Things to watch during Week 12 in the Big 12 Conference. The league’s four Top 25 teams will be playing at the same time less than 90 miles apart in Oklahoma. If the Sooners and Oklahoma State win Saturday night, their Bedlam game on Thanksgiving weekend would be for the Big 12 title.
GAME OF THE WEEK: No. 11 TCU (9-1, 6-1 Big 12, No. 18 CFP) at No. 7 Oklahoma (9-1, 6-1, No. 7 CFP). The Horned Frogs’ lone loss came two weeks ago when they last crossed the Red River to play Oklahoma State. The Sooners have won five games in a row, handing Baylor its first loss a week ago, and are trying to make a run to their ninth Big 12 title – and maybe a spot in the four-team playoff. TCU has to win its last two games and get some help to get its second consecutive conference title, and the Horned Frogs are also hurting with receiver Josh Doctson out for the end of the regular season with a left wrist injury, and quarterback Trevone Boykin questionable with a right ankle.
BEST MATCHUP: Oklahoma State defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah vs. Baylor All-America left tackle Spencer Drango. These top NFL prospects will play in the other game pitting Big 12 teams with league championship and playoff implications. The No. 10 Bears (8-1, 5-1, No. 10 CFP) travel to face the No. 4 Cowboys (10-0, 7-0, No. 6 CFP) after their first loss since moving into their new stadium last year. The 6-foot-4, 275-pound Ogbah is the NCAA’s active career leader with 26 sacks, including a Big 12-leading 11 this season. Drango is a fourth-year starter, leading a Bears line that has allowed only 11 sacks all season.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS: Five Big 12 teams are already bowl eligible, after Texas Tech got its sixth win a week ago. … Two teams are off this weekend: Texas Tech and Texas rest before playing Thanksgiving night. … The losses for Iowa State (3-7, 2-5) have been against teams with a combined 60-9 record. … Kansas State (3-6, 0-6) has to win its last three games to be bowl eligible and starts its season-ending stretch against Iowa State. The Wildcats have won seven straight in the series against the Cyclones.
LONG SHOT: Winless Kansas (0-10, 0-7) preventing West Virginia (5-4, 2-4) from becoming bowl eligible this week. Even after their close game last Saturday at banged-up TCU, the Jayhawks are four-TD underdogs at home against the Mountaineers. West Virginia has won its last two games since starting Big 12 play 0-4 against the league’s ranked teams.
IMPACT PLAYER: Two-time walk-on quarterback Baker Mayfield has thrown at least three touchdowns in eight games this season for Oklahoma. The former Texas Tech walk-on, now starting for the Sooners after transferring and sitting out last season, has thrown for 3,082 yards with a Big 12 high-matching 31 TDs. He has run for six more scores. In Oklahoma’s five-game winning streak, he has completed 75 percent of his passes (89 of 119) for 1,207 yards with 12 TDs and two interceptions.
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Compiled by AP Sports Writer Stephen Hawkins in Fort Worth, Texas.
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Online:
AP college football website: http://collegefootball.ap.org
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