#5 Oklahoma vs. #14 Texas

Saturday, December 1st 11:00 AM CT, ABC

The Big 12 Championship Game is here, pitting #5 Oklahoma (11-1) against #14 Texas (9-3). This game has big implications for the CFP and Baylor’s potential bowls. If Oklahoma wins, they should find their way into the CFP. Texas would likely fill in the Sugar Bowl spot. This would essentially move all the other Big 12 teams up a bowl spot since there would be one more bowl than eligible teams. For Baylor, that would mean taking the Armed Forces Bowl off the table and putting the Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl potentially in play. If Texas wins, they will still go to the Sugar Bowl but Oklahoma will likely be knocked out of the NY6 lineup, meaning all the Big 12 tie in bowls are in play. So if you want Baylor to play in Fort Worth, root for Texas. If you want them to play in any of the bowls above that, root for Oklahoma. As far as the game itself, Texas barely beat Oklahoma in their first match-up. Oklahoma put together a late game rally that fell just short. Expect Oklahoma’s offense and Kyler Murray to do a lot in this rematch, but the question will be if the Sooners defense can get a select few defensive stops to win them the game. I think they likely can, giving Oklahoma another Big 12 title.

52-48 Oklahoma

#23 Iowa State vs. Drake

Saturday, December 1st 11:00 AM CT, Cyclones.tv

You thought the only Big 12 football game this weekend is the Big 12 Championship? WRONG. #23 Iowa State (7-4) plays its plan C game against Drake (7-3) (the university, not the musician). A wild set of circumstances brought about the first match-up between these central Iowa teams in over 30 years. Iowa State’s season opener against South Dakota State was cancelled because of lightning. This led to them scheduling a game against Incarnate Word at the end of their season, barring Incarnate Word making the FCS playoff or Iowa State making the Big 12 Championship. Well, if you’ve made it to this point in the article, you know that Iowa State did not make the Big 12 Championship. Incarnate Word did make the FCS playoff. So Iowa State decided to find yet another replacement, calling upon instate FCS foe Drake. The last time these two played in 1985, Drake actually upset the Cyclones 20-17. So Drake is technically on a one game winning streak against Iowa State. I highly doubt that will continue through this game, as the Cyclones have an overwhelming amount of talent compared to Drake. I expect to see a lot of underclassmen getting playing time, especially with this year’s new redshirt rule. I also expect this to be senior quarterback Kyle Kempt’s “victory lap.” Iowa State wins by a lot without its starters playing much.

63-3 Iowa State