In this week's Big 12 roundtable we examine the conference title race going into the final month, as well as debate which of the 4-4 teams could be on the outside looking in of a bowl performance:
Which of the four prime contenders has the easiest remaining schedule?
Jake Trotter: Given that they’ve already faced Baylor and West Virginia, the Cowboys have the easiest remaining schedule. Oklahoma still has yet to face Baylor, West Virginia and Oklahoma State, and Baylor and West Virginia won’t face each other until the season finale. The Cowboys do have to go to Norman for Bedlam. But they have three winnable games before then in K-State, Texas Tech and TCU.
Max Olson: I would argue West Virginia has the most favorable remaining schedule of the four contenders, just because the home-field advantage is meaningful. Oklahoma and Baylor can’t be looking forward to going out to Morgantown. And the Mountaineers still have Iowa State and Kansas plus a winnable road game at Texas. That’s pretty manageable and a 4-1 finish isn’t impossible if they catch a few breaks.
Of the four contenders, who do you think will win the Big 12 title?
Trotter: I’m sticking with Oklahoma for now, even though the Sooners are banged up and vulnerable defensively. The offense, led by Baker Mayfield, Dede Westbrook and Joe Mixon, has just been too dominant in conference play. These Sooners have warts, and they’ll probably have to keep outscoring the opposition here down the stretch. But averaging 568 yards a game, they've proven they're capable of doing just that.
Olson: Yeah, the Sooners still feel like the safest pick of the bunch to win the conference. Nobody in the Big 12 has figured out a way to stop Baker Mayfield, Dede Westbrook and Joe Mixon this season (besides that parking attendant), and the sheer firepower of that trio -- plus Samaje Perine whenever he’s back -- makes them really hard to beat. Going 9-0 in this conference is extremely hard, and they might slip up once in those final three games, but I think OU can stay the course and pull this off.
Of TCU, Texas and Texas Tech, all 4-4, which is most likely to miss a bowl game?
Trotter: Given these three teams are pretty close, the answer to this comes down to schedule. And based on that, TCU could be the team that misses out on a bowl. The Horned Frogs have three games coming up in which they’ll likely be the underdog (at Baylor, Oklahoma State, at Texas), followed by a challenging home bout with K-State. Given the way they’ve played lately and the problems at quarterback, it’s not unthinkable that the Horned Frogs could lose all four. The winner of the Texas-Texas Tech game this weekend should be in good shape. And the loser will still have a very winnable game left on Nov. 19 (Tech at Iowa State, Texas at Kansas). But TCU could be in real trouble, given the remaining slate.
Olson: TCU does have a really tough schedule, but I’d say the loser of Texas-Texas Tech this weekend is in the most danger of missing a bowl bid. If the Longhorns lose on Saturday, they’ll need to beat Kansas and either West Virginia or TCU at home to reach six. Gary Patterson is the only Big 12 coach Charlie Strong hasn’t defeated, and going into that finale at 5-6 will mean a ton of pressure. And if the Red Raiders drop to 4-5, they need a win over Iowa State and either Oklahoma State or Baylor. Obviously neither of those games will be easy, and they’re both on the road. Whoever wins in Lubbock this weekend is probably a lock for six wins, but the loser’s in trouble.