As usual, a few Big XII teams are entering this week with problems at the quarterback position. All but one of the teams in the conference have used multiple quarterbacks this season due to poor play from their starters. Only Bryce Petty from Baylor has not lost his job at any point due to poor play, and as a result, Baylor is undefeated and ranked 6th in the BCS polls. However, Baylor is off this week, as they face off against Oklahoma next Thursday.
Here is a preview of the Big XII games this week.
#18 Oklahoma State (6-1, 3-1 Big XII) vs. #15 Texas Tech (7-1, 4-1 Big XII)
Each team has some question marks heading into this week’s Big XII game of the week. Who will Oklahoma State start at quarterback? How will Texas Tech respond from their first loss of the season?
After J.W. Walsh had led the Cowboys for most of the season, he was relieved against TCU by Clint Chelf, which earned Chelf a start against Iowa State. However, Chelf played poorly, and no announcement has been made yet by coach Mike Gundy on who will start this weekend. Luckily, the Cowboys have found a running game, as Desmond Roland rushed for 219 yards and four touchdowns last week.
Texas Tech, seems to have their quarterback situation in place, as Davis Webb has played very well since Baker Mayfield went down. However, coming off their first loss of the season, how will they respond? Will they believe their conference title hopes are over, or will they fight harder to stay in the race?
Both of these teams have one conference loss, so one more likely pushes them out for good.
Predicted Winner: Texas Tech
Kansas (2-5, 0-4 Big XII) vs. Texas (5-2, 4-0 Big XII)
Texas has surprised a lot of people in Big XII play, going undefeated up to this point in conference play after their poor start to the season. Case McCoy has managed games very well since taking over for David Ash, and the Longhorn running backs have controlled the game.
Once again, Kansas is coming off a loss in Big XII play. They have not won a Big XII game since 2010. Hopefully the switch at quarterback will give them a little spark and help them win a conference game by the end of this season.
Predicted Winner: Texas
West Virginia (3-5, 1-4 Big XII) vs. TCU (3-5, 1-4)
Both teams have been hampered by poor quarterback play. Fortunately for TCU, Casey Pachall will be starting this week, so they won’t have to rely on the inconsistent play of Trevone Boykin. In Morgantown, neither Clint Trickett nor Paul Millard have been able to string together two consistent games. It is likely the Mountaineers will go with Trickett again this week due to the higher upside on the field. However, don’t be surprised if they split snaps.
The key to this game will be Charles Sims of West Virginia. With how poorly the Mountaineer’s quarterbacks have played, and with how talented the TCU pass defense is, Sims will have to carry the workload.
Predicted Winner: West Virginia
Iowa State (1-6, 0-4 Big XII) vs. Kansas State (3-4, 1-3 Big XII)
Like every team in the Big XII except Baylor, Iowa State had quarterback issues last week, pulling Sam Richardson in favor of Grant Rohach after Richardson threw an interception. Until their quarterback situation settles down, the Cyclones are likely going to struggle mightily.
Kansas State, on the other hand, has found a way to actually run a two-quarterback system with some success. Daniel Sams is the mobile quarterback who will run more draw and option plays, and Jake Waters is primarily a pocket passer. Though they are 1-3 in conference play, they played Oklahoma State and Baylor tightly, so they should be able to handle Iowa State easily.
Predicted Winner: Kansas State