By Kevin Lonnquist
Publisher
The Topper
>Some background on Hutchinson (KS) Community College 2021 defensive tackle Isaiah Iton who Baylor offered earlier in the week. As we mentioned he’s from Pearland. The interesting story is that he probably would have been heavily recruited as a D1 player for 2019. However, he was a late qualifier and wound up going to Division II Northern Colorado for his freshman season.
The word was Iton quickly realized that he could probably play at a higher level and his ticket was to go the JUCO route. There was also reason to leave. UNC went through a pretty difficult 2-10 season and eventually fired its head coach Earnest Collins. Iton appeared in all 12 games for the Bears and collected 20 total tackles along with a safety.
Baylor’s coaching staff was tipped on him earlier this month after Iton had expressed some interest. All it had to go on was what Iton did at UNC and fall camp work with Hutchinson. Iton likely won’t play a down because the JUCO season was moved to the spring. His offer list is filled with P5s including Illinois, Indiana, Ole Miss and Missouri to name a few.
The scouting report is that Iton’s length (6-4, 295) is a great starting point. However, some scouts like him playing on the inside rather than on the end. That’s going to be in the eye of the beholder including Baylor. Iton is considered a good run stopper but has a knack to develop a pass rush. He has large hands and long arms that will create a wingspan that could bat passes.
Iton is a Texas product. Baylor is the only P5 program in the state to offer him. The other Texas offers are from Houston and Texas State.
We’ll keep you posted how things develop.
>There is some early interest with Baylor in Little Rock (AR) Christian Academy 2021 PK Isaiah Hankins. The left-footed kicker is having a big season to this point. He is 35-36 on PATs and is 10-11 on field goals with a long of 48. At this point, 18 of his 33 kickoffs have gone for touchbacks. LRCA is 5-2 so far this season.
Baylor players talk TCU
Linebackers Terrel Bernard, Dillon Doyle and wide receiver R.J. Sneed met with the media earlier in the week.
Terrel Bernard, Jr., LB
(Learning defense) It’s definitely been a weird year just trying to get everything situated to get ready for the season when all the COVID stuff came out. Just taking it with time and learning the stuff through Zoom first, and trying to keep everybody engaged was the main thing when we were all separated. Once we got back and were able to do more stuff in person it was easier.
There’s definitely a lot of areas I can improve on and I think that comes with time and reps. I feel that’s why I’ve been improving. Just effort and the film room and the weight room, and when Saturday comes I try to play every play as hard as I can.
(Pass coverage breakdowns) That was definitely my fault. We had two calls come in based on some formation. We changed which call we were going to run. I didn’t communicate it to the back end, so I take full responsibility for that. That’s not going to happen again.
(Defense has to work together) That’s the way it is. It’s 11 guys on the same page, and if one guy’s off we’re all off. I mean that’s pretty much the basics of defense.
(Do you have to explain the intensity of the TCU rivalry to the new guys) I think they know. We do a little bit of talking throughout the week telling the experiences we’ve had, showing videos and old games and stuff like that. I think they get a pretty good idea before Saturday.
(JT Woods) JT is one of the most athletic players on the team. You can tell he cares a lot about playing and he wants to get better.
(Does defense relish opportunity to keep the team in the game) I don’t think it’s extra pressure. I just think it’s an opportunity for us to play better. We say every week that the other team can’t win if they don’t score. That’s something we put on our shoulders and something we’re going to take on the rest of the season.
(Dillon Doyle) Dillon is a very mature guy. He comes into work every single day prepared as can be. He has a pro mindset, so I can’t say enough good things about him. I think he’s elevated everybody’s play and allowed everybody to see what it’s supposed to be like and what you’re supposed to do within the game and how you’re supposed to act and treat your teammates. I think everybody sees that and has a great deal of respect for him.
(Playing at McLane for first time since Sept. 26) I can’t believe it’s been over a month. I know all the guys are excited to be able to play in front of our fans.
