No. 9 Kansas State at No. 6 Baylor (-8) 7:45 pm Saturday ESPN
Daniel: Ironic that the Big 12 touts that it has one true champion and that it’s settled on the field, because neither of those things are really true this season if Baylor and TCU finish with the same record (the Big 12 doesn’t officially break ties for some reason). After getting left out of the top four of the most recent playoff rankings in favor of TCU, a team the Bears have the same record as and beat this season, Baylor has a lot to play for this weekend against a veteran, disciplined KSU squad that has some big-time playmakers on offense as well. I think this will be another close one, but Baylor, playing at home and with more on the line, will pull it out late to make its case to the committee. Winner: Baylor 33-30
Houston: Baylor has a chip on their shoulder, and rightfully so. The Bears have been left out of the top-4 in favor of TCU in recent weeks – a team they beat straght-up back in October. If they can get by Kansas State this week, then surely they deserve a spot in the top-4…right? Bryce Petty and Baylor’s offense can score points on anybody, but their defense has been somewhat lackluster down the stretch. I think this one has all the makings of a shootout, but that is a fight that Baylor is well-equipped to win. I’ll take the Bears. Winner: Baylor 48-44
Reed: I love Kansas State. No team does more with less than the Wildcats. If Petty can’t go, I like their ability to pull off the upset and clear up the muddled playoff picture. Petty was a full participant in Thursday’s practice but will still have to pass concussion protocols to play this weekend. I think he’ll play and the Bears will win a close one. Winner: Baylor 31-27
Richard: Both teams enter this game with a chance to win at least a share of the Big 12 title. The big question mark heading into this game is whether or not Baylor QB Bryce Petty will be cleared to play after suffering a concussion vs Texas Tech last week. Whether he plays or not, the Bears will have their hands full with a Bill Snyder coached team coming to town. Kansas State is a very talented team, and won’t beat itself. However, Snyder is stunningly 0-10 in games matching AP Top 10 teams, as is the case in this game. The pressure will be on Baylor to not just win, but win convincingly.
I’ll assume that Petty plays, and the Bears get the win. I’ll also assume that TCU beats Big 12 bottom feeder Iowa State. Thus, the conference with “One True Champion” will have two champions. That is kind of fitting considering they only have 10 teams, but they call themselves the Big 12. Winner: Baylor 38-28
