My Week 1 Game of the Week was the South Dakota State Jackrabbits @ the Iowa State Cyclones and it was a serious FLASH of a game. Deshauntae Jones started and ended the action, firing through the SDSU defense to grab a 55-yard touchdown pass from Kyle Kempt giving the Cyclones a 7 point lead. The game was then delayed for lightning and ultimately canceled after 2 1/2 hours. The game is not expected to be rescheduled as the bye weeks of the two teams do not align.

Week 2 Game of the Week:

Iowa State @ Iowa

In 2017 this game was ultimately decided in overtime with Iowa pulling out the victory 44-41. We’ve only seen Iowa State play a few minutes this season but we saw a 55-yard bomb from Kyle Kempt to Deshauntae Jones before the delay. Iowa played stifling defense in their win over Northern Illinois and played three running backs that all appear to be Big 10-caliber players. This one could be a lot of fun on both sides of the ball and should be another highly competitive matchup for the CyHawk Trophy.

#16 TCU @ SMU

Last Week:	SMU (0-1, 0-0) found themselves in a one-sided affair in Denton where they lost to the University of North Texas 46-23. The Mustangs trailed 36-0 before scoring all of their points in the final 8 1/2 minutes of Sonny Dykes’s debut as SMU’s head coach. UNT’s quarterback Mason Fine, who is widely regarded as the best in Texas, threw 40/50 for 444 yards and 3 touchdowns. UNT also scored on a 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and an interception returned for a touchdown as well. The Mean Green are on track early to make some national noise as a Group of 5 school, as well as to secure their first 10-win season in the school’s history. TCU (1-0, 0-0) took care of business against the FCS Southern Jaguars 55-7. Quarterback Shawn Robinson made a lot of noise tossing three touchdowns to three different receivers and running in two scores on his own, all in the first half. Derius Davis caught a 12-yard touchdown from Robinson and returned a punt 73-yards for a score as well. The Jaguars became the first SWAC team to score on the Horned Frogs with a 55-yard touchdown pass in the 3rd quarter. They also held TCU to a field goal on their opening drive.
Date & Time:	Friday, September 7, 7:00 p.m.
Location:	Gerald J. Ford Stadium, Dallas, TX
Television:	ESPN2
Line:	TCU – 21.5
All-Time Record:	TCU 50-7-40 SMU
Overview & Breakdown:	The SMU Mustangs have a long way to go to be competitive against quality Big 12 competition. Sonny Dykes has been open about the situation he has walked into, and the holes he feels were left by former head coach Chad Morris in his exit for Arkansas. The Mustangs simply lack the depth, speed, or athleticism to match up with TCU, particularly this year. TCU head coach Gary Patterson has officially named Shawn Robinson the starter after his performance against Southern. With that question settled it’s now Robinson’s team to lead (or lose). TCU doesn’t appear to have a lot of holes to fill, not that this was much of a test. SMU doesn’t figure to provide TCU with much more of a challenge either. The Southern game provided an opportunity to mix in a lot of players on both sides of the ball. Twenty players had tackles and ten players combined for 245 yards rushing, the leader had 57 yards. I expect to see the Horned Frogs work to settle into a more standard offense. They may have an opportunity to save starters in the second half again, but this game may afford them a chance to find some rhythm. Biggest Question: Southern didn’t answer any questions for TCU other than confirm that Shawn Robinson is an impressive athlete. Derius Davis muffs far too many kicks and needs to shake that fumble bug immediately. I’m curious to see what TCU’s offensive line looks like against more quality competition, as I mentioned, four of last year’s squad are on NFL rosters at this point. Finally, I’m curious about the TCU defense. Giving up a 55-yard garbage time touchdown to an FCS opponent isn’t something to worry about, but it does raise a question about the secondary that may need answering. My Pick: I can’t imagine a scenario in which TCU doesn’t take care of business here. They’re on the road 40 miles east of home, which is sure to make for a great atmosphere. If you can say anything for SMU, The Boulevard provides a great tailgating atmosphere. I expect TCU to cover and I’d take the over. Sonny Dykes should get his squad rolling a little earlier this week and give us an idea what TCU’s defense looks like.

