Big 12 Matchups and Predictions: Week 4
SMU (3-0) at TCU (2-0)
The 100th edition of the Battle for the Iron Skillet is Must See TV [FuboTV FS1 at 11:00 a.m.]. Sonny Dikes is 1-1 against his former boss since SMU hired him away from TCU and Gary Patterson at the end of 2017. After last year's hiatus, the DFW Metroplex rivals have not met on the football field since September 21, 2019, over two years ago. In that game, Shane Buechele went 23/34 for 288 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Mustangs to a stunning 41-38 victory over the Frogs in Fort Worth, despite Darius Anderson popping off for 161 yards on 19 carries (8.5yd average) and two touchdowns. At the time, TCU had been ranked #25 and was coming off a resounding 34-13 win at Purdue in front of 60,000+ in Ross-Ade Stadium. The Frogs have not sniffed the Top 25 since. However, with both teams coming in undefeated, this year's edition of the Iron Skillet is sizzling hot, and from it wafts the sweet aroma of a Top 25 ranking. This game should go down to the wire, but with SMU needing a miracle Hail Mary to escape last week and TCU having a refurbished play caller, look for SMU's luck to run out and for the Frogs to eek by in a squeaker.
Pick: TCU
Texas Tech (3-0) at Texas (2-1)
In 2020, second-year Texas Tech head coach Matt Wells took the then #8 Texas Longhorns to overtime in Lubbock only to come up short. This year, he will be hoping to welcome first year UT head coach Steve Sarkisian to the Big 12 with a bitter dose of revenge [FuboTV 11:00 ABC]. Between the two, Wells and Tech had the best OOC win this year, but that is out of conference. This is a Big 12 heavyweight matchup. Considering Tech has looked lost in Big 12 action since coach Bro and his Mahomie left to the NFL, the game is in Austin, and Arkansas would most likely make easy work of UH this year......
Pick: UT
#14 Iowa State (2-1) at Baylor (3-0)
The Cyclones fly into Waco this week with by far the most hype swirling around the football program heading into conference play......ever [FuboTV 2:30 FOX]. Coming off last season's Fiesta Bowl win over Oregon and a #9 finish, Matt Campbell has Iowa St. in the thick of the Big 12 title hunt. Having beaten Big 12 darling OU last year and being one of three currently ranked Big 12 teams, you can believe the hype. HC Matt Campbell, QB Brock Purdy, and RB Breece Hall have legit Coach of the Year and All-American potential.
Pick: Iowa St.
Kansas (1-2) at Duke (2-1)
This would be a great basketball game, but alas it is not.
Pick: Duke
#25 Kansas State (3-0) at Oklahoma State (3-0)
Long time Big Eight rivals clash for the 68th time this Saturday night in Stillwater, OK as the #25 Wildcats plot to raid the Cowboys campsite under the cover of darkness [6:00pm]. With starting QB Skylar Thompson most likely out with injury, K-State will again turn to 6'4 235 lb. Will Howard, the 13th ranked Pro Style passer in the class of 2020 from Downington, PA. Both teams are undefeated and boast impressive OOC wins against Stanford and Boise St respectively, but only one will emerge undefeated and in the top 25 after Saturday.
While Big 12 fans are well aware of Mike Gundy and what he brings to OSU, third year K-State head coach Chris Klieman looks like the home run hire KSU needed to replace the legendary Bill Snyder, despite being 0-2 against the Cowboys to start his tenure. Look for Klieman and K-State's run under the radar to come to an end under the lights of Boone Pickens Stadium this Saturday night in an instant classic with major Big 12 implications.
Pick: K-State
West Virginia (2-1) at #4 Oklahoma (3-0)
With a close loss to Heisman contender Taulia Tagovailoa at Maryland in week 1 and a narrow victory over #15 Virginia Tech last week WVU may be the most battle tested team in country so far this year. That will most certainly be the case after week 4 as the Mountaineers travel to Norman, OK to take on another Heisman contending QB in Spencer Rattler and the #4 Oklahoma Sooners.
With the Sooners struggling to start the season and WVU looking better than expected, this game gets prime time game of the week treatment [FuboTV 6:30 ABC] for good reason. Look for the Mountaineers to keep it close until the end and perhaps even leave Norman with a victory. You are going to want to circle this game and put stars around it as this Big 12 conference battle has the potential to be the upset of the week.
Pick: WVU
