Line: Texas by 3 1/2.
Series Record: Texas leads, 58-40-5.
Last meeting: 2008, Texas 45-35.
What’s at Stake
Besides border feud bragging rights, Texas needs a win to hang on to its national title hopes. The Sooners, even with two losses, can seize control of the Big 12 South Division with a win and with Sam Bradford back at quarterback, could run the table. Texas QB Colt McCoy needs a big game to restart a Heisman Trophy campaign.
Key Matchup
Oklahoma kick coverage vs. Texas WR Jordan Shipley. Shipley changed momentum in Texas’ win last season with a first-quarter kickoff return for a touchdown. He has two punt returns for touchdowns this season and last week was back on kickoff returns. The Sooners can’t just kick away from him: Texas freshman D.J. Monroe has two kickoff returns for touchdowns.
Players to Watch
It’s all about the quarterbacks. Bradford won the Heisman last season but was injured in the first game of 2009 and missed the next three. He’s back and looked great a week ago against Baylor. McCoy, the runner-up to Bradford for the Heisman, has shaken off a slow start and completed 81 percent of his passes over the last two games.
Facts & Figures
Oklahoma’s five-game win streak from 2000-2004 is history. Texas has won three of the last four … Texas and Oklahoma have won or shared the Big 12 South title every year since 1999 and the winner of this game won the division seven times in that span … Since 1936, the first year of the AP rankings, the higher ranked team going into this game is 44-14-3.
Texas Tech (4-2) at No. 15 Nebraska (4-1), 3:30 p.m. (ABC)
Line: Nebraska by 10 1/2.
Series record: Nebraska leads 7-3.
Last meeting: 2008, Texas Tech 37-31, OT.
What’s at Stake
Nebraska has struggled against the Big 12 South and needs a win here to stay on top in the North. With three straight games against nationally ranked foes Kansas, Oklahoma State and Oklahoma coming up, Tech can’t afford a loss if it hopes to stay relevant in the South.
Key Matchup
Nebraska RB Roy Helu Jr. vs. Texas Tech front seven. Time of possession will be huge. The Huskers must commit to their ground game if they want to keep Tech’s high-scoring offense off the field. Helu will get lots of work with top backup Rex Burkhead out with an injury.
Players to Watch
Texas Tech: QB Steven Sheffield. The junior ripped Kansas State for 490 yards passing and 7 TDs in his first start. Coach Mike Leach isn’t saying whether Sheffield will get the call for what would be Sheffield’s first time in a hostile environment. He would face a defense that’s allowing just about 8 points a game and is among the best in the nation against the pass.
Nebraska: NT Ndamukong Suh. If the 6-foot-4, 300-pound senior takes control like he did against Missouri, the volume could be turned up on whispers about his being a Heisman contender. Don’t think the presence of Suh won’t be a factor in which Tech QB starts. Sheffield can move around while Tech QB Taylor Potts is much less mobile.
Facts & Figures
Texas Tech has won three straight against Nebraska but is 1-3 in Lincoln. … The Raiders’ 739 total yards against Kansas State last week is the highest total in the Big 12 this season and is second nationally to the 775 put up by Nevada against UNLV. … Suh’s seven pass break-ups in five games already is a season school record for defensive linemen.
Kansas State (3-3, 1-1 Big 12) vs. Texas A&M (3-2, 0-1), 6 p.m. CT (Fox College Sports)
Line: Texas A&M by 5 1/2
Series Record: Texas A&M leads 8-5.
Last meeting: Kansas State 44, Texas A&M 30, 2008.
What’s at Stake
The Aggies will arrive in Manhattan, Kan., in search of their first road win of the season. Winning away from home is crucial because four of their next five are away from Kyle Field. The Wildcats, who are trying to return to respectability in the Big 12 North, are looking to rebound from a 66-14 blowout loss at Texas Tech last weekend.
Key Matchup
Texas A&M QB Jerrod Johnson vs. the Kansas State defensive line. A lack of a pass rush hurt the Wildcats last week when they were burned for 739 yards of total offense. Johnson is a threat through the air as well as on the ground, ranking third nationally in total offense with 356.2 yards per game.
Players to Watch
Texas A&M: DE Von Miller. Miller leads the nation with nine sacks and ranks sixth in tackles for loss with 11. The Kansas State offensive line has struggled, allowing five sacks in the last two games, and could have trouble containing Miller.
Kansas State: DT Jeffrey Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald, a senior transfer from Virginia, got things going last week against Texas Tech, recording a sack and returning an interception for a touchdown. Texas A&M has allowed 10 sacks through five games.
Missouri (4-1) vs. No. 16 Oklahoma State (4-1), 9:15 p.m. (ESPN2)
Line: Oklahoma State by 7.
