Case McCoy Saves Mack Brown's Job; Texas Defeats Kansas 21-17

Big 12 fans across the nation rejoiced after Case McCoy found D.J. Grant wide open in the endzone with under 20 seconds left.  The 70-yard drive produced the score that gave the Texas Longhorns a 4-point win over the Kansas Jayhawks who have just one win this year.

Well-played, Kansas.Mack Brown continuing at Texas IS more important than you winning a conference game. #tookitfortheteam
— OurDailyBears (@OurDailyBears) October 27, 2012

Look, Mack Brown isn't going to be fired thanks to Case McCoy and the Kansas defender that dropped an interception late.  However, Brown was on the hot seat even before this game and this game makes it much, much hotter.

Check back later for more analysis.

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Notre Dame-Oklahoma Preview and Prediction

Everett Golson (mail.com)

Time:  7:00 PM (CST)

Where:  Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium

TV:  ABC

Spread:  Oklahoma (-11)

Preview:  This is probably the best game this week nationally and with College GameDay in town, you can expect an electric crowd in Norman.  Notre Dame is trying to prove that they are worthy of the #5-ranking and the Sooners can get back into the National Championship picture with a win over the Golden Domers.  This should be a great game between two national powerhouses.

Notre Dame is undefeated this year, but not many think they are a legit top 5 team.  Stanford, Michigan, and Purdue are decent teams, but the Irish haven't faced an elite team yet this year.  Another reason for skepticism: four of their wins have come by a possession or less.

Oklahoma on the other hand is playing their best football of the season.  After self-destructing against K-State which may cost them a conference championship, they have steam-rolled Texas Tech, Texas, and Kansas by a combined score of 156-48.  The offense is clicking and the defense did a great job against two potent offenses in Tech and Texas.

Everett Golson will start this week for the Irish after missing last week's action against BYU due to a concussion.  Everett Golson may not be as smart as Tommy Rees, but he is a much better athlete and is a threat on the ground.  Golson's biggest weapon on offense is his tight end; Tyler Eifert.  Eifert will be the best TE available in the upcoming NFL Draft.

Key for Oklahoma: Landry Jones.  What Landry Jones will Oklahoma get this weekend?  One of the best QBs in the nation or the one that fails in pressure-packed situations?  It all comes down to Jones.

Notre Dame's weak spot on the defense is their secondary.  The secondary hasn't faced a team that can really spread it out like OU and they will also be starting a freshman in the secondary on Saturday.  Jones should be able to pick apart ND's secondary.

Key for Notre Dame: The front seven.  I just stated above that Jones should be able to have success against the back of Notre Dame's defense.  However, if Notre Dame can get pressure on Jones with their front seven, it can be a completely different game.  Notre Dame's front seven is undoubtedly one of the best in the nation and their defensive line has the advantage over OU's offensive line.  Also, if you've followed college football at all this year, you know about Heisman contender and Notre Dame LB Manti Te'o.  Notre Dame can't give time for Landry to pick apart their defense.

Prediction:  I like the Sooners in this one.  With College GameDay being there and the fact that they are hosting Notre Dame will make Gaylor Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium a very tough place for the Irish.  I don't think Everett Golson will be able to handle the pressure of keeping Notre Dame's National Championship hopes alive in Norman.

Notre Dame: 17

Oklahoma: 27

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Baylor-Iowa State Preview and Prediction

(TheGazette.com)

Time:  6:00 PM (CST)

Where:  Jack Trice Stadium

TV:  FSN

Spread:  Iowa State (-2.5)

Preview:  If you want to see two abysmal units go at each other, tune into FSN on Saturday.  The conference's worst offensive team (Iowa State) will tangle with the nation's worst defense (Baylor).  Screw Notre Dame-Oklahoma, this is the match up to watch!