(Great Tuesday practice) I think the energy we had on offense and defense. We came out there from the first snap and it was just competition, and that’s what Tuesdays are for us. It’s the chance to compete and we’re not really worried about anything else but making each other better, and that’s what we did. The offense would make a big play and score and celebrate and the defense would make a play and we’re celebrating. We’re talking trash to the offense and they’re talking trash to us. I think that just ratchets up the intensity. When we’re going back and forth like that it makes it so much easier to practice. It makes it fun.
(More guys back at practice) It’s a huge thing just sharpening your blade. I think Tuesdays are where you’re supposed to compete the most. You’re supposed to play your best competition on Tuesdays going against each other. I think that’s something we were definitely able to do.
Dillon Doyle, Soph., LB
(On fixing the pass coverage issues) We’ve had some communication things that we can get better at, for sure. You can get better at anything that you do on the field at practice. We put an emphasis on that as a defense, we know we can get better at those things. And I put that on myself, because I’m the Mike linebacker, I’m responsible for communication to the defense, and it’s important that we’re all on the same page. And that’s been a big emphasis in studying TCU, just getting everybody on the same page and getting everybody lined up and ready to play.
(Has anyone talked to you about the Baylor-TCU rivalry) A little bit. Each game, we try to bring our best focus, and that’s no different for this game. It is special, I think, that this team is from an hour and a half down the road. It’s cool that we have a rivalry with them. But, when you step on the field, it’s just the same stuff, it’s reading your keys, playing your assignment, playing good fundamentals and trying to be the best team on the field on Saturday. And going into practice this week, that’s been the focus, just fundamentals, assignment, keys, alignment, all the basics of football. We’re trying to be brilliant at the basics here, and that’s kind of been the focus.
(What have you seen from TCU) A lot of 11 personnel, 10 personnel. That’s one back, one tight end, and one back and zero tight ends. A lot of inside zone. Their quarterback kind of makes it run. They have some really good athletes on their side of the ball. Their running back, they do it by committee a little bit. They have a lot of really good running backs. They’re big up front, they’re athletic up front. They’ve got some good players. And it’s going to take some good fundamentals and good football play to beat them.
(On playing with Terrel and what you see from him) I think it’s no secret that Terrel is a special player. I’ve seen personally that he’s a special person off the field. You know, the work ethic and just passion for the game that he brings is so special. I come in here on Sundays after game, and he already has a list of plays that he wants to talk about. And he’s just such a good person. Just being beside him makes it a lot easier, just because he really has a mastery of the defense. He can communicate to the back end, the front end, it doesn’t matter to him And, just from a passion perspective, he’ll spend whatever amount of time it takes to get the game plan right. He’s in here so much. He’s like the gym rat version of Baylor football. He’s just an awesome dude to be around, and he’s a great leader of our defense and our team. I’m proud to play beside him.
(What’s it been like to get in here and learn on the fly when you’re on the field, you’re off the field, just kind of the stop-and-start nature of the last six to eight months)
Yeah, it’s been really weird. I remember driving down here, I committed over the course of like a week or something, and Coach (Ron) Roberts sent me some stuff on email. And I was studying it on the way down here. As soon as I got in here, it made it a lot easier just to talk with Terrel, talk with Coach Roberts. They were so helpful in learning everything. It’s been hard in the fact that I have to know everything in terms of the back end to the front end, but that’s the nature of the linebacker position. We embrace that. And as a team, we’ve embraced the stop-and-go nature of everything. Coach Aranda talks about adversity, and we’ve tried to handle adversity the best that we can. And that’s no different moving into this week after a loss. We’re moving on, just taking things one day at a time, one thing at a time, one drill at a time. That’s kind of been the focus.
R.J. Sneed, Jr., WR
(This might be the first time you’ve had the starting 11 all playing together, are you starting to feel more of a rhythm than you’ve had in the three games you’ve played)
Yesterday’s practice was the best practice we’ve had by far. We had everybody, from top to bottom. I believe that we got in a great rhythm yesterday, and want to keep that thing going today.
