Kansas St. could set up OU and Oklahoma St. for Big 12 title

STEPHEN HAWKINS
·3 min read
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GAME OF THE WEEK

No. 11 Baylor at Kansas State. The four-game winning steak by the Wildcats (7-3, 4-3 Big 12) is the longest in the league after Baylor last week ended Oklahoma's 17 in a row that was the longest among FBS teams. The Bears (8-2, 5-2), who before knocking off the Sooners had a disappointing loss at struggling TCU, can still make the Big 12 title game for the second time in three seasons. But if K-State extends its streak with a win over the Bears, No. 9 Oklahoma State and No. 12 Oklahoma could lock up the two spots in the Big 12 championship game by winning their games Saturday.

POSSIBLE CLINCHERS?

Oklahoma State and Oklahoma (both 9-1, 6-1) each control their own fate in getting to the Big 12 title game, and end the regular season Nov. 27 in their Bedlam rivalry game, which is a week before the league championship game.

— The six-time defending Big 12 champion Sooners play their home finale against Iowa State in a rematch of last year's championship game, though a lot has to happen for both of them to make it back this year as most had predicted before the season began. The Cyclones (6-4, 4-3) have to beat OU and TCU, then get some specific outcomes to create a four-way tie for second place that would work out in their favor.

— Oklahoma State will be in the last Big 12 game that will finish Saturday night. The Cowboys play at bowl-eligible Texas Tech (6-4, 3-4) a week after Iowa State lost there on Jonathan Garibay's 62-yard field goal as time expired.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

The Big 12 already has has six bowl-eligible teams, and can still get up to two more. TCU, Texas and West Virginia all are 4-6 overall with two games to play. The Longhorns take a five-game losing streak into their game Saturday in Morgantown, West Virginia, so the loser of that game won't be able to reach six wins. ... Oklahoma State is third nationally in total defense (276.6 yards per game) and Iowa State is 10th at 307.1 yards per game. Both also rank top 24 in scoring offense.

UPSET ALERT

TCU is listed as a 22-point favorite in its home finale over Kansas, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. But the Horned Frogs were down to their third-string quarterback last week because of injuries, and he suffered a separated shoulder in a 63-17 loss at Oklahoma State. TCU's top four running backs are all banged up. Kansas is coming off its first Big 12 road win since 2008, a 57-56 overtime victory at 30 1/2-point favorite Texas.

IMPACT PLAYER

Iowa State running back Breece Hall set a school record at 306 career points when he extended is Big 12-record streak to 22 consecutive games with a rushing touchdown last week at Texas Tech. He is one short of matching the longest such streak in FBS history, 23 in a row by Arkansas' Bill Burnett from 1968-70. Hall is the league's second-leading rusher at 117.2 yards per game, and tops the Big 12 with his 16 rushing TDs.

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