The non-conference games are in the rearview mirror. Now, nothing but Big 12 affairs with the conference foes.
Four of the five games feature teams with winning records this season. All five contests have single-digit spreads, so there could be some nail-biters here.
Baylor (+300) is now favored to win the Big 12 championship, according to the college football odds. Oklahoma (+350), Kansas St. (+375) and Oklahoma St. (+400) have their fans. OU saw its national title odds climb to +4000 (was +1000) after last week’s loss.
Oklahoma dropped 12 spots (to No. 18) in the latest Associated Press poll, Oklahoma State remained ninth, Baylor jumped one place to No. 16 and Kansas St. broke in at No. 25. In the American Football Coaches Association poll, Kansas, Texas Tech, Kansas St., Texas, and Texas Christian are among the next six teams with votes.
Oklahoma (+4000) leads the Big 12 teams in the odds to win the national title.
Here’s a breakdown of the games involving Big 12 teams. Those who bet online have much to consider.
Let’s check the latest NCAAF picks, stats, injury reports, and NCAAF predictions. We’ve plenty of NCAAF expert picks for you to consider.
Game of the Week
Oklahoma St. Cowboys vs Baylor Bears
- Date, time, TV: Saturday, Oct. 1st, 3:30 p.m. ET (FOX)
- Line: Baylor -2
It’s not easy being the king, or the defending conference champion, either.
A week after going to Iowa St. as an underdog, returning with a hard-earned, 31-24 win, Baylor is welcoming undefeated Oklahoma St. in a rematch of 2021’s Big 12 title game.
𝙲𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚖𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚌 𝚁𝚎𝚌𝚊𝚙
GAME 4 | 🆚 Iowa State#SicEm | #PersonOverPlayer pic.twitter.com/7fG33BUCvx
— Baylor Football 🟡 (@BUFootball) September 26, 2022
It couldn’t be a more different assignment, than after meeting an Iowa St. team leading the conference in scoring defense to draw the top-scoring team in the Big 12. The Cowboys are averaging 51.7 points per game.
Oklahoma St.’s Spencer Sanders is the only quarterback in the conference averaging more than 300 passing yards per game. Baylor’s Blake Shapen isn’t asked to do as much as Sanders. The two QBs have combined 17 touchdowns (just two interceptions) so far this season.
Baylor and Oklahoma St. both have 10 sacks, so the Bears and Cowboys will look to get after the quarterback.
Something to consider for those who bet online is just one of the last 10 meetings between these teams has been decided by one score.
Oklahoma Sooners vs Texas Christian Horned Frogs
- Date, time, TV: Saturday, Oct, 1st. 12 noon ET (ABC)
- Line: Oklahoma -6½
OU’s quest to win the Big 12 title hit a fork in the road with a 41-34 home loss to Kansas St last week.
Quarterback Dillon Gabriel is second in the conference with 1,073 passing yards (11 touchdown passes, no interceptions). Eric Gray is one of three players in the Big 12 with at least 400 rushing yards.
It’s on the other side of the ball where there’s work to be done, however. OU is sixth in the conference in total defense, and no defense in the Big 12 has been on the field more (in terms of a number of plays) than Oklahoma’s.
TCU is averaging just 63 offensive plays through the first three games. Max Duggan leads the Big 12 in passing efficiency, as he/s completing 77% of his throws (11.4 yards per attempt, eight TDs, no interceptions).
Oklahoma has won the last eight games against TCU, covering six of the last seven.
Texas Tech Red Raiders vs Kansas State Wildcats
- Date, time, TV: Saturday, Oct. 1st, 12 noon ET (Big 12 Now/ESPN+)
- Line: Kansas State -8
What’s next at Texas Tech and Kansas St. after their stunners against Texas and Oklahoma last week?
The two 3-1 team have a chance to prove they belong in the conversation as conference title contenders, and not just relegated to one-hit wonders.
The contrast in offensive philosophy is this game is rather compelling. Kansas St. relies on a running game that ranks seventh in the nation. Deuce Vaughn’s 468 rushing yards lead the Big 12. Quarterback Adrian Martinez has 298 yards on the ground.
Tech’s Donovan Smith is the conference leader with 1,117 passing yards.
Kansas St. has won 10 of the last 11 games in the series, covering eight of those.
Iowa St. Cyclones vs Kansas Jayhawks
- Date, time, TV: Saturday, Oct. 1st, 3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
- Line: Iowa St. -2
If the college betting line is a barometer, they’re not believing the 4-0 KU Jayhawks. There are 18 undefeated teams from the Power 5 conferences, and Kansas is one of four that’s not ranked in the AP Top 25. Kansas is also an underdog playing at home.
Kansas Jayhawks have averaged 48.5 points while surrendering 27.3. Iowa St., meanwhile, leads the conference in scoring defense but is last in scoring offense.
Quarterback Jalon Daniels has blossomed as a playmaker at Kansas. He has completed 71% of his passes (11 touchdowns, one interception). He is also the leading rusher on the team (320 yards, four touchdowns).
Iowa St. (3-1) has allowed the fewest plays from scrimmage of at least 10 and 20 yards among conference teams.
The Cyclones are looking for their eighth win in a row against Kansas, with only one of the previous seven decided by seven or fewer points.
West Virginia Mountaineers vs Texas Longhorns
- Date, time, TV: Saturday, Oct. 1st, 7:30 p.m. ET (FS1)
- Line: Texas -9½
West Virginia (2-2) has very quietly emerged as a ford on defense, as the Mountaineers rank only behind Iowa St. in total defense in the Big 12. Nine Mountaineers already have at least 10 tackles, led by Lee Kpogba’s 24. Dante Sills is a force on the line.
Hudson Card has been effective since replacing the injured Quinn Ewers at quarterback of 2-2 Texas, but the key to the Longhorns’ offense is running back Bijan Robinson. Per the college football predictions, he is tied for the lowest odds (+6600) among rushers in odds to win the Heisman.
Four of the last six games in this series finished as ‘under’ contests.
