Some things to watch in the Big 12 Conference on Saturday, when there are only two games after Texas at Kansas was rescheduled for Dec. 12 because of COVID-19 issues in the Jayhawks program. The four teams that played last week already had scheduled open dates.
GAME OF THE WEEK
No. 14 Oklahoma State at No. 18 Oklahoma. Bedlam with potentially huge implications in the push to get a spot in the Big 12 championship game. The five-time defending Big 12 champion Sooners (5-2, 4-2) have won four in a row since starting 0-2 in conference play for the first time since 1998. One of their losses was to Big 12-leading Iowa State, whose only conference loss is to the Cowboys (5-1, 4-1). Oklahoma is the Big 12 leader with 46.1 points and 515 total yards per game. Oklahoma State’s defense has allowed only 17.8 points a game, tied for best in the league, and is second in total defense at 311.5 yards per game. The Sooners have won Bedlam five years in a row, and 15 of 17 overall.
BEST MATCHUP
Kansas State at No. 17 Iowa State. Big 12 rushing leader Breece Hall (147.7 yards per game) and the Cyclones (5-2, 5-1) will try to keep their lead in the 104-game series that dates to 1917. Iowa State holds a 50-49-4 series edge after Kansas State won 11 of the last 12 games in the series — the only Cyclones win coming two years ago in Ames — and 25 of 30. The Wildcats won their first four conference games, but have lost their last two.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
When they do play, the Longhorns will be looking for their 17th win in 18 games against Kansas. … Kansas State true freshman running back Deuce Vaughn is the only Big 12 player to lead his team in rushing and receiving, and is one of only two players nationally with at least 300 yards rushing and 300 yards receiving — the other is Clemson’s Travis Etienne. … This is only the seventh time since the start of the AP poll in 1936 that Oklahoma State is ranked higher than Oklahoma for a Bedlam meeting. The last was 2013.
PLAYER TO WATCH
Iowa State junior linebacker Mike Rose has started 33 consecutive games — every game over his three seasons with the Cyclones. He is tied for third in the Big 12 at 8.0 tackles per game. His 11 tackles against Baylor in their last game was his fourth time in six games with at least 10 tackles.
