Matchup: #9 Texas Christian at #5 Baylor
Game Line: Baylor -8, 65 at JustBet
Date/Time: Saturday, October 11th @ 3:30 pm (EST) on ABC/ESPN 2
Location: Waco, Texas
Preview: The landscape in the Big 12 is changing quickly thanks to up and coming teams like these two. Normally the Red River Rivalry game between Texas and Oklahoma is one of the biggest of the season, this weekend it isn’t even the biggest game in Texas. TCU, who knocked off Oklahoma 37-33 last weekend could contend for the Big 12 title for the first time after starting 66-12 in their first two years in the conference. Baylor beat Texas with the Big 12 title on the line last season and did so again last weekend 28-7. They leaned heavily on their defense to overcome an uncharacteristically poor day from quarterback Bryce Petty to win easily. Unlike so many other ranked teams, Baylor survived the weekend of upsets and is now the Big 12’s highest ranked team. The Horned Frogs pulled off one of those upsets last Saturday against Oklahoma and moved up 16 spots in the poll, setting up only the second top 10 matchup ever in Waco, Texas with the other coming in 1959. After this game there will only be one undefeated team in the Big 12 and the winner will probably need to stay that way if the conference is going to be represented in the first college playoff. With Auburn, Ole Miss and Mississippi State ahead of both of these teams, and all playing one another in the coming weeks, the winner here will have a great chance to play for a National Championship. One of Petty’s worst games as Baylor’s quarterback last season came at TCU, going 19 of 38 for 206 yards with two TDs and one interception, but the #9 Bears held on for a 41-38 win. The biggest reason for TCU to be optimistic heading into this one is the play of their quarterback Trevone Boykin. In just 4 starts this season, Boykin has thrown 10 touchdowns after throwing 17 in nearly 4 times as many career starts previously. In that same context, he has nearly half as many passes go for 20 yards or more. Meanwhile, he’s averaging almost 128 more yards of total offense this season, and his QBR has jumped by more than 22. He’s going to need to be clicking on all cylinders if TCU is going to keep up with the vaunted Baylor offensive attack.
2014 Week 7 NCAA Football Picks: Baylor -8 and under 65
TCU at Baylor Score Prediction: 37-24 Baylor