Series Record: Missouri leads 28-21.
Last meeting: 2008, Oklahoma State 28-23.
What’s at Stake
Missouri seeks revenge from last year’s upset loss to the Cowboys and tries to avoid an 0-2 start in Big 12 play. Oklahoma State tries to win its second straight game since All-America receiver Dez Bryant was declared ineligible.
Key Matchup
Oklahoma State RB Keith Toston vs. Missouri LB Sean Weatherspoon. With Bryant and starting TB Kendall Hunter (ankle) out last week, Toston ran for 130 yards and led OSU with 74 receiving yards last week. Weatherspoon leads a Mizzou defense that allows 128 yards rushing per game.
Players to Watch
Missouri: QB Blaine Gabbert. The sophomore tries to bounce back from the worst start of his young career in which he threw his first two interceptions on back-to-back passes in the fourth quarter against Nebraska and threw for only 134 yards and no touchdowns.
Oklahoma State: DE Richetti Jones. A touted recruit who had been slowed by a broken hip, Jones is now the Cowboys’ sacks leader with 2 1/2—including 1 1/2 last week as OSU had four against Texas A&M.
Facts & Figures
Missouri has won its last four games in Stillwater, with its last loss coming in 1992. … The road team has won the last four games in the series. … Oklahoma State has allowed only two sacks, tied with Iowa State for the fewest among Bowl Subdivision teams…. The Cowboys average 10 penalties per game, second-most in the nation. … The Tigers will be without reserve LB Will Ebner, who had surgery to repair a torn meniscus.
No. 17 Kansas (5-0, 1-0 Big 12) at Colorado (1-4, 0-1), 5 p.m. MT (Fox Sports Net)
Line: Kansas by 9 1/2.
Series Record: Colorado leads 41-24-3.
Last meeting: Oct. 11, 2008, Kansas, 30-14.
What’s at Stake
The Jayhawks are looking to go 6-0 for just the fourth time since 1921. They struggled last week against Iowa State to remain one of nine unbeaten teams in the country. Colorado jumped out to an early lead at Texas, but couldn’t hang on, falling 38-14.
Key Matchup
Colorado QBs vs. Kansas defense. The Buffaloes benched Cody Hawkins against the Longhorns in favor of sophomore Tyler Hansen, stripping his redshirt at midseason for a second straight year. Buffaloes coach Dan Hawkins indicated that he might rotate the two quarterbacks, just like last season. The Jayhawks are allowing nearly 260 yards passing this season.
Players to Watch
Kansas: WR Kerry Meier. With just eight more yards, Meier will take over fifth place on the school’s all-time receiving list. Meier currently has 1,801 yards receiving in his career.
Colorado: RB Darrell Scott. The highly touted tailback has carried the ball just 20 times this season for 93 yards. Against Texas, he had three carries for 2 yards.
Facts & Figures
Kansas QB Todd Reesing is 343 yards away from overtaking Iowa State’s Bret Meyer for fifth place on all-time Big 12 list for yards passing. Reesing has 9,157. … Kansas has won three straight over Colorado. … The Jayhawks amassed 551 yards of offense against the Cyclones, the third time they’ve gone over the 500-yard mark this season. … Colorado’s offense has had 18 plays go for 20 or more yards. … Ryan Miller’s field goal block was the first by the Buffaloes in more than four years.
Baylor (3-2, 0-1 Big 12) vs. Iowa State (3-3, 0-2), 6 p.m. CT
Line: Iowa State by 3
Series Record: Tied 4-4
Last Meeting: Baylor 38-10 (2008).
What’s at Stake
Both teams likely circled this game in August as one they had to have if they were to make it to a bowl this season. Iowa State is coming off a pair of close losses to Kansas State and Kansas. Baylor was humbled by No. 20 Oklahoma last week, 33-7, after starting 3-1.
Key Matchup
Iowa State’s run game vs. Baylor’s defense. The Cyclones have surprisingly emerged as one of the nation’s top rushing teams, averaging 209.5 yards per game. Baylor ranks 94th in the nation is rushing defense and has given up 368 yards on the ground in the past two weeks.
Players to Watch
Baylor: QB Blake Szymanski. He was supposed to take star Robert Griffin’s place after Griffin was lost for the season, but a shoulder injury kept him from starting the past two weeks. Szymanski, who set the school record with 22 TD passes in 2007, is expected to make his 14th career start.
Iowa State: RB Alexander Robinson. He’s been the spark plug for Iowa State’s offense. Robinson ranks second in the Big 12 with 109 yards rushing per game, and he threw for 152 yards and two touchdowns last week against Kansas despite a sore groin.