#18 Mississippi State @ Kansas State

Last Week:	Mississippi State (1-0, 0-0) took care of business against Stephen F. Austin 63-6 in head coach Joe Moorehead’s debut. Moorehead was hired based on a reputation of building offenses that can put up a lot of points. The Bulldogs’ first play was a 53-yard touchdown on a short screen to Kylin Hill. The Bulldogs’ quarterback Keytaon Thompson went 13/31 for 364 yards and 5 touchdowns. He was also the leading rusher with 10 carries for 109 yards and 2 touchdowns. Thompson got the start when senior Nick Fitzgerald was suspended for the season opener for breaking team policy back in March. Kansas State (1-0, 0-0) got all they could handle from the South Dakota Coyotes in their home opener. The Wildcats walked into the fourth quarter trailing 24-12 and facing consistent boos from their own fans, especially for the inconsistent offense. Isaiah Zuber returned a punt 85 yards for a touchdown to close the gap to 24-19. K-State forced another punt and Zuber caught a 10-yard touchdown pass to take the lead. It wasn’t over yet, and if not for a false start penalty that pushed the game-winning field goal attempt to 51 yards the Wildcats may haved dropped this game.
Date & Time:	Saturday, September 8 @ 11:00 a.m.
Location:	Bill Snyder Family Stadium, Manhattan, KS
Television:	ESPN
Line:	Mississippi State -9.5
All-Time Record:	MSU 1-0-1 KSU
Overview & Breakdown:	Mississippi State will be starting senior quarterback Nick Fitzgerald this week. I’m sure they’re happy to have the depth with Keytaon Thompson, but he was quite inconsistent opening the second half with eight straight incompletions. The Bulldog defense was dominant, as was to be expected against an FCS opponent. Thirty players recorded at least one tackle in the game, so Mississippi State worked to rotate through as much of the depth chart as possible. The Wildcats will have their hands full with what looks to be a legitimate Mississippi State team with a powerful offense. Kansas State does not look like itself, going over 100 yards in penalties for the first time since 2016. They have new offensive and defensive coordinators so some struggles are to be expected. My biggest question last week was about K-State’s special teams unit with so many new faces. But kicker Blake Lynch made field goals of 22, 24, 38, and 44 yards and an extra point. Combine that with Zuber’s punt return for a touchdown and that unit was the only bright spot for the Wildcats. Bill Snyder explained being emotional after the near loss. “Well I am, you know all of them,” Snyder said. “Angered, disappointed, etc. But it goes back again, well, we can say all we want about anything but I just don’t have them prepared to play. If they were ready to play the way we wanted them to, which is my responsibility, we would have probably fared a little bit better than what we did.” Biggest Question: Will Kansas State be ready to play? Their own fans were disgusted by their offensive woes and began abandoning the stadium before the punt return Saturday. From the looks of it, Mississippi State’s offense is for real and firing on all cylinders after their warmup game. I believe in Bill Snyder’s coaching ability, but I think his age may be an issue in firing this team up. My Pick: I think Mississippi State’s offense will just be far too much for Kansas State, even if they do get their act together this week. I expect the Bulldogs to cover the spread and they may be looking to make a statement as well. I’d take the over.

