Cy’s Big 12 Football Picks: Week 4
By Brian Spaen
Cy went a perfect 8-0 last week, boosting his record to 21-4 so far this season. Ultimately, unless you didn’t know if Texas had it in them to go on the road and defeat a weak SEC team, the picks were all rather easy. Three teams played FCS opponents, and the others involved weaker Sun Belt and Mountain West conference teams. TCU and Kansas opened up Big 12 play in a closer-than-expected match.
Oct 16, 2010; Norman, OK, USA; Iowa State Cyclones mascot Cy reacts to a turnover against the Oklahoma Sooners at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Oklahoma defeated Iowa State 52-0. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-US PRESSWIRE
Now we enter week five, which features many teams off (including yours truly) and just five games, but each one of them produces their interest. Baylor and Kansas have interesting non-conference matchups, the newcomers take on the ACC, and the lone Big 12 matchup features two top teams in the conference.
Take it, Cy.
Overall record: 21-4, at the spread: 4-11 … All game times are listed on central. Teams underlined means Cy is picking them to beat the spread. Iowa State, Oklahoma State, Texas, and Texas Tech have a bye this week.
Friday
7:00 pm – Baylor (2-0) at Louisiana-Monroe (1-1)
Line: BAY -7 | TV: ESPN
With so much conference realignment, I missed out on LAMO (which is the best abbreviation ever) moving to the SEC. How many teams did that conference suck up? The Bears will have their hands full, but I consider LAMO’s win over Arkansas just a revelation that Arkansas blows. Prediction: BAY
Saturday
11:00 am – Maryland (2-1) at (7)West Virginia (2-0)
Line: WVU -25.5 | TV: FX
The Terps only beat a married couple by a point and a building by 11 points. WVU QB Geno Smith is pretty much RG4, he will be #Griffining all day long. Prediction: WVU
11:00 am – Virginia (2-1) at (16)Texas Christian (2-0)
Line: TCU -18 | TV: ESPN
Cavalier opponents are outscoring them, have more first downs, and Virginia has a quarterback that’s Steele Jantzing it up with a 4:3 turnover/interception ratio. Give me the Big 12’s new bible school. Prediction: TCU
2:30 pm – Kansas (1-2) at Northern Illinois (2-1)
Line: NIU -9 | Web: ESPN3
I don’t know why you would ever play a directional school on the road, but I can’t believe this team would play UNI at the dome because…oh, it’s NIU? Who the hell are they? AND THEY’RE FAVORED?? Stop it. Prediction: KAN
6:30 pm – (13)Kansas State (3-0) at (5)Oklahoma (2-0)
Line: OU -14.5 | TV: FOX
This game is fantastic, a good matchup after not being able to watch my team play this week. I believe the Sooners are a fraud, and let’s just face it that Dan McCarney is going to make North Texas the next Iowa State in the Sun Belt Conference. I don’t know if it’s really that much of a compliment, but it’s better than their mascot. Collin Klein and the Wildcats were just looking ahead to Oklahoma, I think they pull off the upset in Norman. Prediction: KSU
Brian Spaen is the lead editor for Clones Confidential. Keep up with the latest sports fails and disdain toward the Big Ten by following him on Twitter.
Read his other work on the Oregon Ducks blog, Autzen Zoo, and Lacrosse the Web.