Okay, even though this game may be one that the casual Big 12 fan doesn't tune into, it is a huge game for both of these teams.  Whoever loses this one is likely not going bowling unless an upset or two happens.  So while it may not be appealing to you, it is a very,very important game.

Nobody is quite sure who will start under center for the Cyclones on Saturday.  Jared Barnett and Steele Jantz both have been good at times, but the majority of the time has been mediocre.  Many Iowa State fans are calling for RS Freshman Sam Richardson to start.  I don't see that happening, but if either Jantz or Barnett starts the game off poorly, you can bet you'll see Richardson.

So who has the advantage in the match up between ISU's offense and Baylor's defense?  I can't believe I'm saying this, but probably Baylor's defense.  Look, Baylor's defense has been piss-poor this year, but look who they have gone up against; West Virginia, TCU, and Texas.  Also, Iowa State's offense was atrocious last Saturday especially on 3rd-down, converting 4 out of 17.  Even though Baylor's defense is the worst in the nation, I can't see Iowa State scoring 40+ on them.

On the other side of the ball is a pretty decent match up; Baylor's offense vs Iowa State's defense.  Besides the WVU game, Baylor had their best offensive game of the season last week in Austin.  They racked up 607 yards including rushing for a season-high 255 yards.  Last week was Iowa State's worst performance of the year on defense against Oklahoma State.  If you take that game away, Iowa State hasn't given up 500 yards in a game and only 400+ once.

Key for Iowa State: Shontrelle Johnson.  Iowa State has struggled to establish the ground game all year long.  Expect Johnson to have to carry a large load for the Clones on Saturday as neither QB has demonstrated that they can pass effectively and James White, another main ISU RB, is unlikely to play this weekend.

Key for Baylor: Keep doing what you do on offense.  If Nick Florence has a Nick Florence-like performance on Saturday, they won't lose.  In Big 12 play this year, Florence has had better than a 60% completion percentage in all three games.

Prediction:  This is more than likely going to be a very close game.  It is Homecoming week in Ames and the crowd will know what is at stake; a bowl birth (unless they are upset by KU).  Iowa State needs to turn this into a slow-paced, low-scoring game.  However, I can't see that happening nor can I see ISU's offense outscoring Baylor.

Baylor: 31

Iowa State: 27

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Big 12 Power Rankings - Week 9

Kansas.com

1. Kansas State - If Kansas State wins this week against Tech, they will be undefeated through the toughest part of their schedule.  If they can do that, you really got to like their chances at the conference championship.  Texas is the only currently ranked team that is left on the schedule.

2. Oklahoma - I still believe that Oklahoma is the best team in the league.  They played one of the worst games ever against K-State.  Since then, they have demolished Texas, Texas Tech, and Kansas.  If they can beat Notre Dame this weekend, the Sooners can get back into the National Championship picture.

3. Texas Tech - As I've stated earlier in the week, if Texas Tech wins on the road against K-State, I wouldn't be surprised.  I can't believe how improved their defense is from last year.  Tech is one of the most underrated teams in the nation.

4. West Virginia - Yes, they have been pummeled in the past two weeks.  However, I still think the Geno Smith, the Heisman frontrunner, that we saw in the first couple of weeks will return.

5. TCU - The Frogs, I believe, is the most underrated team in the league.  Trevone Boykin only had two days to prepare for Iowa State and they took Texas Tech to triple overtime.  Trevone Boykin was the one player that impressed me the most last week.  The TCU-Oklahoma State game has really flown under the radar this weekend.

6. Texas - You could make the argument that Texas could be ranked above TCU.  However, the under-achieving defense puts them in the bottom-half of the Big 12.  Maybe they can get some momentum on that side of the ball after facing Kansas.

7. Oklahoma State - Although I thought they would top ISU last Saturday, I didn't think they would be so dominant on both sides of the ball.  Clint Chelf may get the start against TCU on Saturday.

