Saturday marks the start of Big 12 play for Kansas football, which means victories are going to be even harder to acquire from here on out. The Jayhawks open what figures to be a brutal nine-week stretch with the most winnable game remaining on their schedule: at Iowa State.
However, only the usually pessimistic Tom Keegan thinks this one will even be close. All our our KUsports.com staff pickers are choosing the Cyclones, and everyone except Keegan thinks ISU will win by at least eight points — with most going two-plus touchdowns for the difference.
Does KU have any chance? Weigh in below, in the comments section.
*– Don’t forget to check out our [college and pro pick ’em contests][1] to win weekly and season-long prizes. –*
WEEK 5 MATCHUPS
—————
**West Virginia at Oklahoma**
**Texas Tech at Baylor**
**Kansas State at Oklahoma State**
**Alabama at Georgia**
**Notre Dame at Clemson**
**Kansas at Iowa State**
| Picker | West Virginia at Oklahoma |
Texas Tech at Baylor |
Kansas St. at Oklahoma St. |
Alabama at Georgia |
Notre Dame at Clemson |
Kansas at Iowa St. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tom Keegan |
Oklahoma, 31-28 |
Baylor, 52-35 |
Oklahoma St., 28-24 |
Georgia, 24-20 |
Clemson, 28-24 |
Iowa St., 28-24 |
| Matt Tait |
Oklahoma, 31-28 |
Baylor, 45-33 |
Oklahoma St., 31-23 |
Alabama, 24-23 |
Clemson, 33-28 |
Iowa St., 38-21 |
| Scott Stanford |
Oklahoma, 42-35 |
Baylor, 63-56 |
Oklahoma St., 31-20 |
Georgia, 27-16 |
Clemson, 35-10 |
Iowa St., 42-21 |
| Andrew Hartsock |
Oklahoma, 71-63 |
Baylor, 14-13 (OT) |
Oklahoma St., 3-2 |
Alabama, 16-12 |
Notre Dame, 2-0 (OT) |
Iowa St., 62-16 |
| Gary Bedore |
Oklahoma, 30-24 |
Baylor, 60-33 |
Oklahoma St., 41-20 |
Alabama, 22-21 |
Notre Dame, 37-20 |
Iowa St., 55-24 |
| Chris Cottrell |
Oklahoma, 35-28 |
Baylor, 45-38 |
Oklahoma St., 30-27 |
Alabama, 13-10 |
Notre Dame, 40-39 |
Iowa St., 35-27 |
| Benton Smith |
Oklahoma, 38-33 |
Baylor, 66-49 |
Oklahoma St., 26-24 |
Alabama, 23-20 |
Clemson, 34-28 |
Iowa St., 34-20 |
| Bobby Nightengale |
West Virginia, 36-28 |
Baylor, 61-45 |
Oklahoma St., 28-24 |
Alabama, 42-35 |
Notre Dame, 38-37 |
Iowa St., 41-21 |
| Chris Duderstadt |
Oklahoma, 38-31 |
Baylor, 70-56 |
Oklahoma St., 35-24 |
Georgia, 34-31 |
Clemson, 28-27 |
Iowa St., 42-24 |
| Kurt Gatson |
Oklahoma, 34-27 |
Baylor, 199-198 |
Oklahoma St., 28-21 |
Georgia, 27-24 |
Clemson, 27-26 |
Iowa St., 37-22 |
QUESTION OF THE WEEK
——————–
**Big 12 play is in full effect beginning this weekend. Who do you think will win the conference, and do you think that team will make the College Football Playoff?**
—
Last week: 4-2 | Season: 18-6
> I think Baylor, TCU and Oklahoma will
> finish in a three-way tie with one
> loss apiece, with BU winning the claim
> to a conference title via a
> scoring-differential tiebreaker. If a
> Big 12 team does get into the College
> Football Playoff, I think it will be
> Baylor. Although the Big 12 will crown
> “One True Champion” after last
> season’s fiasco between Baylor and
> TCU, I wouldn’t be surprised if the
> conference is still without a team in
> the College Football Playoff. A weak
> non-conference slate for most of the
> Big 12’s top-tier teams and a lack of
> a conference championship game could
> very easily keep the likes of Baylor,
> TCU or Oklahoma out of the College
> Football Playoff again this season.
—
Last week: 5-1 | Season: 18-6
> The one true champion will be a tie
> among Baylor, TCU and Oklahoma, each
> with one loss, no championship game
> and no college football playoff.
—
Last week: 5-1 | Season: 18-6
> I think Baylor football will rise up,
> win the Big 12 and receive an
> invitation to the College Football
> Playoff.
—
Last week: 5-1 | Season: 18-6
> TCU, yes.
—
Last week: 4-2 | Season: 17-7
> For some reason I think it’s Oklahoma,
> but once I pick Oklahoma you just know
> they’ll lose to West Virginia. I’ll
> pick Oklahoma, but obviously TCU and
> Baylor would be good choices as well.
> I have a sneaky feeling the Big 12
> will be shut out of the playoff again.
—
Last week: 4-2 | Season: 16-8
> I’m going with Baylor. I think they’re
> more balanced than TCU, I think
> they’re a physically tougher team than
> the Horned Frogs and I think they’re
> playing with that chip on their
> shoulder that landed there after they
> were picked to finish second in the
> conference in the preseason despite
> winning back-to-back Big 12 titles.
> That kind of stuff is what bonds teams
> and drives them to prove people wrong.
> That’s a dangerous tool to give an
> already incredibly talented team. I
> think the Bears can run the table in
> the Big 12 and land a spot in the
> College Football Playoff.
—
Last week: 5-1 | Season: 16-8
> TCU, Baylor, Oklahoma and Oklahoma
> State will finish in a four-way tie,
> be ranked 2, 3, 5 and 7 in the final
> poll, and nobody from the Big 12 will
> make the playoff because there was no
> “One True Champion.”
—
Last week: 5-1 | Season: 16-8
> Baylor and TCU will tie, and neither
> will make it to the playoffs.
—
Last week: 3-3 | Season: 14-10
> I have to go with TCU after that
> unbelievable tipped pass game-winning
> touchdown last week against Texas
> Tech. Team of destiny. But TCU won’t
> make the playoff because it’ll have
> one loss. Can’t compete with other
> power conferences without a
> championship game.
—
Last week: 3-3 | Season: 11-13
> The safe choice seems like Baylor, and
> I think that’s the right choice, too.
> TCU hasn’t quite played as well as
> many expected early in the season, and
> I wouldn’t be surprised if the Bears
> go undefeated in the regular season. I
> think being unblemished easily gets BU
> into the Final Four.
—
[1]: http://www2.kusports.com/footballpicks/