UCLA @ #7 Oklahoma

Last Week:	UCLA (0-1, 0-0) lost their season opener at home falling 26-17 to the Cincinnati Bearcats and spoiling head coach Chip Kelly’s return to college football. UCLA’s graduate transfer quarterback Wilton Speight was knocked out with a back injury in the second quarter which forced Dorian Thompson-Robinson into service, a true freshman whose only other starting experience was his senior year at Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas. In addition to Thompson-Robinson, UCLA is also starting a true freshman at center and running back. The game was tied in the fourth quarter but Cincinnati forced a fumble and went ahead with a safety. Later the Bearcats forced a turnover on downs on the UCLA 36 yard line, lined up for a field goal, but when a Bruin penalty moved them to the 1-yard line the Bearcats punched it in, gaining their only offensive points of the second half and sealing the win. OU (1-0, 0-0) faced a much-heralded matchup with Florida Atlantic in Norman and dispatched them handily 63-14 behind the leadership of Kyler Murray who went 9/11 for 209 yards and 2 touchdowns. Both of those scores came on 65-yard throws from Murray. Oklahoma rushers combined for 316 yards rushing led by Rodney Anderson who ran for 100 yards on 5 carries and scored 2 touchdowns. Murray left no doubt that he is up to the task of filling the position vacated by Heisman Trophy recipient Baker Mayfield. It appears that an Oklahoma offense who many believe is the best unit on any side of the ball in all of football over the last two seasons, will not miss a beat.
Date & Time:	Saturday, September 8, 12:00 p.m.
Location:	The Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, Norman, OK
Television:	FOX
Line:	Oklahoma -30
All-Time Record:	UCLA 1-0-3 OU
Overview & Breakdown:	UCLA is extremely young (72% freshmen), their depth is thin, and Chip Kelly has a lot of work to do. Kelly only lost seven games in his four-year tenure at the University of Oregon, that total will most-likely be increasing dramatically as he works to build the UCLA program. There are positives for this team however, the young players like Dorian Thompson-Robinson have plenty of talent, they simply require time to grow. As Kelly said, “We’ll continue to grow with him.” The Oklahoma Sooners look impressive. While Kyler Murray won’t be as efficient as Baker Mayfield was, his speed and quickness will add another element to the OU offense that Mayfield didn’t offer. The scary thing is that this team will only continue to get better as the season progresses. Biggest Question: Will the defense hold up? Florida Atlantic was held to under 197 yards passing and 132 yards rushing. I’ve made it clear that I don’t have a lot of faith in Mike Stoops so I’m eager to see the Sooners against a potent offense. The Bruins won’t provide a consistent test, but they do have the talent that we may see what those weaknesses look like in isolated plays. My question last week was about Murray, as a devout Staking the Plains reader I’m sure he took my questions to heart and specifically focused on answering them. My Pick: Oklahoma is going to win big, I can only assume they’ll cover. This is going to be a long season for the Bruins.

Kansas @ Central Michigan

Last Week:	Central Michigan (0-1, 0-0) intercepted Kentucky twice and recovered 2 of 5 fumbles committed by the Wildcats in the first half. Adding insult to injury, they lost 35-20 behind an offense that could only produce 137 yards passing and 118 yards rushing. The Chippewas lost two players to targeting ejections (sound familiar Red Raider faithful?) in the third quarter. The second ejection set up a fourth down touchdown that sealed the win by Kentucky. The Wildcat defense completely shut down the Chippewas in the second half only allowing 97 second-half yards. Kansas (0-1, 0-0) fulfilled my projection and lost to the Nicholls Colonels 26-23 in OT. Two Jayhawk quarterbacks combined for 21/38 passing for 199 yards and 2 touchdowns. However, Kansas only managed 56 yards rushing on the day. The Colonels forced overtime by capping off a nine-play drive with a 43-yard field goal. The dumpster fire rages on.
Date & Time:	Saturday, September 8 @ 2:00 p.m.
Location:	Kelly Shorts Stadium, Mount Pleasant, MI
Television:	ESPN+
Line:	Central Michigan -4
All-Time Record:	KU 2-0-1 Central Michigan
Overview & Breakdown:	Central Michigan isn’t very good, but I’m thinking they’re probably better than the Jayhawks. They played the Wildcats close, but that had more to do with Kentucky’s four turnovers than any other offensive or defensive prowess. Looking at the Chippewas’ box score it’s difficult to find any positives to write about. Kansas is surprisingly similar to Central Michigan. Neither team can pass or rush very well, maybe that’s not that surprising. The difference is Kansas couldn’t do those things against Nicholls but Central Michigan was playing the Kentucky Wildcats. Beyond snarky comments I’m just not sure what else to make of this matchup, it’s going to be ugly regardless of who wins. Here’s a fun one, David Beaty has more FCS losses (2) than he has Big 12 wins (1 over Texas in 2016). Biggest Question: Can either of these teams be any worse? That’s a serious question. Also, does David Beaty make it through the season? I mean surely Kansas doesn’t think enough of this program to fire a guy before December. The Jayhawks are 15-82 since they fired Mark Mangino after the 2009 season. Don’t stop reading now though, the stat below is even more depressing. My Pick: I’m picking Kansas, because why not? The Jayhawks haven’t won a road game since September 12, 2009 @ UTEP. That changes Saturday in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. ROCK CHALK!