(On the lack of big plays, is that something you feel like is coming)
We haven’t had a lot of big plays, but I feel like it’s coming. We haven’t had all our guys, so it’s been kind of hard, because if you can’t do it in practice, how are you supposed to do it in the game? So, I believe that this week, just because we have all of our O-line, receivers, quarterbacks, I believe this week will be the week. As long as we get the time and the timing down with the QBs, I think we’ll be able to throw some deep balls this week.
(Having the O-line back to full strength) I believe that will help a lot, because you know who you’re next to, you know what you’re getting. So, as long as they can get that teamwork together and they’re all on the same page, I believe that’s where it starts. You’ve got to make sure that all five guys are on the same. It’s kind of hard when you’re switching to a different guy every other day because of COVID or something that happened.
(What’s it like going against a Gary Patterson defense, and what do you see from this year’s defense)
It’s like their past defenses, I believe they’re always sound. He does a great job of having guys ready. This year’s team has done a pretty solid job, I believe, on the defensive side. Their back secondary, their safeties and the corners, are pretty good this year, so we have to bring our ‘A’ game. We can’t take them lightly, because their defense is up there with the numbers they’re putting up.
(On the crazy games in this rivalry) Yeah, we know there’s been some crazy games, but I don’t believe that’s what we’re really worried about the things that have happened in the past. I think we’re just worried about winning this game and going 1-0. Yeah, we know that it’s there, but we don’t really talk about it.
(Frustrated about not taking more deep shots) Like I said, it’s just tough. You don’t have the same O-line every day, you might not have the same receiver going in. So, it’s just tough, you’re not all on the same page and the timing is hard. I do believe that’s really what’s been the problem. I can’t really say anything else, because you don’t know where it’s coming from. It could be a whole different thing this week. After we play, it could be, ‘oh, we had everybody, maybe it’s just the receivers. So, it’s kind of hard to figure out where it’s coming from. It can be frustrating, but I don’t let it get to me. I just believe that when it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen. As soon as it happens, I believe that’s the start for you.
(Learning the new system on the fly with Coach Fedora and you’re not able to get on the field all the time, how difficult has it been to adjust to this new offense) Like you said, we’ve got a new coaching staff, but we didn’t get spring ball, so I think that’s really where it starts at just because it’s kind of hard. Usually in spring ball, that’s where you put your plays in, you practice and everything. But, I can’t really give an excuse, because everybody is in the same boat. Not saying that everybody got a new coach, but everybody didn’t have spring ball. It was kind of hard in the summer. I think we just have to continue to push through, even with what we’re allowed to do.
Big 12 Power Rankings
Each Week, SicEmSports has its power rankings throughout the course of the 2020 season. Agree or disagree, here they are. We’re repeating what we shared from this past Sunday.
1. Oklahoma State – QB Spencer Sanders is healthy and dangerous
2. Kansas State – New starting QB Will Howard growing into the position
3. Iowa State – FG game denies Cyclones a win in Stillwater
4. Oklahoma – Sooners finding their Mojo
5. West Virginia – Biggest game of the season with KSU coming to town
6. Texas – Going to be interesting how the Longhorns handle the trip to OSU
7. Texas Tech – Joyful after upset of WV; major hurdle with OU to play
8. Baylor – An offense that needs any kind of lift
9. TCU – Even Patterson’s vaunted defense looks average
10. Kansas – Jayhawks have not been competitive all season
Big 12 Weekend
A look at the conference games for this coming Saturday. All times are central. Games are listed in chronological order. Rankings are from the AP/Coaches poll. Television listings are provided. Pending anything bizarre from Friday’s testing, all 10 teams are in action.
No. 23/22 Iowa State (3-2, 3-1) at Kansas (0-5, 0-4); 11:00 a.m., Memorial Stadium, Lawrence (KS) (FS1)
Series: Kansas leads, 50-43-6
Notable: The 100th meeting between these programs. The Cyclones come the point of their schedule where they can feel better after a tough loss at Oklahoma State. Kansas is starting freshman Jalon Robinson at QB for the second time this season. He made his first at Baylor.
