Week 12 in the Big 12

  Big 12 Title Game Talk

This has been a strange and ever changing season in the Big 12.  The South is flipped upside down from what every “expert” predicted and the North, well it’s the North.  It’s almost certain that Nebraska will face Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Title game, a rematch of the October 23 battle which Nebraska won.  There are some scenarios that involve other teams in the Big 12 Championship game though. 

The North is a two team race.  Nebraska heads to Kyle Field this weekend for a game with the red hot Texas A&M Aggies, which they very well could lose.  The Huskers then face the Colorado Buffaloes, rivalry games bring out the best in teams.  For Nebraska to lose their spot in the Title game, they have to lose both of these games and Missouri has to win their final 2.  Missouri has to travel to Ames, IA this weekend for a battle with the Cyclones, then to Kansas City, MO for the Jayhawks.  I hope it comes down to that game for Mizzou, but I seriously doubt it.

The South is still a little more open than the North.  Oklahoma State has a one game lead over Oklahoma and Texas A&M, but they hold the tie breaker over the Aggies.  The Cowboys need to beat the Sooners in two weeks and they represent the South, simple as that.  OSU faces the Jayhawks this Saturday in Lawrence, KS, which should be an easy victory.  Oklahoma needs to win out and they are in the title game again.  Texas A&M needs some help.  The Aggies need to win out and get the Sooners to beat the Cowboys.  Baylor is officially eliminated from the race, but they are still fun to watch.

The Big 12 Top to Bottom

1. Oklahoma State Cowboys (9-1) Big 12 record 5-1   Should put up 50 against the Jayhawks.

2. Nebraska Cornhuskers (9-1) Big 12 record 5-1  Face a very hot Texas A&M team, hopefully they are ready to play.

3. Missouri Tigers (8-2) Big 12 record 4-2  Always struggle in Ames, will this year be any different?

4. Texas A&M Aggies (7-3) Big 12 record 4-2  Can they slow down the Husker rushing attack, if so the Aggies win.

5. Oklahoma Sooners (8-2) Big 12 record 4-2  Heading to Waco for a battle with the Bears will be tough.

6. Baylor Bears(7-3) Big 12 record 4-3  Can RG3 run all over the Sooners D?

7. Kansas State Wildcats (6-4) Big 12 record 4-3  Head to Boulder, CO after a mistake filled loss to Mizzou.

8. Iowa State Cyclones (5-6) Big 12 record 3-4 Can they pull of the upset and ruin the Tigers chances?

9. Texas Longhorns (4-6) Big 12 record 2-5  This team is horrible, will they struggle with FAU this weekend?

10. Texas Tech Red Raiders (5-5) Big 12 record 3-5 They play Weber St this weekend, wherever that is.

11.  Kansas Jayhawks (3-7) Big 12 record 1-5  The Jayhawks need to slow down the Cowboys offense, they do that and who knows what’ll happen.

12. Colorado Buffaloes (4-6) Big 12 record 1-5  The Buffs beat the Cyclones last week and get a similar offering this week from KState.

Top Big 12 Performances: Week 11

Cyrus Gray RB Texas A&M  Ran like an animal, scoring 4 TD’s in the process.  One of the reasons the Aggies pulled out the win.

Brandon Weeden QB Justin Blackmon WR Oklahoma State  This connection has done it all year and it didn’t stop in the Texas game. 

Blaine Gabbert QB Missouri  Looked great running and passing the ball.  He looked comfortable in the pocket.

Aldon & Jacquies Smith DE Missouri  This duo wreaked havoc on the KSU QB last week and combined for a sack/strip and fumble return for a TD.

Landry Jones QB Ryan Broyles WR Oklahoma  These 2 could match the Weeden/Blackmon combo, if they continue on the pace they are on.

Cody Hawkins QB Colorado  His dad just got fired and he had a great game.  He deserves a little credit.

Week 12 Picks

Oklahoma State @ Kansas- The Cowboys have too much offense and the Jayhawks don’t have enough for this game to be close.  I’ll take Okie State 52-20.

Kansas State @ Colorado- The inconsistency of each of these teams drives me crazy.  I think the Wildcats have a few less, so I will take K-State 33-23.

Weber State @ Texas Tech- I’m not wasting my time with this one, TTU wins 45-13.

Florida Atlantic @ Texas- Texas is fighting for a bowl appearance, they inch closer with a win here, I’ll take Texas 39-13. 

Missouri @ Iowa State Jack Trice has been a tough place for Mizzou, but I like Gabbert to lead the Tigers.  Give me MU 35-24.