Lamar @ Texas Tech

Last Week:	Lamar (1-0, 0-0) defeated the NAIA Kentucky Christian Knights 70-7 on Saturday in Beaumont. The Cardinals held the Knights to 159 yards passing and 52 yards rushing with their only score coming late in the fourth quarter on a hookup by two All-Name Team Honorable Mentions. Jug Smith hit Dametric McGrue for a 49-yard bomb to avoid the shutout. Obviously, an NAIA team should be no match even for Lamar and the Cardinals showed that to be true. Eight players scored touchdowns and Lamar ran away with its first season opener win since 2015. Big Red racked up 602 yards of total offense including 409 on the ground. 406 yards of offensive production was gained in the first half alone. The Cardinals lost three starters to season-ending injury and have four more previously injured players they hope to have back for this week’s game. Texas Tech (0-1, 0-0) dropped their season opener to the Ole Miss RBBLS (Rebel, Black Bear, Landsharks) 47-27 on Saturday night at NRG Stadium in Houston, TX. The Red Raider faithful have grown extremely restless with head coach Kliff Kingsbury and were unhappy with Texas Tech’s performance against Ole Miss. The Red Raiders gave up 336 yards passing and 210 yards rushing on the day. Considering the hype surrounding the improvement of the Texas Tech defense this was a big disappointment. Two Texas Tech defensive backs were ejected for targeting in the game, and the second, Vaughnte Dorsey, will miss the first half of the Lamar game due to being ejected after halftime. The Red Raiders proved susceptible to the big play giving up a 94-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, a 58-yard touchdown pass, and touchdown runs of 39 yards (on 4th down) and 64 yards. In fact, the Red Raiders did not allow a touchdown shorter than 30 yards, holding Ole Miss to field goals on four trips to the red zone. I appreciate David Gibbs and company taking my first Inside the Numbers to heart, but we probably have more to discuss. Starting quarterback McClane Carter went down in the first quarter with a high ankle sprain and was replaced by true freshman Alan Bowman.
Date & Time:	Saturday, September 8 @ 3:00 p.m.
Location:	Jones AT&T Stadium, Lubbock, TX
Television:	N/A
Line:	N/A
All-Time Record:	TTU 2 -0- 0 Lamar
Overview & Breakdown:	Lamar simply will not be able to compete with the talent, speed, or home crowd of Texas Tech. The Cardinals are not an FCS opponent smelling an upset, they are a team collecting a paycheck. It’s true they have shown the capacity to score, but putting up 70 points on an NAIA opponent doesn’t say much about that capacity. On top of an obvious talent deficit, they are now facing a difficult injury situation. The Red Raiders are not down but they’re not out. I know (and feel) the pain of the Ole Miss loss but I think it’s also important to remember that many schools opt to open their season playing someone like Lamar at home, not to test themselves with an SEC opponent on a neutral site on Labor Day weekend. The Red Raiders’ many personal fouls ultimately stamped out any hopes of mounting a comeback against the RBBLS and many weaknesses were exposed. The Red Raiders have work to do, and if Kliff Kingsbury and company are the coaches that I think they are, they’ll be focusing on significant improvement prior to playing Houston in two weeks. Biggest Question: Will the defensive secondary improve? Octavious Morgan is out for the season, Jah’Shawn Johnson is probably out another week, and Vaughnte Dorsey will be out at least the first half of the Lamar game. Will John Bonney and others be ready to step up and show they are capable of playing shut-down defense? Linebacker play was one of the few high points against Ole Miss, defensive line play was not. The front four simply need to win the battle up front more often, get more penetration, and put more pressure on the quarterback. This is a game Tech can gain confidence and hone those skills. My Pick: Obviously I think Texas Tech will win this game easily. I am curious though to see what kind of success Big Red has against the Red Raiders’ secondary and think the defense’s play will be an indicator of what to expect in the Houston game. The starting quarterback still looks to be Alan Bowman, he showed flashes of solid play at NRG and will need to continue growing up if he looks to be the starter for the coming weeks.