No. 16/16 Kansas State (4-1, 4-0) at West Virginia (3-2, 2-2); 11:00 a.m., Milan Puskar Stadium, Morgantown, WV (ESPN2)
Series: Tied, 5-5
Notable: One of the stunning results from the 2019 season was when West Virginia won in Manhattan last year, 24-20. The Wildcats are looking for some payback. They possess one of the most exciting players in the league and maybe CFB in Deuce Vaughn. He’s at 309 rushing yards and 390 receiving yards. West Virginia continues to lead the Big 12 in sacks (18).
TCU (1-3, 1-3) at Baylor (1-2, 1-2); 2:30 p.m., McLane Stadium, Waco (ESPN2)
Series: TCU leads, 55-53-7
Notable: A game both teams really need to feel better about themselves. Baylor’s lone lead in its last two games was when took a 3-0 lead in the first quarter at Texas last week. TCU’s rushing attack is not that intimidating to this point. QB Max Duggan leads the team with 150 yards.
Texas (3-2, 2-2) at No. 6/6 Oklahoma State (4-0, 3-0); 3:00 p.m., Boone Pickens Stadium, Stillwater, OK (FOX)
Series: Texas leads, 25-9
Notable: After a meh but good enough effort last week to Baylor, the Longhorns face their most daunting challenge against the league co-leaders on the road. Texas has forced eight turnovers thus far. However, it didn’t create any last week against the Bears. OSU may be putting together the best running game in the league between Chuba Hubbard (478 yards), LD Brown (229) and QB Spencer Sanders who is just rounding into form after an ankle injury. He rushed for 71 yards last week against Iowa State.
No. 24/24 Oklahoma (3-2, 2-2) at Texas Tech (2-3, 1-3); 7:00 p.m., AT&T Jones Stadium, Lubbock (FOX)
Series: Oklahoma leads, 21-6
Notable: Sooner QB Spencer Rattler is starting to put things together and cut out the interceptions. He could take advantage of Tech’s pass defense, the worst in the Big 12, as it has allowed 300 or more yards in each of the last two games. There were some encouraging signs for new Red Raider QB Henry Colombi. But he needs to come up with some explosive plays.
Publisher
The Topper
>Some background on Hutchinson (KS) Community College 2021 defensive tackle Isaiah Iton who Baylor offered earlier in the week. As we mentioned he’s from Pearland. The interesting story is that he probably would have been heavily recruited as a D1 player for 2019. However, he was a late qualifier and wound up going to Division II Northern Colorado for his freshman season.
The word was Iton quickly realized that he could probably play at a higher level and his ticket was to go the JUCO route. There was also reason to leave. UNC went through a pretty difficult 2-10 season and eventually fired its head coach Earnest Collins. Iton appeared in all 12 games for the Bears and collected 20 total tackles along with a safety.
Baylor’s coaching staff was tipped on him earlier this month after Iton had expressed some interest. All it had to go on was what Iton did at UNC and fall camp work with Hutchinson. Iton likely won’t play a down because the JUCO season was moved to the spring. His offer list is filled with P5s including Illinois, Indiana, Ole Miss and Missouri to name a few.
The scouting report is that Iton’s length (6-4, 295) is a great starting point. However, some scouts like him playing on the inside rather than on the end. That’s going to be in the eye of the beholder including Baylor. Iton is considered a good run stopper but has a knack to develop a pass rush. He has large hands and long arms that will create a wingspan that could bat passes.
Iton is a Texas product. Baylor is the only P5 program in the state to offer him. The other Texas offers are from Houston and Texas State.
We’ll keep you posted how things develop.
>There is some early interest with Baylor in Little Rock (AR) Christian Academy 2021 PK Isaiah Hankins. The left-footed kicker is having a big season to this point. He is 35-36 on PATs and is 10-11 on field goals with a long of 48. At this point, 18 of his 33 kickoffs have gone for touchbacks. LRCA is 5-2 so far this season.
Baylor players talk TCU
Linebackers Terrel Bernard, Dillon Doyle and wide receiver R.J. Sneed met with the media earlier in the week.
