own number early and often against an Oklahoma defense that ranks No. 3 nationally against the run.
Players to Watch
Oklahoma: DE Jeremy Beal and DT Gerald McCoy will merit special attention from Nebraska’s offensive line. Beal has 8.5 sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss, and McCoy has 12 stops behind the line. The duo could make it a long night for the Huskers.
Nebraska: Freshman QB Cody Green is making his second start, and he’ll be doing it in a game that could swing the season. Offensive coordinator Shawn Watson kept things simple for Green last week against Baylor. Now Green faces one of the most athletic defenses in the country.
Facts & Figures
Oklahoma has won four straight in the series. … OU’s Ryan Broyles leads the nation with 10 touchdown catches. … OU’s Landry Jones completed his last 14 passes against Kansas State last week and finished with 294 yards and four TDs. … Nebraska’s offense has three touchdowns in the last three games. … Huskers DT Jared Crick is coming off a 13-tackle, five-sack outing against Baylor.
Line: Oklahoma State by 71/2
Series Record: Oklahoma State leads 24-17-3
Last meeting: Oklahoma State 59-17 (2008).
What’s at Stake
Oklahoma State needs to bounce back from a 41-14 loss to No. 2 Texas with a solid effort against a revived Iowa State team. A win over the Cowboys would make the Cyclones bowl-eligible for the first time since 2005 and give first-year coach Paul Rhoads a signature win.
Key Matchup
Oklahoma State’s passing game vs. Iowa State’s secondary. Cowboys QB Zac Robinson is the Big 12’s highest-rated passer and the Cyclones rank 94th nationally in pass defense. If Iowa State can’t contain Oklahoma State’s air attack, this game could be over in a hurry.
Players to Watch
Oklahoma State: RB Kendall Hunter. Oklahoma State’s star running back has been hobbled all season, but coach Mike Gundy said the Cowboys are hoping to get him some playing time. Hunter rushed for 1,555 yards and 16 TDs last season.
Iowa State: QB Austen Arnaud. After missing two weeks with a bruised throwing hand, Arnaud will be back this week. His return couldn’t come soon enough for the Cyclones, who averaged just 9.5 points a game in his absence.
Facts and Figures
Oklahoma State is 16-6 in its last 22 games, and five of those losses came against teams ranked in the top 15. … Iowa State is averaging over 200 yards rushing a game through nine games for the first time since 1999. … Don’t expect many sacks in this one. The Cowboys have allowed just four in eight games, best in the nation, while Iowa State ranks eighth with six in nine games.
Line: Texas by 36.
Series Record: Texas leads 1-0.
Last meeting: 2007, Texas 35-32.
What’s at Stake
It’s all about the BCS and poll position, and the Longhorns don’t want to look sloppy after two dominant road wins. This game was supposed to be played in mid-September and Central Florida was supposed to be a tuneup for Big 12 play. The game got moved so Texas could play Texas Tech on national TV.
Key Matchup
Texas S Earl Thomas vs. Central Florida QB Brett Hodges. Thomas is on a tear with a team-high six interceptions, including two returned for touchdowns. Hodges has thrown seven picks to go with his 10 touchdowns and is completing less than 60 percent of his passes.
Players to Watch
Texas: QB Colt McCoy. Seems obvious, but McCoy has done well since his rough outing against Oklahoma. He’s got one month to keep it going to remain a Heisman favorite and will be up against a Central Florida defense that sacked Miami’s Jacory Harris six times.
Central Florida: RB Brynn Harvey. UCF’s leading rusher ran for 212 yards against Memphis but will butt heads Saturday with the nation’s top-ranked rush defense. The Longhorns have allowed just two rushing TDs all season.
Facts & Figures
Texas has scored nine non-offensive touchdowns this season with six on kick returns or blocks and three interception returns. … McCoy is 40-7 as a starter, with a 21-3 mark at home. … Central Florida practices with jet noise to simulate the sound of playing in front of large crowds. Texas has had more than 101,000 fans at each of its four previous home games this season.
Line: Missouri by 17.
Series Record: Missouri leads 10-2.
Last meeting: 2008, Missouri won 31-28.
What’s at Stake
Missouri trying to climb back into contention in Big 12 North after first 0-3 conference start since 2002, coming off easy 36-17 victory at Colorado. Defense forced four turnovers and had eight sacks, three by redshirt freshman DE Aldon Smith. Baylor has scuffled since losing QB Robert Griffin (knee) for season in late September, and has lost four in a row. Bears averaging only 8.5 points in conference play and hasn’t scored a TD in first half last three games.
Key Matchup
Missouri QB Blaine Gabbert vs. Baylor defense. Sophomore Gabbert was hobbled by high right ankle sprain in all three losses, two of them at home, but appeared much more nimble last week and was rarely hit by Colorado defense. Baylor had slow start overall last week, trailing 20-0 at half, but held Nebraska to 11 first downs for best showing since 2004.