Oklahoma @ Baylor This will be a fun game full of playmakers, I like the Sooners 40-31.

Nebraska @ Texas A&M Tannehill has been a blessing at QB for the Aggies, but the TAMU D and running game will win this one. A&M wins 24-20.

 Big 12 Bowl Projections

Insight Penn State vs Oklahoma This would be a dream matchup for the Insight Bowl and a pretty entertaining game. 

Texas Baylor vs Michigan Denard Robinson and Robert Griffin III in the same game?  The stadium might implode due to awesomeness!!

Alamo Missouri vs Arizona  This game would be entertaining.  Two great offenses led by two great QB’s.

Pinstripe Kansas State vs West Virginia Daniel Thomas and Noel Divine, the only reasons I would watch.  Each team has a great grandpa for a coach as well. 

Holiday Texas A&M vs Oregon State  I love this game.  Fun offenses and each team has a first rounder on defense.  I’d watch!

Dallas Football Classic Northwestern vs Texas Tech  I like the Northwestern QB and TTU RB Baron Batch, but other than that this game is boring.

Cotton Nebraska vs Alabama  Big time matchup!  Nebraska is pissed after losing to the Cowboys in the Big 12 Title game.  Alabama says bring it.

Fiesta Oklahoma State vs Pitt  Oklahoma State would roll the Pitt Panthers.  The Cowboys have too many weapons on offense for Pitt to keep it close.

Written by Jason Madson.  Follow on Twitter @I_AM_JMAD.

Inside the Big 12: Week 8

Last week in the Big 12 was a good one if you were a road team.  Every home team lost, with the exception being the Oklahoma Sooners hosting the Iowa State Cyclones.  This week could be more of the same as the road teams are favored in almost every game, with the exception being the Cyclones again.  We should get a lot of answers this weekend as 2 games will go a long way to telling us who the contenders and pretenders are going to be in this league.

Top Performances: Week 7

The Mizzou defense put on its most impressive showing this past weekend at Kyle Field.  The Tigers sacked Texas A&M QB Jerrod Johnson 7 times in the dominating performance.  The final TD that the Aggies scored was a junk TD when Mizzou was basically in a prevent.  I’m extremely impressed with how well the Tigers are playing on the defensive side of the ball, but the Sooners come to town on Saturday night for a big time matchup on national TV.

Kansas State QB Carson Coffman has heard how bad he was all season, all it took was a matchup against the lowly Kansas Jayhawks to cure him.  He completed 94% of his passes threw for 2 scores and rushed for 3 more.   It’s hard to complete 94% against air, let alone when somebody is covering your WR. 

We will give a co-top performers award to a duo from Okie St.  Justin Blackmon continues to have a great year, with 10 receptions for 207 yars and a score.  Running back Kendall Hunter rushed for 130 and added a score of his own.  I can’t wait to see these 2 face the tough Nebraska defense on Saturday.

Lastly, lets give props to the Oklahoma Sooners on both sides of the ball.  Yes it was the Iow St Cyclones, but they dominated this game.  Landry Jones is hitting his stride, Ryan Broyles seems to be uncoverable and DeMarco Murray just broke the Sooners all-time TD record.  The defense shut out the Cyclones, holding them to 10 first downs and 183 total yards. 

This Week in the Big 12

The National Spotlight will be on Columbia, MO this weekend as ESPN has decided to hold College GameDay on the campus of Mizzou.  This game means a lot to the National Championship hopes of both teams, so expect it to be close.  I hope to see this on Saturday though!

Nebraska heads to Stillwater to face the undefeated Oklahoma State Cowboys.  This game will come down to the Huskers being able to stop the Cowboys run game.  If they slow down Kendall Hunter and Co.  I like the Cornhuskers to roll to an easy victory.

Both of the games I just mentioned will be on national tv and its well deserved for this conference to get some good pub.  The Big 12 plays a great brand of football, for the most part, and some of the players in this league deserve to be household names.  I expect to see two very tough, hard fought battles in the national spotlight.

Ranking the Big 12

1.  Oklahoma Sooners (6-0)  The number one BCS team has to be atop the conference.  Plus they are damn good.

2.  Missouri Tigers (6-0)  Imagine that, Mizzou is being led by their defense.  I think hell just froze over.

3.  Oklahoma State Cowboys (6-0)  The Cowboys are a threat to score every time they touch it, the defense showed up last week too.

4.  Texas Longhorns (4-2)  The Longhorns showed us what they were capable of on Saturday.  They dominated the Cornhuskers on both lines.

