Game of the Week:  #10 Baylor at #6 Oklahoma State

Baylor is licking their wounds after a devastating loss to Oklahoma last week and history is not on Baylor’s side. This Saturday at 7:30 on Fox, The Baylor Bears will be at Oklahoma State.

The Baylor Bears have not won a game in Stillwater since 1939. To make matters worse, the Bears will have to rely on freshman quarterback Jarrett Stidham to break that streak.

Stidham, however will not have to carry the burden alone. Baylor has some of the best playmakers in college football. Right next to him will be one of the most talented running backs this year in Shock Linwood. Linwood averages a startling 7.4 yards per carry which is among the best in college football.

After being shut down by the Oklahoma defense last week, Corey Coleman will need a big game this week to put himself back into the Heisman talks. Coleman will need to help out his freshman quarterback on the road by adding a couple more touchdowns to his FBS best 20 receptions for touchdowns.

As the only undefeated team left in the Big 12, the Oklahoma State Cowboys have everything to lose. As of now, the Cowboys control their own destiny but will have to close out their season with their two hardest games against Baylor and Oklahoma.

Oklahoma State will need their senior quarterback JW Walsh to keep up with Baylor’s high-powered offense, because the Cowboy’s run game has not done the job this year.  In fact it has been abysmal, the Cowboys rank 97^th in the FBS in terms of rushing yards.

Thankfully their pass offense can make up for it, ranking 7th in terms of passing yards. The funny part is, nobody on the Oklahoma State offense really stands out. Their touchdowns are usually a product of out scheming the opponent and Walsh spreading the ball out. So for this year, 11 Oklahoma State players have received a touchdown pass.

Prediction: Baylor by 10

Last week, Oklahoma State fell into a 17 point deficit against Iowa State and narrowly crawled out. This is not surprising, without a steady run game it is very difficult to make long drives down the field. The Cowboys are also lacking a big time playmaker that can make up for their lack of a steady pass game.  Look for Baylor to go nickel or dime for most of the game and dare the Cowboys to run it on them. The Baylor offense is licking their chops at a weak Oklahoma state secondary and will be looking to get the ball in the hands of Coleman. Oklahoma State will find themselves in another hole this week, one that they can’t climb out of.

Team to watch: #7Oklahoma vs. #18TCU

After knocking off Baylor in an impressive road win last week, the Oklahoma Sooners seem to be peaking at just the right time.

The Sooner’s quarterback, Baker Mayfield, is the hottest player in college football right now, and he has come in the clutch for his team this year. Mayfield is just what the Sooners needed. After transferring from Texas Tech the junior has become one of the Heisman favorites this year.

Oklahoma fell in a shameful lost to Texas earlier this year, but since then they have rebounded with five straight wins. Their defense has lead the attack and they showed up against Baylor and shut down their seemingly unstoppable offense, holding them 20.8 points below their average.

This Saturday night at 8 on ABC, the Sooners will be hosting Texas Christian University who was the Big 12 favorite coming into the season.

After losing to Oklahoma State in a blowout, the Horned Frogs lost its star receiver, Josh Dotson, to a forearm injury. To make matters worse, their dynamic quarterback, Trevone Boykin, is doubtful with an ankle injury.

With a win over their conference rival, Oklahoma can keep their national championship hopes alive, however, with a loss, the Sooners will put themselves out of contention.

Prediction:  Oklahoma by 17

The Sooners have one of the best combinations of offense and defense in the country. It would shock me if the Sooners defense doesn’t shut down TCU’s offense in the absence of their best two players. However, TCU still has weapons and if Oklahoma looks past the Horned Frogs, they could be in for a dogfight.

Upset Alert: #9 Michigan State at #3 Ohio State

Unbeaten Ohio State will have their first true test at home this weekend. The Buckeyes have not lost a game in 23 straight matchups, however, they haven’t played a ranked team all year long. That will change this Saturday at 3:30 on ABC when the Buckeyes take on Michigan State in Columbus.

Led by senior quarterback Connor Cook, the Spartans are a smart and disciplined offense that can put piece together long drives. Last week against Maryland, Cook hurt his shoulder but is confident he will be 100% by game time.

On the other hand, the Buckeyes have an offense filled with playmakers but they cannot seem to put it together. After winning back the starting quarterback job, JT Barrett got suspended for a DUI and since then he has struggled to put drives together.

Despite their recent offensive struggles, running back Ezekiel Elliot has not been affected. The speedy Heisman hopeful is third in the nation in terms of total rushing yards and has 15 straight games with 100 yards rushing.

This week, we will find out if Ohio State is capable of defending their 2014 championship or it the Spartans can snap the Buckeyes 23 straight game streak.

Prediction: Michigan State by 3

Ohio State’s offense has been struggling recently and that is not going to change this week against a solid Michigan State defense. Most of these woes are due to Ohio State’s inability to protect their quarterback. The very talented Michigan State defensive-line will cause havoc for JT Barrett in the pocket. Cook will do just enough to snap the Buckeye’s win streak.