Players to Watch
Baylor: WR Kendall Wright has 20-game reception streak, with at least four catches in six straight games. LB Joe Pawelek will start 42nd straight game and has 388 career tackles, most among active players.
Missouri: LB Sean Weatherspoon is 59 tackles away from school career record of 434 set by James Kinney from 2001-04. … WR Danario Alexander has 58 receptions for 824 yards and 7 TDs, including 2 TDs last week. … Smith has eight sacks, three off the school record.
Line: Texas A&M by 31/2.
Series Record: Colorado leads 5-3.
Last meeting: 2008, Texas A&M 24-17.
What’s at Stake
Colorado’s season went from bad to worse this week when sophomore RB Darrell Scott decided to leave the program. Scott was the crown jewel recruit for coach Dan Hawkins, who is 15-30 in his fourth season and piling up more votes of confidence than wins. The Buffs need to win out to become bowl eligible in a season where Hawkins had talked about 10 victories. The Aggies’ confidence is soaring as they have hit their stride under coach Mike Sherman with back-to-back big wins over Texas Tech and Iowa State.
Key Matchup
Colorado QB Tyler Hansen vs. Texas A&M’s Garrick Williams, who has 55 tackles, 34 of them solo, and Von Miller, who has 131/2 sacks. Against the Aggies last year, Hansen set a school record for most single-season rushing yards by a true freshman QB with 216. And the Aggies have struggled defensively this season, allowing 400 yards and 30 points per game.
Players to Watch
Texas A&M: Miller, who ranks No. 1 in the nation with 131/2 sacks, and RB Cyrus Gray, who has consecutive 100-yard rushing games, giving him 567 yards and five TD runs. He is a dynamic addition to an offense that ranks third in the nation in total offense at 490.5 yards per game while averaging more than 35 points.
Colorado: RB Rodney Stewart, the Buffs’ short and speedy tailback who’s stunning emergence played a role in Scott not getting as many snaps as he would have liked.
Iowa State (5-3, 2-2 Big 12) at Texas A&M (4-3, 1-2), 2:30 p.m
Line: Texas A&M by 7.
Series Record: Texas A&M leads 8-1.
Last meeting: 2008, Texas A&M 49, Iowa State 35.
What’s at Stake
Both teams are looking to follow up season-saving — and potentially program-changing — road victories last week. The Aggies stunned then-No. 21 Texas Tech 52-30, winning in Lubbock for the first time since 1993. The Cyclones forced eight turnovers in a 9-7 win at Nebraska, where Iowa State hadn’t won since 1977. Iowa State can become bowl-eligible with a victory.
Key Matchup
Iowa State RB Alexander Robinson vs. Texas A&M defense. Robinson is the Big 12’s leading rusher (105.3 yards per game) and has four 100-yard games this season. He sat out last week’s game with a groin injury, but coach Paul Rhoads says he’ll be ready to face the Aggies. A&M gave up 232 rushing yards in a 62-14 loss at Kansas State two weeks ago and ranks 78th nationally in rush defense (152 ypg).
Players to Watch
Iowa State: Junior QB Austen Arnaud. The dual-threat quarterback bruised his right, throwing hand two weeks ago and sat out last week’s win at Nebraska. Rhoads expects Arnaud to play. Backup Jerome Tiller went 9-for-19 for 102 yards in his first career start last week.
Texas A&M: Sophomore WR Jeff Fuller. The Aggies’ big-play receiver returned last week after sitting out four games with a broken right fibula. Fuller caught one pass for 12 yards against Texas Tech and should be ready for a more expanded role against Iowa State.
Line: Missouri by 31/2.
Series Record: Missouri leads, 39-31-3.
What’s at Stake
Missouri will attempt to snap a three-game skid, while the Buffaloes try to rebound from a 20-6 loss at Kansas State. The Tigers have outscored Colorado by a combined margin of 113-10 in the last two meetings.
Key Matchup
Missouri LBs vs. Colorado RBs. Missouri’s depth at linebacker will be measured after starter Luke Lambert dislocated his shoulder. Will Ebner could see more playing time in the middle. The Buffaloes will be without TB Darrell Scott for a second straight game after he had arthroscopic surgery on his knee Oct. 22. Missouri will see a steady dose of Rodney Stewart, who leads the team with 467 yards rushing.
Players to Watch
Missouri: LB Sean Weatherspoon. The Missouri senior was all over the field in the loss to Texas last weekend, recording 11 tackles and sacking Colt McCoy. He also intercepted a pass in the second half. Weatherspoon has 363 career tackles, just 72 away from breaking James Kinney’s school record.