5.  Nebraska Cornhuskers (5-1)  Nebraska does have a weakness, and if they can’t run against you it will show up.  Not a good passing team at all.

6.  Kansas State Wildcats (5-1)  K-State put it on the Jayhawks last Thursday.  It’s a shame they can’t play KU every week.

7.  Baylor Bears (5-2)  Baylor hosts the Wildcats this week in a game they should win at home.  I love watching RG3 do his thing.

8.  Texas Tech Red Raiders (3-3) They were out matched in what I thought would be a high scoring battle with Oki St.  Tuberville needs some time.

9.  Texas A&M Aggies (3-3)  This team is not good at all.  Jerrod Johnson is 1/4 the player he was last year.  Atleast Jeff Fuller and Von Miller are fun to watch.

10.  Colorado Buffaloes (3-3)  Rodney Stewart tried to put the Buffs on his back last week, but the Bears were a little too much.

11.  Iowa State Cyclones (3-4)  They went to OU last week and travel to Texas this week, who did the Cyclones piss off?

12.  Kansas Jayhawks (2-4)  This is a YOUNG, INEXPERIENCED team that will be better next year.  They are horrible this season.

Week 8 Picks

Iowa State @ Texas 

This game won’t be close.  Garrett Gilbert had a good game last week, finally deciding to use his feet to make plays.  The Cyclones are probably on the verge of laying down after 2 straight blowout defeats.  Look for the Texas passing game to have a big day ar home.  I’ll take the Longhorns 44-10.

Kansas State @ Baylor 

This is a game that I’m very interested in watching.  The Wildcats like to pound the rock to set up the play action game.  Baylor uses RG3 every possible way they can.  I’m a fan of both styles, but I think the Baylor offense will be a little to explosive for the K-State defense.  Remember what Taylor Martinez did against them?  Baylor wins 30-22

Texas Tech @ Colorado 

Texas Tech needs to open it up for Taylor Potts and the offense, because until Tuberville gets his guys in their that’s who they are.  The Buffaloes should rely on the legs of Rodney Stewart to keep this game close.  I like the Red Raiders in this game 27-17.

Nebraska @ Oklahoma State

This game will be a battle of Okie State’s offense versus Nebraska’s dominant defense.  If the Cowboys are going to win, they need to feed Kendall Hunter the rock, a lot.  I don’t think the Huskers can outscore the Cowboys, so the blackshirts have to make some plays.  Tune into the podcast on Friday morning for the PGWU Pick ‘Em segment for our picks on this game.

Texas A&M @ Kansas

The Aggies remind me of the 2009 Jayhawks.  Tons of talent returning, very high expectations and if blows up in their face.  TAMU will only go as far as Jerrod Johnson will take them.  Kansas is at home, that’s about all they have going for them.  I like the Aggies to right the ship 37-13

Oklahoma @ Missouri

The Game of the week!  I’m extremely excited to watch this game.  It’s homecoming at Mizzou, Gary Pinkel has finally built a good defense to go along with his spread offense and College Gameday will be in the house!  With all that being said, Oklahoma comes to town as the number one team in the BCS, they are hitting on all cylinders and have had the Tigers number for as long as Stoops has been in Norman.  This game will come down to a big defensive stop or a special teams play.  I see an extremely close game on Saturday night.  Tune into the podcast on Friday morning for the PGWU Pick ‘Em segment for our picks on this game.

Written by Jason Madson.  Follow him on Twitter @isbnJMAD.

Big 12 Preview Week 6

Last weeks Big 12 schedule was centered around one game, The Red River Shootout.  After the Sooners dominated most of the game, Texas made a come back and it would’ve gotten interesting if not for a muffed punt by Texas with about a minute to go.  There were some surprises last week as well.  Baylor beating Kansas wasn’t a surprise, but a final score of 55-7 was.  Iowa State jumped out to a big lead against Texas Tech, only to watch the Red Raiders come back and tie it up.  The Cyclones went on to put up 52 points and held TTU to 38. 

Week 5 Highlights

Jerrod Johnson filled up the stat sheet last week, both positively and negatively.  He threw for 409 yards and 5 TD, but also threw 4 interceptions and lost a fumble that was returned for a TD.  I’m still waiting on the 2009 version of Jerrod Johnson to show up in 2010.

The Baylor Bears had about as perfect of a game as any team could hope for.  Bears QB Robert Griffin is so talented, it’s laughable.  He completed 72 percent of his passes, threw for 380 yards and 3 scores.  He also had 64 yards on the ground and another score.

