Monday DBR: Running the State

Do you like major bowl games? Do you like Big 12 championships? Do you like consecutive 11-win seasons? Do you like bringing in premier talent every year? Then you like the fact that Baylor is becoming more and more difficult to dispute as ruler of Texas. A&M will claim it, Texas will say they don't need to claim it, and TCU will complain that we claim it, but the evidence is all there: Baylor is the new King of Texas, and we're going to be around for a while. Welcome to the new age.

Big 12 Bowl Matchups

Cotton Bowl: Baylor vs. Michigan State

The unstoppable Baylor offense against the reputable Spartan defense. Michigan State's weaknesses on that side of the ball have been exposed by Oregon and Ohio State, but Sparty is still a very good football team. This is a game for pride and conference superiority, and a Baylor win would just tighten the Bears' stranglehold on Texas.

Peach Bowl: TCU vs. Ole Miss

The Peach Bowl will be a fun one. Ole Miss had some great wins this year, taking down Alabama and Mississippi State, but floundered against LSU and Arkansas. No one really knows what to expect from the Rebels. On the other hand, they'll be facing an angry and talented TCU whose revamped offense will make an interesting match for the vaunted SEC defense.

Alamo Bowl: Kansas State vs. UCLA

The perennial overachievers against the perennial disappointments in San Antonio. UCLA barely escaped Texas in its larval form earlier this year, and Kansas State is much better than that. UCLA's upside is tremendous, and it's QB Brett Hundley's last hurrah. The Snydercats will take a measured approach and let Waters game manage his way into forty minutes of possession.

Russell Athletic Bowl: Oklahoma vs. Clemson

Oh, how far the Sooners have fallen. The preseason pick to win the Big 12 finished 8-4 and let Oklahoma State rage its way back to bowl eligibility in Bedlam. Even worse, Oklahoma experienced more and worse home losses than any year in the Stoops era. There is hope for the future in Samaje Perine, Baker Mayfield, and the eventual return of Joe Mixon, but these are dark days in Norman. Meanwhile, Clemson is down their offensive coordinator Chad Morris, who took the SMU job. The falled Big 12 king and the ACC vice-overlord will battle it out in Orlando.

Liberty Bowl: West Virginia vs. Texas A&M

The Upgrade Bowl is the battle of which conference won the breakup. The Aggies have been mediocre at best on defense and we know exactly what Kevin White can do to a mediocre secondary. Meanwhile, the 'Eers have proven easy to beat for teams that can shut down White and pressure the quarterback. So which conference got the better deal?

Texas Bowl: Texas vs. Arkansas

This should be fun, I suppose. Slow offense vs. very good defense, anemic offense vs. defense that shut out a few anemic offenses. Would it be as bad as the rumored Texas-LSU matchup? No, but don't look for this game to be too explosive.

Cactus Bowl: Oklahoma State vs. Washington

If anything good came from Oklahoma's Bedlam loss, it was another bowl-eligible Big 12 team. The Pokes take on the Huskies in the desert, and I have no idea what to think because I haven't seen a Washington game this year, nor have I read anything about them. OSU looks like a new team with Mason Rudolph under center.

Seven teams in bowls. That's pretty good for the Big 12's rep. The only ones left out of the party are Tech, ISU, and Kansas.

Basketball vs. A&M TOMORROW

Aggies in Waco.

Aggies in Waco.

Aggies in Waco.

Sound the alarm, get to the Ferrell Center with Aggie Sticks, ridiculous costumes, and signs. There are Aggies in Waco.

Tomorrow. 8 p.m. It's a dead day, students. Show up big. I'm not even gonna say what channel it's on because you shouldn't be sitting on your couch.

it's on ESPN2.