Iowa State @ Iowa
GAME OF THE WEEK

Last Week:	Iowa (1-0, 0-0) defeated Northern Illinois 33-7 and head coach Kirk Ferentz became the Hawkeyes’ all-time winningest coach, surpassing his mentor Hayden Fry with his 144th win. Iowa started off sluggish on offense but had time to find its footing behind a stifling defensive performance. Northern Illinois is a Group of 5 school but certainly no cupcake. Prior to this game, they’d won four of their last five against Power 5 schools but the Huskies were held to just 211 yards of offense while Iowa rumbled to 209 yards on the ground alone. Iowa State (0-0, 0-0) tried to play the South Dakota State Jackrabbits Saturday in what I guarantee would have at least been the Game of the Week, maybe the season, probably the decade. Unfortunately, we’ll neve rknow. They only made it through just one offensive possession before the game was delayed 2 1/2 hours for lightning and ultimately canceled around 10:00 p.m.
Date & Time:	Saturday, September 8 @ 4:00 p.m.
Location:	Kinnick Stadium, Iowa City, IA
Television:	FOX
Line:	Iowa -3.5
All-Time Record:	ISU 22-0-43 Iowa
Overview & Breakdown:	Iowa appears to be a powerful defensive team and based on his track record Kirk Ferentz seems to have them ready to play. Their backs all look like Big 10 running backs, and having a stable of three capable backs is certainly a serious weapon to have, especially against a Big 12 school. However, they’re not facing a standard Big 12 defense and could be facing an Iowa State squad that is even further developed if they take another step forward. Iowa State had a bit of a breakout year in the Big 12, finishing 8-5 (5-4) and capping it off with a 21-20 victory over Memphis in the Autozone Liberty Bowl. The Cyclones can run it and sling it. Their quarterback Kyle Kempt is a big-bodied athlete at 6’5″ and 224lbs, he’ll be returning along with eight other offensive starters, including running back David Montgomery who toted the rock for more than 1,100 yards last season. The defense was a major strength for Iowa State ranking 43rd nationally in total defense, 26th in scoring defense, and 23rd in rushing defense. Biggest Question: Whose defense can make a stand? Iowa State was no defensive slouch in 2017, particularly against the run and Iowa can tote the rock well. Iowa played stifling defense in their first game against Northern Illinois but the Cyclones are on another level. Before the game was canceled, Kyle Kempt found Deshauntae Jones for a 55-yard touchdown pass, establishing the big play early in the first quarter. Both of these teams offensive strengths could prove a real test for their opponent’s defense. My Pick: I like Iowa State in this one. Kempt, his receiving weapons, and David Montgomery will prove too much for the Hawkeye defense and the Cyclones will break the three-game streak and take the CyHawk Trophy back to Ames this year.

Youngstown State @ West Virginia

Last Week:	Youngstown State (0-1, 0-0) fell out of the FCS Top 25 after dropping their season opener to the Butler Bulldogs on a 44-yard field goal with four seconds left to play. Butler is a part of the Pioneer Football League, one of only two football-only FCS conferences in NCAA athletics and the only conference that awards no scholarships to its student-athletes. The Penguins managed 469 yards of total offense but struggled to find the end zone to put the game away. Youngstown struggled with the kicking game as Zak Kennedy missed both field goal tries as well. West Virginia (1-0, 0-0) defeated their SEC opponent the Tennessee Volunteers 40-14. For some reason, Kirk Herbstreit picked the Vols to win on College Gameday. I’m sure Jeremy Pruitt is a fine coach, but just because he came from Alabama doesn’t mean he’s a miracle-worker. The Vols have a serious talent-deficit and have been down and out for years. There will be some real rebuilding work that needs to go on there. West Virginia overcame an hour-long weather delay at halftime and took advantage of Tennessee’s situation. They unleashed senior quarterback Will Grier for 25/34 passing for 429 yards and 5 touchdowns. The Mountaineers did not find a ground game answer (a weakness last season as well) with only 118 yards of combined rushing, led by Martell Pettaway with 56 yards on 9 carries.
Date & Time:	Saturday, September 8 @ 5:00 p.m.
Location:	Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium, Morgantown, West Virginia
Television:	ESPN 3
Line:	N/A
All-Time Record:	N/A
Overview & Breakdown:	Youngstown State doesn’t bring much to the table here against a Big 12 title contender.  The Penguins will need to unleash all of the offensive firepower they have if they hope to keep up with West Virginia’s potent attack led by a senior quarterback. Youngstown State’s running game could be a difference-maker however, as they averaged 6 yards per carry in game one. I find it hard to believe that this can be maintained against West Virginia, but FCS teams beat Power 5 teams sometimes, so hey, it could happen. West Virginia better have this one in the bag. There are a lot of expectations on them this season behind a highly productive senior quarterback and tripping up early against an FCS opponent is not a recipe for success. The Mountaineers should have no trouble moving the ball and I expect them to see the opportunity to begin pulling starters after halftime. Biggest Question: Does West Virginia have a running game? The Mountaineers did not establish the run against a porous Volunteers defense. Dana Holgorsen isn’t one to go run-heavy, but that was a missing component last season for West Virginia that hurt their offense’s balance and ability to stretch the field. I asked last week about the West Virginia corners, their whole defense made a statement early last week forcing a three and out on the game’s first possession and holding the Vols to only two touchdowns. My Pick: Obviously the Mountaineers should win this one easily, the real question is will their run game be able to find a rhythm and produce against an FCS opponent. Also, will the West Virginia defense continue to shut down opponents? They held Tennessee to 172 yards passing and 129 yards rushing. The Penguins demonstrated an ability to produce offensively, even if they didn’t translate yards into points.

