A fun fact about me is that I consider Baylor to be among the most despicable of institutions in higher education, an industry that is, by choice, rather despicable as a whole.
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Whom:
Iowa State vs. Baylor
When:
2:30 PM Cyclone Time
Where:
Waco
Weather:
Hot and bright. A high around ninety degrees. Few clouds. Little wind.
How to Watch:
FOX
The Opponent:
Baylor’s 3-0, having struggled at Texas State in the opener but done their job against Texas Southern and Kansas since then. Offensively, Baylor’s been moving the ball well on the ground, but they’ve been efficient through the air as well against a slate of teams that’s hard to gather much information against. Nothing too distinct to expect on either side of the ball.
Within the Big 12, Baylor’s range of outcomes is wide. It wouldn’t be stunning if they only lost one conference game. It wouldn’t be stunning if they lost seven or eight conference games. They’re in the thick of the pack in terms of ability.
The Numbers:
Bill Connelly’s SP+ has Iowa State a 4.7-point favorite. Vegas has it at seven. The over/under’s at 47½.
What Iowa State Needs to Do:
It’s kind of silly to write out, but aside from Kansas and Oklahoma, every team in the Big 12 is, right now, a team Iowa State should beat but doesn’t have to beat soundly. Some way, somehow, etc.
That said, please don’t fall behind early.
Other Games of Interest:
Lot of good Big 12 action. Texas hosts Texas Tech. Kansas State goes to Stillwater. West Virginia visits Oklahoma. And in some nonconference action, TCU welcomes SMU to the cowboy side of the Metroplex.
The conference is trying to figure out its pecking order. Going to be learning new things every week for a little while here.
Iowa State Thoughts:
It was good to have last week to purge things. Conference play begins. It’s a clean slate. I’d imagine the message in the locker room is that Iowa State is trying to win a Big 12 title. I don’t personally buy that being all that possible, but it’s the right thing to have as the goal, and this is the first step.