The Colorado Buffaloes pulled off what many considered to be any upset, beating the Georgia Bulldogs 29-27.  AJ Green made his return for the Dawgs in this game, but the running of Buffs RB Rodney Stewart was the biggest story.  This pint sized back rushed for 149 yards, averaging 7.8 per carry.

What to Watch for in Week 6

Nebraska heads to The Little Apple for what could be the last time.  The fans in purple will be rockin and ESPN will be in the house as well.  I like the Wildcats to keep this game close because of A) Daniel Thomas running thru the weak Husker run defense B)play action passes to some talented receivers, especially Chris Harper and C) Bill Snyder coaching in his house.  This will be a very tight game, IF the Wildcats can keep Taylor Martinez under control.

Look for the Colorado Buffaloes to try to run the ball down Mizzou’s throat, a la San Diego State.  The Buffs have the right ingredients to make this a game with a big talented offensive line and a very quick running back in Rodney Stewart.  If Mizzou gets out to a quick lead, this game won’t be close.

Baylor and Texas Tech meet in the Cotton Bowl on Saturday.  This game will be full of explosive scoring. but very little defense.  I could see over 80 combined  points in this game.  If nothing else, catch a few plays while Baylor has the ball, because Griffin is well worth it.

Ranking the Big 12

1. 1. Oklahoma Sooners
2. 2. Nebraska Cornhuskers
3. 3. Missouri Tigers
4. 4. Kansas State Wildcats
5. 5. Texas Longhorns
6. 6. Oklahoma State Cowboys
7. 7. Texas A&M Aggies
8. 8. Baylor Bears
9. 9. Iowa State Cyclones
10. 10. Texas Tech Red Raiders
11. 11. Colorado Buffaloes
12. 12. Kansas Jayhawks                                       

Week 6 Predictions

Nebraska @ Kansas State     I like K-State in a tight one, 23-20

Oklahoma State @ LA Lafayette    I like Okie St in a route 51-17

Baylor @ Texas Tech from Dallas     I’ll take the Bears in a shootout, 44-40

Colorado @ Missouri       Mizzou wins big, 38-14

Arkansas @ Texas A&M from Jerry’s Palace in Dallas     Arkansas wins 33-24

Utah @ Iowa State     Upset Alert!!!  I’ll take the Cyclones, 20-14

Written by Jason Madson @isbnJMAD on Twitter

Big 12 Happenings

We saw some very close games and some blowouts last week in the Big 12.  Oklahoma State and Nebraska had very impressive routes of quality opponents.  Mizzou and Oklahoma beat inferior opponents in games that came down to the last few minutes. Texas and Kansas State battled to victories over Big 12 conference opponents.  Texas A&M and Colorado won, while Kansas and Baylor lost to out of conference foes.

Highlights From Week 3

Colorado had an impressive showing against Hawaii in all aspects of the game.  The Buffs held the high powered Warrior offense to 337 total yards and only 7 on the ground.  Tyler Hansen had an impressive game, throwning 2 TD’s, one each to WR Toney Clemons and WR Scotty McNight.  The Colorado running game was the star of the show, running for a combined 270 yards.

Nebraska had three 100 yard rushers in a blowout victory over the Washington Huskies. Taylor Martinez(137 yards), Roy Helu Jr.(110 yards) and Rex Burkhead(104 yards) were all the Huskers needed on Saturday in Seattle.  The “Black Shirts” held the Washington offense to less than 250 total yards and Jake Locker had an ugly 4-20 passing day, 20% completion percentage is not good.

Oklahoma State demolished the Tulsa Golden Hurricane 65-28.  Brandon Weeden threw for an astounding 409 yards and 6 TD.  Cowboys WR Justin Blackmon had a great day as well, 6 receptions 174 yards and 3 TD.  What impresses me the most about this game was the Okie State defense.  They picked Tulsa QB GJ Kinne 3 times and the final 3 TD were late meaningless points for the Golden Hurricane against some Cowboy backups.

Games to Watch: Week 4

Oklahoma @ Cincinnati – Oklahoma has seemed to play to the level of their opponents this season.  Close games with Utah State and Air Force, with a blowout victory over Florida State.  I like the Sooners big in this game for two reasons: 1) they have better talent and coaching than do the Bearcats and 2) This is considered by some as a tough road test, so they should show up and make a statement. 