Baylor @ UTSA

Last Week:	UTSA (0-1, 0-0) dropped their season opener at Arizona State 49-7 in a one-sided affair that only saw the Roadrunners score late to avoid the shutout. Herm Edwards’s debut as head coach of the Sun Devils saw his team outgain UTSA 503-221 and hold the Roadrunners to only 3 yards rushing on the day. UTSA didn’t help their cause coughing up two fumbles as well, both from quarterbacks. Baylor (1-0, 0-0) ended an eight-game home losing streak taking down FCS Abilene Christian 55-27 Saturday. Graduate transfer Jalan McClendon got the start for the Bears and combined with Charlie Brewer to go 18/28 for 311 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Baylor boasted two 100+ yard rushers in John Lovett and JaMycal Hasty. The Baylor offense was most definitely back, but the defense was another story. Baylor allowed 446 yards of total offense including 102 yards receiving by D.J. Fuller and 141 yards rushing on 6 carries by Billy McCrary. As mentioned last week, ACU is not a quality FCS opponent, so there should definitely be a concern here.
Date & Time:	Saturday, September 8 @ 6:00 p.m.
Location:	Alamodome, San Antonio, TX
Television:	N/A
Line:	Baylor -14
All-Time Record:	BU 1-0-0 UTSA
Overview & Breakdown:	UTSA gave an exceptionally poor performance in Tempe against the Sun Devils. Many thought Edwards’s team may be a bit of a disaster considering he hasn’t coached in a decade and hasn’t coached in college since time as an assistant in 1989. However, the Sun Devils played strong and tough football and took care of the ball with no turnovers compared to the Roadrunners’ three. Edwards was not happy with his team’s performance, feeling they were playing sloppy football and should have done a better job sustaining drives. Baylor is still going to be a disappointment. Their defense was porous at home against an opponent they should be able to beat solely based on talent. So even if they take a step forward, it’s still going to be a long season. The Bears have talent on their team, and I’m certainly not sitting in a chair worthy of judging a poor performance in a season opener, but their talent isn’t going to carry them to wins in conference play. They have a lot of questions to answer all across the defense. Biggest Question: Does Baylor have a defense? The Bears had only 19 players record tackles (1 more player than ACU) for 10 fewer total tackles and they only recorded 1 sack against a bad FCS opponent in The Toilet Bowl McClane Stadium. They are going to have to step up their game in a big way if they hope to compete at all in the Big 12. My Pick: I think Arizona State is a far superior team to Baylor, but UTSA didn’t show any signs of life in that game, particularly in the run game. I think Baylor will win this one but their weak defense is going to give the Roadrunners plenty of opportunities to squander.