Terrel Bernard, Jr., LB
(Learning defense) It’s definitely been a weird year just trying to get everything situated to get ready for the season when all the COVID stuff came out. Just taking it with time and learning the stuff through Zoom first, and trying to keep everybody engaged was the main thing when we were all separated. Once we got back and were able to do more stuff in person it was easier.
There’s definitely a lot of areas I can improve on and I think that comes with time and reps. I feel that’s why I’ve been improving. Just effort and the film room and the weight room, and when Saturday comes I try to play every play as hard as I can.
(Pass coverage breakdowns) That was definitely my fault. We had two calls come in based on some formation. We changed which call we were going to run. I didn’t communicate it to the back end, so I take full responsibility for that. That’s not going to happen again.
(Defense has to work together) That’s the way it is. It’s 11 guys on the same page, and if one guy’s off we’re all off. I mean that’s pretty much the basics of defense.
(Do you have to explain the intensity of the TCU rivalry to the new guys) I think they know. We do a little bit of talking throughout the week telling the experiences we’ve had, showing videos and old games and stuff like that. I think they get a pretty good idea before Saturday.
(JT Woods) JT is one of the most athletic players on the team. You can tell he cares a lot about playing and he wants to get better.
(Does defense relish opportunity to keep the team in the game) I don’t think it’s extra pressure. I just think it’s an opportunity for us to play better. We say every week that the other team can’t win if they don’t score. That’s something we put on our shoulders and something we’re going to take on the rest of the season.
(Dillon Doyle) Dillon is a very mature guy. He comes into work every single day prepared as can be. He has a pro mindset, so I can’t say enough good things about him. I think he’s elevated everybody’s play and allowed everybody to see what it’s supposed to be like and what you’re supposed to do within the game and how you’re supposed to act and treat your teammates. I think everybody sees that and has a great deal of respect for him.
(Playing at McLane for first time since Sept. 26) I can’t believe it’s been over a month. I know all the guys are excited to be able to play in front of our fans.
(Great Tuesday practice) I think the energy we had on offense and defense. We came out there from the first snap and it was just competition, and that’s what Tuesdays are for us. It’s the chance to compete and we’re not really worried about anything else but making each other better, and that’s what we did. The offense would make a big play and score and celebrate and the defense would make a play and we’re celebrating. We’re talking trash to the offense and they’re talking trash to us. I think that just ratchets up the intensity. When we’re going back and forth like that it makes it so much easier to practice. It makes it fun.
(More guys back at practice) It’s a huge thing just sharpening your blade. I think Tuesdays are where you’re supposed to compete the most. You’re supposed to play your best competition on Tuesdays going against each other. I think that’s something we were definitely able to do.
Dillon Doyle, Soph., LB
(On fixing the pass coverage issues) We’ve had some communication things that we can get better at, for sure. You can get better at anything that you do on the field at practice. We put an emphasis on that as a defense, we know we can get better at those things. And I put that on myself, because I’m the Mike linebacker, I’m responsible for communication to the defense, and it’s important that we’re all on the same page. And that’s been a big emphasis in studying TCU, just getting everybody on the same page and getting everybody lined up and ready to play.
(Has anyone talked to you about the Baylor-TCU rivalry) A little bit. Each game, we try to bring our best focus, and that’s no different for this game. It is special, I think, that this team is from an hour and a half down the road. It’s cool that we have a rivalry with them. But, when you step on the field, it’s just the same stuff, it’s reading your keys, playing your assignment, playing good fundamentals and trying to be the best team on the field on Saturday. And going into practice this week, that’s been the focus, just fundamentals, assignment, keys, alignment, all the basics of football. We’re trying to be brilliant at the basics here, and that’s kind of been the focus.
(What have you seen from TCU) A lot of 11 personnel, 10 personnel. That’s one back, one tight end, and one back and zero tight ends. A lot of inside zone. Their quarterback kind of makes it run. They have some really good athletes on their side of the ball. Their running back, they do it by committee a little bit. They have a lot of really good running backs. They’re big up front, they’re athletic up front. They’ve got some good players. And it’s going to take some good fundamentals and good football play to beat them.
