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Baylor gets an early game this week against UCF, happening on Friday at 6:30 p.m. CT, but that just means that Saturday is wide open for more focus on Big 12 football. Arizona vs. Texas Tech to start the day at 11:00 a.m. leading into ASU vs. BYU at 2:30 p.m. and eventually Oklahoma State vs ISU at 6:30 p.m. will see three of Baylor's remaining opponents competing.
Baylor's in a weird way right now, having fired Dave Aranda on Sunday. The Bears' defense has been consistent and efficient throughout this year, the offense however, much less so. UCF has a playmaker at quarterback in Keyone Jenkins, but Baylor has a Slug on their defensive line. Coach Klanderman's first game as interim head coach and not just defensive coordinator, will be interesting to see how he juggles the new responsibilities that come with being a head coach.
Texas Tech will be looking to fix the mistakes from last week's game against Cincinnati and regain their composure at home. However, the current No. 2 in the Big 12 Arizona is the opponent coming to Lubbock. No cake-walk game this week to serve as a band-aid for the damage to No. 13 Texas Tech's previously undefeated record on the season, the Wildcats of Arizona are No. 22 in the A.P. Poll and marching their way up in the rankings.
BYU, UCF's most recent win, is playing host against the opponent that is Baylor's most recent win in ASU. The Cougars, without running back LJ Martin, who has been injured the past few weeks, have had some success but surely miss his presence on the field. The loss to BYU wasn't the only loss that a previously undefeated Big 12 team would experience last week either, as Texas Tech also lost in their game against Cincinnati. ASU could put up a fight in Provo, UT, but I expect BYU to take advantage of ASU's secondary as a number of teams (including Baylor) has done this season.
A remarkable turnaround from their season last year, the 'Pokes are ranked No. 24 in the A.P. Poll. Just let that sink in for a moment; Oklahoma State is 5-2 overall and 3-1 in the Big 12 this season. ISU is 3-4 and 1-3 in the Big 12, and hosting an OSU team and QB Drew Mestemaker with the potential for quite a few passing yards to happen in this game.
Taking a late bye week, the Cougars most recent game saw them lose to Utah 21-13. Next up for Houston will be a home game against Cincinnati Nov. 7th. Houston is currently No. 18 in the A.P. Poll.