My Week 7 Game of the Week was #6 West Virginia @ Iowa State. True freshman Brock Purdy has provided the Cyclones an offensive spark to pair up with their top 20 defense, something the rest of the Big 12 should take note of. The Cyclones lost senior quarterback Kyle Kempt very early in the season and found almost zero offensive production with Zeb Noland under center. Noland was benched in favor of Purdy after being held to 79 yards passing in a loss to TCU in Ft. Worth. Since then Iowa State has scored 48 in a win over Oklahoma State and now 30 in a win over West Virginia. They held the much-heralded Will Grier to 11/15 for 100 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception. Grier also has -33 yards rushing on 10 carries. Iowa State terrorized Grier and the ‘Eer offense all day with 7 sacks, 9 tackles for loss, and 1 quarterback hurry. The Cyclones also forced a hold in the end zone resulting in a safety with 5:14 left to finish off their scoring. The Mountaineers were exposed in every way giving up 189 yards rushing to David Montgomery alone and 244 overall in addition to Purdy going 18/25 for 254 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 1 interception. West Virginia combined for only 152 offensive yards all day, 375 yards below their season average, and was also shut out in the second half. The score could have been even uglier for the Mountaineers had they not blocked an Iowa State field goal and returned it 72 yards for a touchdown
Week 8 Game of the Week:
#9 Oklahoma @ TCU
Well, there aren’t a lot of games to choose from this week. I think Tech is going to beat up on Kansas, and while I will enjoy watching that one, I think this game has the potential to be a bit more interesting. Oklahoma has a lot to prove after almost losing to Army and losing the Red River Rivalry to Texas. Under new defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill the defense has an opportunity to remake themselves and actually help the offense and Kyler Murray win some games. TCU’s Shawn Robinson has been credited with 12 turnovers in the last 5 games, not only does this hamper what could be a reasonably good offense with Jalen Reagor and Kevontae Turpin as serious weapons, but it also puts TCU’s defense in consistently difficult situations. I think OU is going to break TCU but there’s a potential this one gets interesting if the Horned Frogs make a change to Michael Collins and get things rolling at home.
KEITH’S PICK RECORD |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Week 1 |
Week 2 |
Week 3 |
Week 4 |
Week 5 |
Week 6 |
Week 7 |
Baylor |
|
|
|
|
@OU |
@KSU |
@UT |
Iowa State |
N/A |
|
|
|
@TCU |
@OSU |
|
Kansas |
|
|
|
@BU |
|
@WVU |
BYE |
Kansas State |
|
|
|
@WVU |
|
|
|
Oklahoma |
|
|
@ISU |
|
|
|
BYE |
Oklahoma State |
|
|
|
|
@KU |
|
@KSU |
TCU |
|
|
|
@UT |
|
BYE |
|
Texas |
|
|
|
|
@KSU |
@OU |
|
Texas Tech |
|
|
|
@OSU |
|
BYE |
@TCU |
West Virginia |
|
|
N/A |
|
@TTU |
|
@ISU |
Totals |
7-2 |
9-1 |
4-4 |
5-1 |
4-1 |
2-2 |
4-0 |
Season Total: 35-11 |
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Kansas @ Texas Tech
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| Last Week: | Kansas (2-4, 0-3) fell at home to the West Virginia Mountaineers 38-22 in a game that further demonstrated the confusing state of many teams in the Big 12. The Kansas defense picked off Will Grier 3 times and recovered 1 of 2 fumbles as well. The Mountaineer defense picked off Peyton Bender and Carter Stanley once each and also recovered 1 of 2 fumbles. Kansas quarterbacks combined to go 21/34 for 206 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. Pooka Williams was again held under 100 yards and Kansas rushers combined for only 80 yards and 1 touchdown on 26 carries. The Kansas defense sacked Will Grier 5 times and had 10 tackles for loss. This was a Week 6 game as KU is coming to Lubbock rested off their bye week. Texas Tech (4-2, 2-1) traveled to Ft. Worth to take on the TCU Horned Frogs for a Thursday night matchup following a bye week for both teams. The Red Raiders took down TCU 17-14 in a surprising defensive struggle. Jett Duffey got the start at quarterback for the Red Raiders going 13/24 for 190 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception. Duffey also chipped in 83 yards rushing and 1 touchdown on 16 carries. The Red Raiders recovered 1 of 4 TCU fumbles and picked off quarterback Shawn Robinson twice, the second of which ended TCU’s hopes of scoring on a final drive. The Texas Tech defense held TCU to 5-17 on 3rd downs. |
| Date & Time: | Saturday, October 20, 2:30 p.m. |
| Location: | Jones AT&T Stadium, Lubbock, TX |
| Television: | FS1 |
| Line: | Texas Tech -20 |
| All-Time Record: | KU 1 – 18 TTU |
| Overview & Breakdown: |
Kansas is better than we’re used to seeing them. They’re easy to take shots at but their defense has found a niche that gives them chances to perform above their level and compete. The Jayhawks are #1 in the country in turnovers gained, #1 in turnover margin, and #5 in defensive touchdowns. Many contend that turnovers are more about luck than anything else but Kansas is consistently forcing them almost at will, including against solid teams like West Virginia. The Jayhawks bring that to The Jones at a time when the Texas Tech quarterback situation needs to stop being a situation. It’s also important to note that head coach David Beaty fired offensive coordinator Doug Meacham and assumed the duties of offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach himself. Biggest Question: Who will be the Kansas quarterback this week? The Jayhawks started redshirt senior Peyton Bender for three games and then switched