Big XII Easy Pick’ems – Weekend of October 20

Brendan Maloney-US PRESSWIRE

Last week I went 0-5 against the spread. This week I’m employing a surefire strategy to improve my accuracy: picking winners by throwing darts. This isn’t as random as it sounds though – when I drink, I’m deadly accurate at the game. In fact, I almost never miss the dart board. On to the picks!

Kansas at #9 Oklahoma (-35)
Kansas played Oklahoma State close last week. They played K-State close in the first half two weeks ago as well. But I don’t think Oklahoma State is very good, and that close game at Manhattan turned into a blowout real quick in the third quarter. The Sooners are still out for blood, and Bob Stoops wants points on his march back to a top five ranking. Prediction: Kansas 16, Oklahoma 52

Baylor at #25 Texas (-10.5)
Texas’s All-American defense, which hasn’t looked very All-American, took a blow last week when DE Jackson Jeffcoat went out for the season (and yes, his momma really named him Jackson Jeffcoat). Texas is also revisiting issues at quarterback. Baylor hasn’t looked that good period, and stands at 0-2 in conference play following a 28 point loss to TCU last Saturday. This game could easily go either way, but I’ll take Texas by a hair – not the spread. Prediction: Baylor 34, Texas 36

#17 Texas Tech (-1.5) at # 23 Texas Christian
This could very easily turn into the best game of the week in the Big XII, and the winner will stand at 3-1 in conference play with an opportunity to control their own destiny. TCU looks ready to move on at quarterback, and Trevone Boykin looked great against Baylor last week. However, Texas Tech has a defense capable of shutting down Geno Smith, and shouldn’t have a hard time stopping Boykin. Tech would win by two touchdowns on a neutral field, but homefield advantage keeps it close. Prediction: Texas Tech 29, TCU 25

#4 Kansas State at #13 West Virginia (-2.5)
Maybe the outcome against Texas Tech was a one in a hundred chance, and if you’d play the game another 99 times West Virginia comes out ahead almost every time and is never blown out. Maybe I should worry because K-State had a hard time dispatching Iowa State. Unlikely. As I observed yesterday, this isn’t the first time West Virginia’s offense has failed to impress. And a close score was in K-State’s game plan – that 8 and a half minute drive to end the game wasn’t designed to score points, it was designed to kill the clock and never give Iowa State a chance. It worked because K-State is good enough to do it. Wildcats beat the spread, win by two scores. Prediction: K-State 34, West Virginia 25

And now, for this week’s Easy Pick’em:

Iowa State at Oklahoma State (-14)
Are you kidding me? You can’t honestly be serious, can you? Les Hunt is scheduled to come back, and suddenly OSU is a two touchdown favorite over Iowa State? There’s not a snowball’s chance in hell this is close to the final point spread. I think T. Boone put a couple million dollars on this game and Vegas had to jack up the line in order to feel comfortable about the outcome. Don’t worry oddsmakers – this is one speculation Mr. Pickens whiffs on. Prediction: Iowa State 28, Oklahoma State 27