Colorado: WR Scotty McKnight. The junior wideout has caught at least one pass in a school-record 32 straight games. With his 130 career receptions, McKnight is sixth on CU’s all-time receptions list, just 37 behind leader Michael Westbrook.
Facts & Figures
This will mark the 14th time the Tigers have been Colorado’s homecoming opponent. Missouri is 4-9 in those games. … The Tigers have made 217 straight extra points. Their last miss was in 2005 when they played in Folsom Field. The NCAA record is held by Syracuse, who had seven different kickers make 262 straight from 1978 to 1989. … The Buffaloes had their string of 242 straight games with a score halted by Missouri last season in the 58-0 loss. … CU coach Dan Hawkins will stick with Tyler Hansen as his starting quarterback.
Line: Oklahoma by 28.
Series Record: Oklahoma leads 69-17-4.
Last meeting: 2008, Oklahoma 58-35.
What’s at Stake
Kansas State can maintain its surprising lead in the Big 12 North if it can snap Oklahoma’s school-record 27-game home winning streak. The Sooners, already eliminated from national championship contention, are trying to keep their hopes alive for a fourth straight Big 12 title.
Key Matchup
Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops vs. Kansas State skipper Bill Snyder. Stoops was a defensive assistant at K-State from 1989-95 while Snyder was building the program. Stoops is 5-1 against his mentor, with the only loss coming in the 2003 Big 12 championship.
Players to Watch
Kansas State: DE Jeffrey Fitzgerald. The senior transfer from Virginia has four of Kansas State’s 10 sacks over the past two games, and he’ll be facing a suspect offensive line that’s had six different starting combinations this season.
Oklahoma: RB Chris Brown. Carrying a heavier load with backfield mate DeMarco Murray out with a left ankle injury, Brown had a season-high 22 carries and scored three touchdowns — two rushing and one receiving — last week. Murray could return this week.
Facts & Figures
Kansas State RB Daniel Thomas leads the Big 12 with 814 yards rushing. He’ll be facing the nation’s third-best rush defense, allowing only 70 yards per game. … Stoops says RG Tavaris Jeffries, who was suspended last week for breaking team rules, will not start this week but may play. LG Brian Simmons is expected to miss his third straight game with a right knee injury.
Line: Texas by 9.
Series Record: Texas leads 21-2.
Last meeting: 2008, Texas 28-24.
What’s at Stake
Oklahoma State can claim control of the Big 12 South race and throw a wrench in Texas’ national championship hopes with an upset. In a division dominated by Texas and Oklahoma, the Cowboys have never played for the Big 12 championship.
Key Matchup
Texas pass rusher Sergio Kindle vs. Oklahoma State LT Russell Okung. The Longhorns’ disruptive linebacker/defensive end will face a challenge this week against Okung, an NFL prospect who shut out NCAA sacks leader Von Miller of Texas A&M earlier this season.
Players to Watch
Texas: WR Malcolm Williams. The sophomore had a career-high five receptions last week in his first start of the season and recovered a blocked punt in the end zone for Texas’ sixth special teams’ score of the season.
Oklahoma State: RB Kendall Hunter. The Big 12’s leading rusher from last season has been cleared to play after missing the last five games with a sprained ankle, but coach Mike Gundy says he’ll only get eight to 10 carries if he plays at all. Hunter’s 161 yards rushing were the most allowed by Texas in a game last season.
Facts & Figures
Oklahoma State will be without All-America receiver Dez Bryant for a fifth straight game. The NCAA ruled this week that he will remain ineligible for the rest of the season, pending an appeal by OSU. … The Cowboys have never had a 4-0 start in league play in school history, with stints in the Southwest, Missouri Valley, Big Eight and Big 12. … Mack Brown is 11-0 against Oklahoma State, including comebacks from 28, 21 and 19 points within the last five years.
Line: Nebraska by 121/2.
Series Record: Nebraska leads 10-1.
Last meeting: 2008, Nebraska 32-20.
What’s at Stake
Nebraska turned the ball over eight times, matching a school record, in a frustrating 9-7 home loss to Iowa State last week. The Cornhuskers, ranked as high as 15th earlier in the month, have scored a total of 17 points in a two-game slide. The Bears, who are 1-3 since losing QB Robert Griffin, have been outscored by 67 in three conference games. Baylor has lost nine a row to Nebraska, including all seven as Big 12 foes.
Key Matchup
Nebraska’s offense vs. Baylor’s defense. While the Huskers couldn’t hold on to the ball against Iowa State, the Bears have created only one turnover in Big 12 play. After Nebraska lost the ball four times inside the Iowa State 5, coach Bo Pelini said there would be personnel changes on offense. .
Players to Watch
Nebraska: NT Ndamukong Suh anchors a defense which ranks eighth nationally and third in the conference.
Baylor: S Jordan Lake is seventh in the Big 12 with 54 tackles.
