The race for the Big 12 Championship Game could get a lot clearer come Saturday with two huge games. One will pair No. 22 Iowa State at No. 19 Texas. The other is a tricky road game for No. 9 West Virginia at Oklahoma State one week before the Mountaineers finish the season with a highly anticipated game at home against Oklahoma.
This is a precarious spot for the Mountaineers. Since Iowa State holds the head-to-head win, there's no margin for error heading into Stillwater. West Virginia has done a great job rebounding after the blowout loss to the Cyclones in October, and despite a slow start against TCU in Week 11, this team's focus seems to be where it needs to be. However, the Cowboys are a dangerous team. They were a two-point conversion away from beating Oklahoma in the Bedlam rivalry and beat Texas straight up at home. Can the Mountaineers make enough plays to get the road win or will Oklahoma State be up to the challenge and pull off another upset?
Viewing information
Date: Saturday, Nov. 17 | Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Location: Boone Pickens Stadium -- Stillwater, Oklahoma
TV: ABC | Live stream: WatchESPN
Storylines
West Virginia: The outcome of this game is going to be decided by the defense. The Mountaineers have been excellent defensively against the Big 12's more lowly teams. TCU had -7 yards rushing. Baylor and Kansas State never got more than 14 points on the board, and that's including garbage time. However, against Texas Tech, Iowa State and Texas, West Virginia hasn't fared as well. The Red Raiders substituted for quarterback Jett Duffey at halftime and nearly pulled off a comeback. The Longhorns, meanwhile, put up more than 500 yards offense.
Although Oklahoma State quarterback Taylor Cornelius struggles with accuracy, Mike Gundy's offense is still capable of putting up a lot of points. If there's one thing the Pokes don't lack, it's skill at wide receiver and running back. West Virginia, finally a little healthier at linebacker and on the back end, will have its hands full on Saturday (and against Oklahoma the following week). This is the time when we'll find out just how good this defense is.
Oklahoma State: The Pokes haven't been underdogs many times this season, but they've been pretty good when they are dogs with straight-up wins against Boise State and Texas, plus a near-upset of Oklahoma. The question now is whether they have enough juice to do it again this time. Bedlam is typically the last game of the year, so there's not a sample size to tell whether this is a letdown situation or not. Oklahoma State is certainly a dangerous team even though they're on the fringe of bowl eligibility at 5-5. You just don't know which one is going to show up.
Game prediction, picks
This one could go a number of ways. Oklahoma State has athletes on offense, but the defense is unreliable. Are they still drained from the Oklahoma loss, or are they ready to get back up? West Virginia has the advantage at quarterback, but are they able to make the plays defensively to keep Oklahoma State at a distance? Either way, the line here is interesting with so many big-time implications. Pick: Oklahoma State +5.5
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