South Alabama @ Oklahoma State

Last Week:	South Alabama (0-1, 0-0) mounted a second-half comeback against Louisiana Tech but ultimately fell short dropping their season opener 30-26. The Jaguars were outgained in the first half 264-98 but gained 210 yards of total offense in the second half during their comeback bid. South Alabama was held to 11/23 for 91 yards passing on the day with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. They rumbled to 217 yards rushing and 3 touchdowns but also lost 2 fumbles. Oklahoma State (1-0, 0-0) started their season at home against Missouri State defeating them handily 58-17. A big question coming into the season is new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. His attacking defense got off to a strong start allowing only 150 yards passing and 110 yards rushing, recovering 2 fumbles, and recording 4 sacks. The Cowboy offense hummed along with fifth-year senior quarterback Taylor Cornelius going 24/34 for 295 yards, 5 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Head mullet Mike Gundy wasn’t totally happy with his quarterback’s performance. “He was more tentative instead of cutting it loose,” Gundy said. “He needs to cut it loose. You make a mistake, you make a mistake.” The Cowboys gained 732 yards of total offense on the day.
Date & Time:	Saturday, September 8 @ 7:00 p.m.
Location:	T. Boone Pickens Stadium, Stillwater, OK
Television:	N/A
Line:	Oklahoma State -32
All-Time Record:	South Alabama 0-0-1 OSU
Overview & Breakdown:	South Alabama is facing an almost insurmountable test on the road. Oklahoma State’s offense has a tune-up game under its belt and appears to be as prolific as it usually is. First-year coach Steve Campbell should look for the moral victories in this game and find ways to test and improve his players in Stillwater. Oklahoma State will be looking to step the quarterback play up, getting Taylor Cornelius more comfortable and to play more aggressively. The Cowboys rushed 55 of their 92 plays, a ratio they are most likely looking to push towards the pass as they prepare for Big 12 play. Oklahoma State’s running backs did enjoy a banner day combining for 436 yards and with Justice Hil and LD Brown both eclipsing the 100-yard mark. Biggest Question: Can Oklahoma State throw the deep ball? Mike Gundy was clear that he wanted to see more from his quarterback and acknowledged that it would take Cornelius time to get comfortable. Cornelius has spent most of his career backing up now-NFL quarterback Mason Rudolph. The Cowboys spent the day running and throwing mostly high-percentage short passes, so it remains to be seen if Taylor Cornelius has the arm strength, timing, and accuracy to make the big play. This may not be necessary this week against South Al, but it will be once he faces Big 12 secondaries. My Pick: Oklahoma State will win easily and we’ll see increased offensive production from a more confident and comfortable Cornelius, although we may see more turnovers from him as well.

Tulsa @ #23 Texas

Last Week:	Tulsa (1-0, 0-0) struggled with the Central Arkansas Bears but ultimately got the victory 38-27. Tulsa fell behind 13-7 early and again 27-24 in the fourth quarter. The FCS Bears were held to 247 yards of total offense and fumbled the ball away twice to the Golden Hurricane. Tulsa went 15/24 for 196 yards and 2 touchdowns and rumbled to 297 yards rushing on the day. Both Shamari Brooks and Corey Taylor II rushed for 100+ yards each. With such a dominating offensive performance the score may seem confusing, however, the Golden Hurricane gave up 3 fumbles on the day. Texas (0-1, 0-0) had one of the most surprising losses of the weekend going down 34-29 to the Maryland Terrapins at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland. I want to give props to the Longhorns for taking part in one of those positive sports moments in this game. Maryland lined up with only 10 players as an homage to their fallen teammate Jordan McNair, who died in June after suffering heatstroke during workouts. They were flagged for a penalty and Texas declined it, that’s a classy move by Tom Herman. Maryland blew a 24-7 lead over Texas but rallied to force three turnovers and scored 10 points in the final 6 minutes to take down the Longhorns. After the Terps took the lead with 14:25 left in the game a thunderstorm caused an 86 minute stoppage in play which Texas did not handle well.
Date & Time:	Saturday, September 8 @ 7:00 p.m.
Location:	Darrel K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium at Joe Jamail Field, Austin, TX
Television:	The Longhorn Network
Line:	Texas -22
All-Time Record:	No Previous Matchups
Overview & Breakdown:	Tulsa will come to Austin with what appears to be a potent rushing attack, and they will need everything they can muster against a far more talented Texas team. The running game will be incredibly important to establish, as will getting out to an early start. Obviously, this Texas team does not respond well to adversity or being punched in the mouth, if Tulsa can get the Longhorns on their heels they may find some success, especially if Texas is still carrying a turnover monkey on their back. Texas has plenty to prove after losing their opener to Maryland for the second year in a row, especially falling apart after regaining the lead late in the game. The most interesting statistic to me is that Maryland and Texas had almost exactly the same offensive numbers with the exception of turnovers. Texas coughed up 2 fumbles and tossed a pick at the worst time. Additionally, Texas was penalized 10 times for 102 yards. Herman compared the Longhorns’ loss to Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck saying they wanted to win so bad they got in their own way. Kudos to Herman for the attempt, but he’s being panned for it. Biggest Question: Can they rebound? The natives are already growing restless in Tom Herman’s second season going 7-7 over his first 14 games leading the Evil Empire. Texas needs to defeat Tulsa in resounding fashion to get back on the right track and answer the focus and discipline questions that are now at the forefront of the conversation. My Pick: I expect Texas will step up and win big over Tulsa. The Golden Hurricane doesn’t have the talent or offense to run with the ‘Horns. Texas fans will almost definitely gain far too much confidence from this home opener win and will then call for Herman’s head when they lose to USC in week 3.