(On playing with Terrel and what you see from him) I think it’s no secret that Terrel is a special player. I’ve seen personally that he’s a special person off the field. You know, the work ethic and just passion for the game that he brings is so special. I come in here on Sundays after game, and he already has a list of plays that he wants to talk about. And he’s just such a good person. Just being beside him makes it a lot easier, just because he really has a mastery of the defense. He can communicate to the back end, the front end, it doesn’t matter to him And, just from a passion perspective, he’ll spend whatever amount of time it takes to get the game plan right. He’s in here so much. He’s like the gym rat version of Baylor football. He’s just an awesome dude to be around, and he’s a great leader of our defense and our team. I’m proud to play beside him.
(What’s it been like to get in here and learn on the fly when you’re on the field, you’re off the field, just kind of the stop-and-start nature of the last six to eight months)
Yeah, it’s been really weird. I remember driving down here, I committed over the course of like a week or something, and Coach (Ron) Roberts sent me some stuff on email. And I was studying it on the way down here. As soon as I got in here, it made it a lot easier just to talk with Terrel, talk with Coach Roberts. They were so helpful in learning everything. It’s been hard in the fact that I have to know everything in terms of the back end to the front end, but that’s the nature of the linebacker position. We embrace that. And as a team, we’ve embraced the stop-and-go nature of everything. Coach Aranda talks about adversity, and we’ve tried to handle adversity the best that we can. And that’s no different moving into this week after a loss. We’re moving on, just taking things one day at a time, one thing at a time, one drill at a time. That’s kind of been the focus.
R.J. Sneed, Jr., WR
(This might be the first time you’ve had the starting 11 all playing together, are you starting to feel more of a rhythm than you’ve had in the three games you’ve played)
Yesterday’s practice was the best practice we’ve had by far. We had everybody, from top to bottom. I believe that we got in a great rhythm yesterday, and want to keep that thing going today.
(On the lack of big plays, is that something you feel like is coming)
We haven’t had a lot of big plays, but I feel like it’s coming. We haven’t had all our guys, so it’s been kind of hard, because if you can’t do it in practice, how are you supposed to do it in the game? So, I believe that this week, just because we have all of our O-line, receivers, quarterbacks, I believe this week will be the week. As long as we get the time and the timing down with the QBs, I think we’ll be able to throw some deep balls this week.
(Having the O-line back to full strength) I believe that will help a lot, because you know who you’re next to, you know what you’re getting. So, as long as they can get that teamwork together and they’re all on the same page, I believe that’s where it starts. You’ve got to make sure that all five guys are on the same. It’s kind of hard when you’re switching to a different guy every other day because of COVID or something that happened.
(What’s it like going against a Gary Patterson defense, and what do you see from this year’s defense)
It’s like their past defenses, I believe they’re always sound. He does a great job of having guys ready. This year’s team has done a pretty solid job, I believe, on the defensive side. Their back secondary, their safeties and the corners, are pretty good this year, so we have to bring our ‘A’ game. We can’t take them lightly, because their defense is up there with the numbers they’re putting up.
(On the crazy games in this rivalry) Yeah, we know there’s been some crazy games, but I don’t believe that’s what we’re really worried about the things that have happened in the past. I think we’re just worried about winning this game and going 1-0. Yeah, we know that it’s there, but we don’t really talk about it.
(Frustrated about not taking more deep shots) Like I said, it’s just tough. You don’t have the same O-line every day, you might not have the same receiver going in. So, it’s just tough, you’re not all on the same page and the timing is hard. I do believe that’s really what’s been the problem. I can’t really say anything else, because you don’t know where it’s coming from. It could be a whole different thing this week. After we play, it could be, ‘oh, we had everybody, maybe it’s just the receivers. So, it’s kind of hard to figure out where it’s coming from. It can be frustrating, but I don’t let it get to me. I just believe that when it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen. As soon as it happens, I believe that’s the start for you.