to Carter Stanley against Oklahoma State. Stanley also started at West Virginia but was pulled before the end of the first quarter. Miles Kendrick also played into that quarterback equation before he injured his shoulder against Baylor. So who will it be? Not to be trite but I’m not sure it matters. Both Bender and Stanley played against West Virginia, and KU’s Brian Hanni told the 23 Personnel Podcast that he thinks it’ll be Bender as well. Texas Tech made a statement win at Amon G. Carter Stadium on Thursday. The Red Raiders were down three offensive starters in Paul Stawarz, Travis Bruffy, and T.J. Vasher while also being led by the third-string quarterback. Yes I know, he’s not really a third-stringer because he’s the greatest of all time, yadda, yadda, yadda. Well if you look at what Alan Bowman has done executing the offense and compare that to Jett Duffey’s play, it’s just simply not comparable, and that’s the point. The Red Raiders went into Ft. Worth ready to play and they played to win. They played for each other, the defense executed start to finish, not just when it counted, and the offense put enough together to win. As I said in the awards post I’d like to see the defense capitalize on their opportunities. As much as they focus on turnovers as part of their culture and philosophy, they only fell on 1 of 4 fumbles and dropped several interception opportunities. The Red Raiders have catapulted themselves into being part of the Big 12 conversation and they need to keep things rolling. Biggest Question: Who will be back from injury this week? Obviously, the quarterback is a big part of that question but the line injuries could be enormously impactful to the Red Raiders’ ability to execute on offense, limit penalties, and protect whichever quarterback plays. My Pick: I’m taking Tech this week, even a depleted team should be able to handle Kansas, but the Jayhawks have also proven that they’re not the complete disaster once thought. Every week in the Big 12 can be a test and this one is no different. The team cannot overlook the Jayhawks and they must find their offensive power and rhythm again. |
#9 Oklahoma @ TCU
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| Last Week: | Oklahoma (5-1, 2-1) lost a great college football game, in a storied rivalry, in a historic stadium, in front of a midday national audience, falling to the Texas Longhorns 48-45 in the Red River Rivalry. Kyler Murray wowed at usual going 19/26 for 304 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Murray also led the Sooners in rushing gaining 92 yards and 1 touchdown on 11 carries and lost a fumble. The Sooners combined for 222 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns on 32 carries. TCU (3-3, 1-2) fell to the Texas Tech Red Raiders in Ft. Worth 17-14 in a defensive struggle that surprised basically everyone. The Horned Frogs were not held down from a production standpoint with Shawn Robinson going 26/45 for 290 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. Robinson also led his team in rushing with 7 carries for 42 yards. The Red Raiders took their final lead in the 4th quarter and ended TCU’s comeback bid in the waning minutes when Shawn Robinson scrambling from Texas Tech pressure popped the ball into the air and saw it intercepted by Adrian Frye. |
| Date & Time: | Saturday, October 20, @ 11:00 a.m. |
| Location: | Amon G. Carter Stadium, Ft. Worth, TX |
| Television: | ABC |
| Line: | Oklahoma -8 |
| All-Time Record: | OU 13 – 5 TCU |
| Overview & Breakdown: | Oklahoma is tough to figure out. After the loss to Texas, they finally fired defensive coordinator Mike Stoops and replaced him with Ruffin McNeill. The OU defense ranks at #100 or lower in five categories, including #125 in red zone defense. For a team so incredibly talented, and with an athlete like Murray only playing for one year, the Sooners seem to be in a position to potentially underperform as a result of their incredibly weak defense. That being said, there are not many teams in the Big 12 with the defensive prowess to shut down the Sooners offensive firepower. The Longhorns did not, instead, they outlasted the Sooners and kicked a field goal to win the game. Biggest Question: Can the Sooners defense capitalize on TCU’s inevitable mistakes? The TCU offensive woes, particularly with Shawn Robinson’s total inability to take care of the football, would normally be a serious concern. But with a defense as bad as OU’s it remains a question. TCU is in an offensive crisis. Shawn Robinson is operating on a different level when it comes to killing his team’s chances to win. He has thrown for 1313 yards, 9 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions this season. The TCU defense is ranked #14 in the country in total defense. They have the opportunity to slow down Murray’s attack if the TCU offense can keep the ball for long enough to let Kevontae Turpin and Jalen Reagor do big things. If you think this is hyperbole just know, Shawn Robinson is credited with 12 turnovers in the last 5 games. Biggest Question: Whose strength will reign supreme? TCU’s defense is strong enough to slow down OU’s offense, at least some. Is OU’s defense so poor they won’t be able to slow down Shawn Robinson or capitalize on turnovers and mistakes? My Pick: I’m taking OU here. I think the Sooner offense will just be too much for TCU to handle, the speed and athleticism there will be more than they’re prepared for. I also think Ruffin McNeill will get the OU kids fired up and at least playing with a little more heart. It doesn’t help TCU that this is an 11:00 a.m. kickoff and their fans already don’t come to their games. |