UCLA @ Texas- UCLA beat a very good Houston team at home last week, knocking out Cougars star QB Case Keenum with a leg injury.  Texas went into Lubbock and came out of the dogfight victorious.  Garrett Gilbert struggled last week throwing 3 INT and getting sacked 3 times as well.  This will be a good matchup for the struggling Gilbert.  I like the Longhorns to take it, and it won’t be that close. 

UCF @ Kansas State- Daniel Thomas, Daniel Thomas, Daniel Thomas!  That is all you need to know about the Wildcats this year.  He is so much fun to watch every week, running the ball or passing it from the wildcat he does it all.  UCF boasts a strong crew at LB, led by Derrick Hallman and a good defensive backfield.  Neither will help though, if they don’t get good push on the line of scrimmage.  Once again, Daniel Thomas is the only reason I will watch this game.

Ranking the Big 12

North-   1. Nebraska  2. Missouri  3.  Kansas State  4. Colorado  5.  Kansas  6. Iowa State

South-  1. Oklahoma  2.  Texas  3. Oklahoma State  4. Texas A&M  5.  Texas Tech  6. Baylor

Team News

Baylor- Demolished by TCU last week, head to Rice for a chance at a 3-1 start to the season.

Colorado- Worked a lot of no-huddle offense in Saturday’s game against Hawaii, and it worked.  The Warriors were gassed.  The elevation of Colorado is a huge home field advantage for the Buffs.

Iowa State- The Cyclones host Northern Iowa this weekend in what should be an easy victory for the Cyclones.

Kansas-  The Jayhawks host New Mexico State on saturday.  They should rebound quite nicely against the below average Aggies.

Kansas State- Daniel Thomas trails Michigan QB Denard Robinson by just a handful of yards to be the nations leading rusher.  I expect him to have a huge game against the Knights.

Missouri- DE Aldon Smith has a broken bone in his leg and is expected to miss at least 2 weeks.  TJ Moe and Michael Egnew continue to get the majority of the looks from Gabbert.

Nebraska-  Eric Hagg, who plays the Peso postion(a hybrid safetyoutside linebacker) is a star in the making.  He makes plays every time he’s on the field.

Oklahoma- The Sooners need help with blitz pick ups.  They struggled to stop the Air Force pressure in the close victory.

Oklahoma State- If Bill Young’s defense can make some plays, this team could be very dangerous this year.  The Cowboys can score with anybody.

Texas- They struggled to get anything going on offense against the Red Raiders.  Will they get it fixed before it hurts them?

Texas A&M- Will OLB Von Miller’s ankle be at full strength to begin conference play?  Jerrod Johnson has been performing well below his abilities this season, how much did off-season surgery hurt his game?

Texas Tech- The Red Raiders had their lowest yardage output since 1990. 

Week 4 Picks

Baylor @ Rice  Baylor wins 24-21

Oklahoma @ Cincinnati Oklahoma wins 44-17

UCLA @ Texas Texas wins 31-17

Northern Iowa @ Iowa State Iowa State wins 23-14

New Mexico State @ Kansas Kansas wins 34-19

UCF @ Kansas State KState wins 30-20

Miami(OH) @ Missouri Missouri wins 52-21

South Dakota State @ Nebraska Nebraska wins 59-10

 Written by Jason Madson @isbnJMAD on Twitter

Big 12 Happenings

How many of you thought that the Kansas Jayhawks were going to beat the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets last week?  Not me. What about the Oklahoma Sooners rolling the Florida State Seminoles?  I actually did see this one happening(listen to the podcast people).  My point is that crazy things happen every week in this great conference.  There are quite a few big games this week and the conference kicks off with 2 pretty good games in their own right.

Kansas travels to Hattiesburg, MS to square off with the Golden Eagles from Southern Miss.  This is a national tv game on Friday night.  How will the Jayhawks handle their emotion in this game after the huge upset victory over Georgia Tech?  I like the Kansas redshirt freshman qb Jordan Webb a lot, he reminds me of a young Todd Reesing.  Georgia Tech only threw a handful of passes last week,  look for Southern Miss to be a bit more balanced.  How will the Jayhawks defend big play WR DeAndre Brown?  My pick  is SoMiss 24 KU 21

Baylor travels to TCU this weekend in what should be an easy victory for the Horned Frogs.  TCU just too much firepower on both sides of the ball for this one to be close.  I absolutely love the Bears QB Robert Griffin though, he is a special player.  I’m curious as to how good the Bears would be if he made the switch to WR and Nick Florence got the go at QB?  Just a thought.  Baylor also runs the 3-4 Defense and have a stout NT to anchor it in Phil Taylor, he could be popular come NFL Draft time. My pick is TCU 34 Baylor 16