(Learning the new system on the fly with Coach Fedora and you’re not able to get on the field all the time, how difficult has it been to adjust to this new offense) Like you said, we’ve got a new coaching staff, but we didn’t get spring ball, so I think that’s really where it starts at just because it’s kind of hard. Usually in spring ball, that’s where you put your plays in, you practice and everything. But, I can’t really give an excuse, because everybody is in the same boat. Not saying that everybody got a new coach, but everybody didn’t have spring ball. It was kind of hard in the summer. I think we just have to continue to push through, even with what we’re allowed to do.
Big 12 Power Rankings
Each Week, SicEmSports has its power rankings throughout the course of the 2020 season. Agree or disagree, here they are. We’re repeating what we shared from this past Sunday.
1. Oklahoma State – QB Spencer Sanders is healthy and dangerous
2. Kansas State – New starting QB Will Howard growing into the position
3. Iowa State – FG game denies Cyclones a win in Stillwater
4. Oklahoma – Sooners finding their Mojo
5. West Virginia – Biggest game of the season with KSU coming to town
6. Texas – Going to be interesting how the Longhorns handle the trip to OSU
7. Texas Tech – Joyful after upset of WV; major hurdle with OU to play
8. Baylor – An offense that needs any kind of lift
9. TCU – Even Patterson’s vaunted defense looks average
10. Kansas – Jayhawks have not been competitive all season
Big 12 Weekend
A look at the conference games for this coming Saturday. All times are central. Games are listed in chronological order. Rankings are from the AP/Coaches poll. Television listings are provided. Pending anything bizarre from Friday’s testing, all 10 teams are in action.
No. 23/22 Iowa State (3-2, 3-1) at Kansas (0-5, 0-4); 11:00 a.m., Memorial Stadium, Lawrence (KS) (FS1)
Series: Kansas leads, 50-43-6
Notable: The 100th meeting between these programs. The Cyclones come the point of their schedule where they can feel better after a tough loss at Oklahoma State. Kansas is starting freshman Jalon Robinson at QB for the second time this season. He made his first at Baylor.
No. 16/16 Kansas State (4-1, 4-0) at West Virginia (3-2, 2-2); 11:00 a.m., Milan Puskar Stadium, Morgantown, WV (ESPN2)
Series: Tied, 5-5
Notable: One of the stunning results from the 2019 season was when West Virginia won in Manhattan last year, 24-20. The Wildcats are looking for some payback. They possess one of the most exciting players in the league and maybe CFB in Deuce Vaughn. He’s at 309 rushing yards and 390 receiving yards. West Virginia continues to lead the Big 12 in sacks (18).
TCU (1-3, 1-3) at Baylor (1-2, 1-2); 2:30 p.m., McLane Stadium, Waco (ESPN2)
Series: TCU leads, 55-53-7
Notable: A game both teams really need to feel better about themselves. Baylor’s lone lead in its last two games was when took a 3-0 lead in the first quarter at Texas last week. TCU’s rushing attack is not that intimidating to this point. QB Max Duggan leads the team with 150 yards.
Texas (3-2, 2-2) at No. 6/6 Oklahoma State (4-0, 3-0); 3:00 p.m., Boone Pickens Stadium, Stillwater, OK (FOX)
Series: Texas leads, 25-9
Notable: After a meh but good enough effort last week to Baylor, the Longhorns face their most daunting challenge against the league co-leaders on the road. Texas has forced eight turnovers thus far. However, it didn’t create any last week against the Bears. OSU may be putting together the best running game in the league between Chuba Hubbard (478 yards), LD Brown (229) and QB Spencer Sanders who is just rounding into form after an ankle injury. He rushed for 71 yards last week against Iowa State.
No. 24/24 Oklahoma (3-2, 2-2) at Texas Tech (2-3, 1-3); 7:00 p.m., AT&T Jones Stadium, Lubbock (FOX)
Series: Oklahoma leads, 21-6
Notable: Sooner QB Spencer Rattler is starting to put things together and cut out the interceptions. He could take advantage of Tech’s pass defense, the worst in the Big 12, as it has allowed 300 or more yards in each of the last two games. There were some encouraging signs for new Red Raider QB Henry Colombi. But he needs to come up with some explosive plays.
