The Big 12 Report - Showdown in Lubbock Texas - Tony George - Pregame Blogs

Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell looks to have a big day Saturday!

By Tony George

ANOTHER Sweep in my Big 12 Selections last week, 2-0 in my report and we unloaded on Oklahoma State +12 for my game of the week, who had a chance to win one down in Austin Texas last Saturday but fell 4 points short. There should be no disappointment in Stillwater this this week, the Cowboys played punch for punch with Texas in front of the largest crowd ever in the state of Texas to see a College Football game! Okie State has a date with destiny at seasons end against big brother Oklahoma in Stillwater, and that date looms large for both teams. Have no doubts, Okie State is for real and with a strong running game out of the spread attack, it makes them very dangerous for any team to play.

Speaking of those 2 Oklahoma teams, they are the biggest Texas Tech fans on the planet this Saturday as the Red Raiders shocked everyone as an underdog (line moved big on Saturday in some places) in a BLOWOUT in Lawrence Kansas. I was shocked at the spread in this game when the buzzer rang, and Mike Leach dispelled any rumors that Texas Tech cannot beat a good team on the road, handing both Texas AM and Kansas convincing losses in back to back weeks on the road. That's sets the stage for this weekend in Lubbock. Can Texas survive another week? The schedule has been brutal and Texas has shown little letdown in the past 3 weeks with Oklahoma, Mizzou and Okie State all falling at the hands of the Longhorns, but can they keep pace with a fast track offense hell bent on destruction? Stay tuned for this one folks, it will be a shootout. Texas opened up at -4 and shot to -6 at press time here. A live home dog anyone? The Red Raiders qualify in my book!

The South Division is killing the North division in mixed games, as the South division of the Big 12 is 10-2 against the North winning by an average of 20 points per game, and that includes powerhouse Missouri, who is 0-2 against the South! Nebraska continued to show improvement this past weekend, trailing Baylor at halftime but turning it on when it counted and getting a win. The Huskers continue to improve and it looks like Kansas's trip to Nebraska could be a deciding factor in which teams gets any type of bowl bid at all because both will play second fiddle to Mizzou in the North.

Kansas looked like a JUCO team this past weekend and have no pushover this weekend! Texas AM as I predicted won at Ames Iowa this past weekend as an underdog and the score shocked me as it was a shootout. With a decent showing for 3 quarters against Texas Tech and a road win here for the Aggies, perhaps Mike Sherman is making progress in College Station, time will tell. Colorado got POUNDED by Missouri 58-0 as Missouri has started to play teams with losing records again, so they will dominate the north and win it, but will have to change their ways against good opponents as they will have a date with the South at years in at Arrowhead in Kansas City for the Big 12 Championship. No one in the north will touch them, including Kansas. Colorado has NO offense what so ever, keep that in mind for future reference and the Big 12 north's leading and #1 ranked defense of the Buffs gave up 58 points this weekend!

Kansas State put up a fight for 2 quarters before OU settled down and blew them out at home. The Sunflower Showdown is this weekend between Kansas and Kansas State. KU opened up at as a 10 point favorite, an interesting line after last weeks debacle. Neither team as good as advertised and it should be an interesting week in the state of Kansas leading up to this one, and this will be on of my Plays at weeks end in my premium package.

This weeks Highlighted Games (7-2 ATS the past 4 weeks!)

Missouri -20 @ Baylor

While Baylor QB Griffin continues to impress for Baylor, they really have nothing in the tank in terms of support around him or a defense that can slow the Mizzou attack. While they have played tough in most games this year and gave Nebraska a game last week in Lincoln for awhile, the lack of depth for the Bears is substantial. Mizzou on the other hand took care of Colorado, a better team than Baylor by 58 points last week allowing no points for the Buffs throwing spread attack. Look for Mizzou to continue to roll this week as they still have their ears pinned back and are clearly focused on a Big 12 north title and getting a second chance at a South Division opponent. There will be NO letdown for Mizzou. Mizzou 48 Baylor 17

Texas -6 @ Texas Tech

Out on a limb here, but after I witnessed what Texas Tech did to Kansas and Texas having back to back to back games with OU, Mizzou and Oklahoma State, this is a tough spot for Texas. I will say this, if Texas wins this game, just give them a national title, no one in the USA has a tougher schedule the past 4 weeks including any SEC team. That being said I am going with the Longhorns to win here, who have beaten every foe they have faced including a team that is is explosive on the ground and through the air in Oklahoma State. The Cowboys had massive run yards against Texas and they still pulled it out, and I think the front 4 of Texas's defensive line will get to Red Raider QB Harrell this week and make a difference. That is KEY in this game, Texas can rush the passer with success with just their front four, thus having great coverage downfield. Two of the best QB's in the Big 12 clash here and I think the battle tested Colt McCoy wins the battle in a squeaker in Lubbock. It is not impossible to Texas Tech to win this guys, but got to give the Longhorns the benefit of the doubt, they are real good! Texas wins but fails to cover. Texas 41 Texas Tech 38, grab the points.

Oklahoma -21 vs.. Nebraska (ESPN Featured Saturday Night Game)

Not the rivalry of old here by any stretch of the imagination, and Nebraska DOES NOT match up well against Oklahoma. There is NO WAY Nebraska can trade punches on offense, and I doubt Nebraska's non-existent pass rush can perform well enough to contain the the no huddle attack and QB Bradford for 4 quarters on the road. Bo Pellini spent a year with Bob Stoops at OU after Nebraska fired him in 2003, and they are friends, but I doubt with BCS points and margin of wins now becoming a factor for OU, that the Sooners lay down for the Huskers, who have improved their play but against the likes of Baylor and Iowa State. I do not put much stock into a near upset at Texas Tech 3 weeks ago for my beloved Huskers, OU is flat out a better team in this game and should name the score unless they fail to show up, and I doubt that happens. There are better days on the horizon for the Husker nation, but not here. Oklahoma 41 Nebraska 14

Tony George is RED HOT in football. A 7-3 run in the NFL, off a 6-2 weekend overall, and his Big 12 Game of the Monrh goes Saturday! Find me at www.Pregamepros.com

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