Oklahoma hosts the Air Force Falcons this week in what should be a tune up game for the Sooners.   Landry Jones had one hell of a game last Saturday.  My pick of Landry Jones as a Heisman darkhorse isn’t looking so bad afterall.  The Sooner Defense gets a ton of credit after that beating they put on Christian Ponder and the Seminoles offense too.  I’m feeling better about picking Boomer Sooner to go undefeated and play in the National Championship game. This game is over by halftime.  My pick is OU 52 Air Force 13

Oklahoma State hosts Tulsa in what should be an extremely high scoring and entertaining game if nothing else. Brandon Weeden has done a very admirable job stepping in for Zac Robinson.  I like how he handles the Okie St offense.  Kendall Hunter has already rushed for almost twice as many yards as he did last year.  Justin Blackmon has become Weeden’s top target so far this year and Josh Cooper is a legit #2 WR.  The word defense won’t be used much in this game as I expect a very high scoring battle.  My pick is Okie St 45  Tulsa 41

Texas travels to Lubbock to battle Texas Tech.  Red Raiders HC Tommy Tuberville gets the opportunity to battle his former defensive coordinator Will Muschamp.  I’d love to see the Red Raiders come out with an attacking D and put some pressure on the young Longhorn QB Gilbert.  I’m not as high on Gilbert as most, he isn’t elite.  Foswhitt Whittaker will get the start at  running back for the Longhorns this week.  Tech should lean on running back Baron Batch as much as possible.  Texas has an elite group of defensive backs, led by Curtis Brown. My pick will be announced on the podcast, so check it out Friday morning.

Texas A&M hosts FIU this week in what could be a lot closer game than most people think.  The Aggies have a tru star at QB in Jerrod Johnson.  He is about as good as they come.  He should be able to pick apart the FIU 3-4 defense, if his OLine gives him time.  The Aggies are loaded at WR this season, so expect them to spread it out all year.  Running back Christine Michael has had a good start to the year, but he needs more consistancy in his game.  Keep an eye on true freshman left offensive tackle Luke Joeckel this season, he is going to be a very good player.  FIU has a star DL named Tourek Williams, he could cause the Aggie OL some trouble with his quickness. My pick is TAMU 31 FIU 17

Colorado welcomes Hawai’i this week.  The Buffs were crushed last week by the Cal Bears 52-7, but htat is what happens when you lose the turnover battle 5-0.  This team has 3 good offensive weapons in Rodney Stewart, Scotty McNight and Toney Clemons.  The Warriors have a talented group of offensive weapons led by QB Bryant Moniz.  He is a dual threat qb, but when he throws it goes to WR’s Kealoha Pilares, Royse Pollard and Greg Salas a lot.  I don’t like the Buffs chances here.  My pick is Hawai’i 37 Colorado 24

Iowa State meets Kansas State at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.  This game has been dubbed “Farmageddon” by some across the midwest due to the agriculture schools at both Universities.  This game is going to be heavy on the ground.  Both teams have issues at the QB postion, but htey both feature a good running back.  Daniel Thomas is going to have a huge game this week, as he does every week I guess.  The Cyclones will lean on Alexander Robinson to get some chunks on the ground.  This has potential to be a close low scoring game.  My pick is KState 24 Iowa State 16

Missouri hosts San Diego State on Saturday night.  This should be another Big 12 warmup for the Tigers, but the Mizzou defense could be in for a test.  SDSU has some very good weapons in QB Ryan Lindley, running back Ronnie Hillman, WR Vincent Brown and big play threat DeMarco Sampson.  Look for MU QB Blaine Gabbert to get the ball to TJ Moe and Michael Egnew a lot.  Henry Josey should see more carries this week as well. The Tigers have far superior athlets than do the Aztecs, so I could see them hanging around through the first half, but this won’t be a game when it’s final.  My pick is Mizzou 48 SDSU 17

Nebraska travels to Seattle to face the Washington Huskies.  I’m very excited to see this game for manyreasons.  How will Jake Locker do against the Cornhusker defense and vice-versa.  After last weeks turnover /fumble fest for the Huskers, how will they bounce back versus stiffer competition?  If needed can NU QB Taylor Martinez throw the ball if the run isn’t there?  These are all questions that will be answered this weekend as I believe this game is going to be very close.  My pick will be announced on the podcast, so check it out Friday morning.

Written by Jason Madson @isbnJMAD on Twitter