There is no pretty way to put this, our picks were U-G-L-Y last week. Straight up and ATS both went a dreadful 1-4. Totals continued to be a winner at 3-2. With only two weeks remaining in the season, these Big 12 week 12 winners have to send us into the holiday season with a little extra cash in everyone’s pockets.
Season Straight Up: 39-15
Season ATS: 27-28-2
Season Totals: 30-27
Big 12 Week 12 Winners
#4 TCU (-2.5) At Baylor
No more waiting on the floor to drop from TCU. At least for this Last Word correspondent. TCU has made it abundantly clear they welcome being dragged into whatever sort of much a team throws them into. Quarterback Max Duggan looks around and goes “Down three scores? No problem!” The next week, it’s Head Coach Sonny Dykes who surveys the game and says, “Our offense will only score 13 points on the road in front of 100,000 people? We got this.” The gambling under lords who set the lines in Vegas continue to not have a ton of respect for TCU. And the first few times it made sense.
For the past month, TCU has been in letdown spots/had their backs up against the wall. But they just keep winning football games. Make no mistake; they are playing in a very heated rivalry game on the road. Baylor head coach Dave Arranda could very well come up with the scheme that ultimately takes down the Horned Frogs. Baylor has been a team of ups and downs all season, but they should be at their best for this one. However, TCU has earned the “I’ll see it when it actually happens” badge by going 10-0 in this gauntlet of a conference. Until someone actually can bring them down, not only will the Big 12 week 12 winners pick them, they are going to be picked indefinitely until the first loss occurs.
Straight Up: TCU ATS: TCU Total 58: Over
#15 Kansas State (-7.5) At West Virginia
This is another line in the Big 12 week 12 winners that stands out a little bit. Yes, West Virginia did pull off an upset last week against Oklahoma. But the Mountaineers have not been able to put two good performances together in conference play. There is enough of a body of work to justify West Virginia head coach Neal Brown having a very toasty seat that he is coaching on. Wildcat head coach Chris Klieman has his team knocking on the door of a Big 12 championship appearance. Even in a tough road environment, this Kansas State team should not be caught looking ahead to its season finale against its in-state rival. This should be a 17-21 point victory by Kansas State.
Straight Up: Kansas State ATS: Kansas State Total 54.5: Over
Texas At Kansas (+9.5)
It was this game last year that signaled a Kansas Jayhawk revival was in the works. But none of us expected it to happen this quickly. While Vegas has Kansas as a two-score underdog, if the Jayhawks were to win, it wouldn’t be meme-worthy. Well, relatively speaking, the college football world will have its fun at Texas’ expense. The issue here is that Texas is a bit of a broken team right now. They have lost their last two of three. And it was very close to becoming a three-game losing streak after they found a way to survive against Kansas State. The Longhorns haven’t scored a second-half touchdown in over a month.
However, Steve Sarkisian needs to find a way to rally his team. They are still very much alive to play for a Big 12 title with two weeks remaining. If they can shut down TCU’s offense, then locking down Jason Bean or even possibly Jalon Daniels should be obtainable…right? Sometimes in this wacky and wild sport, a gut feeling creeps in that is unexplainable and unrelenting. It’s almost as if the college football gods are whispering in your ear repeatedly “feel the upset.” And when you get that feeling, you can’t escape it. Now that you have gotten a look behind the keyboard, you should know why senior day in Lawrence, Kansas will be a fun day for the home team.
Straight Up: Kansas ATS: Kansas Total 63.5: Over
Texas Tech (+3.5) At Iowa State
The climb to bowl eligibility for the Red Raiders is almost complete. If they are to beat the Cyclones, they have to succeed on fourth down. However, this Iowa State defense proves to be too tough in the end and Iowa State sends a field goal through the uprights as the clock hits 0:00.
Straight Up: Iowa State ATS: Texas Tech Total 47.5: Under
#22 Oklahoma State (+7.5) at Oklahoma
Here is your Bedlam warning; this selection is backed by the least amount of confidence of any game that has been picked all season. All the other Big 12 week 12 winners have exponentially more confidence than this game. Neither team is trustworthy right now. Oklahoma State quarterback Spencer Sanders, who has been nicked up for over a month now, is going to do everything in his power to play. But just how effective can he be? Also, Oklahoma State has not won consecutive games against Oklahoma since 2001-2002.
The Sooners’ troubles are no secret to Big 12 fans at this point in the season. Brent Venables’ team has its second losing streak of the season after dropping their game last week to West Virginia. Oklahoma has done nothing all year to think they can cover more than a touchdown against any team with a pulse. So in a coin flip game, which still should be highly entertaining, take the home team to win a close one. Oklahoma secures its sixth win and maintains its bowl streak of 24 consecutive seasons.
Straight Up: Oklahoma ATS: Oklahoma State Total 66: Under