8. Iowa State - It will be interesting to see if Paul Rhoads goes with RS freshman Sam Richardson during the game against Baylor.  Both Steele Jantz and Jared Barnett have struggled mightily and to be honest, I'm not sure what is preventing Rhoads from going with Richardson.  If Iowa State wants to go bowling, Baylor is almost a must-win.

9. Baylor - I really don't think Baylor is the 9th-best team in the conference.  There offense looked really good against Texas, but then again, so has about every offense.  With Baylor's defense facing Iowa State on Saturday, they have the chance to move out of 124th-place in the nation in total defense.

10. Kansas - Charlie Weis has given up on the year as he is going with Michael Cummings at QB.  Let's see if he can be torch UT's defense like every other Big 12 team has.

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Sayonara Dayne Crist

(Kansascity.com)

Well, Dayne Crist's career in Kansas is unofficially officially over.  If you missed it, Charlie Weis started redshirt freshman Michael Cummings last week against Oklahoma.  Cummings completed 10 out of 21 for 111 yards along with throwing a pair of INTs.  After the game, Weis didn't name the starter for this week's game against Texas.

Today he did and Michael Cummings is it.

Charlie Weis has essentially given up on this year and is already looking forward to next year.  And you can't really blame him.  This has to be tough for Weis since Weis recruited Crist back when he was with Notre Dame.  Although nobody thought the Kansas Jayhawks were going to compete for a Big 12 Championship this year, many thought that with Dayne Crist that this year would be a much bigger improvement from last year.

That wasn't the case as Dayne Crist's time in Lawrence was forgettable.  He led the Jayhawks to only a single win this year which was over South Dakota State.  His completion percentage on the year is under 50 percent, he has only thrown 3 TDs, and has been intercepted 7 times.

I'll see you later, Dayne.

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Collin Klein, Heisman Trophy Frontrunner

In the new HeismanPundit/CBSSports.com Straw Poll, Collin Klein got all ten first-place votes.  Of course, this isn't a surprise at all for us that follow the Big 12 closely.  If Kansas State runs the table, which they vary will may, I guarantee you that Collin Klein will win the Heisman trophy.

Geno Smith dropped, obviously, in the poll and is now in a tied with Ohio State's Braxton Miller for fourth.  Also, Seth Doege can be found on the list at 7th which is interesting.  If Seth Doege can top Collin Klein this weekend, I wouldn't be surprised to see Doege around the top 3.

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How Bad Is Baylor's Defense

Phil Bennett, Baylor's defensive coordinator

Usually when your offense scores more than 50 points, you're in pretty good shape to win the game.  However, that doesn't hold true for the Baylor Bears this year.  The Bears are 0-2 when scoring above 50 after falling to West Virginia earlier in the year and Texas this past week.

Simply put, Baylor's defense is dysfunctional.  Defensive coordinator Phil Bennett is struggling again in his second year in Waco.  The Bears are giving up on average 44.0 points per game.  That puts Baylor 124th in the FBS.  How many teams are in the FBS you ask?  124.

They also rank dead last in total defense, giving up a staggering 553.2 yards per game.  And they aren't really even all that close to not being dead last.  Louisiana Tech, who is 123rd in total defense, is still giving up almost 34 yards per game less which is a decent margin.

So what is the problem?  I'm not sure but it sounds like players aren't responding to Phil Bennett all that well.  I found this comment on OurDailyBears.com very interesting.  Click to enlarge.

Art Briles mentioned today that he will stick with Bennett despite the incredibly poor defense so far this year.  This seems like a bad decision, especially if the players aren't responding to him at all.

Okay, so if you've read this blog any you should know how bad Iowa State's offense has been in recent weeks.  Earlier today, I checked the new spreads from Vegas for this week's games and found that the Iowa State Cyclones are 2.5-point favorites against Baylor.  Even with Baylor's offense putting up great numbers, they are still underdogs. This is another testament to how poor Baylor's defense is.

Baylor's defense is living up to this blog's name; No Defense Allowed.

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