Predicting the Big 12 Season: Week 1

Today is the beginning of my prediction series on the entire 2018 Big 12 football season. I will go through the entirety of the upcoming season, picking the winner of the conference before the season begins.

As you already know, since we are currently in the middle of fall camp right now, there is still a lot that can change, but barring significant injuries for any of the teams we are in a good spot for some predictions.

Remember these are just predictions and the season in the Big 12 rarely goes as planned. With that said, let's do this!

Week 1

Thursday, August 30

@ Oklahoma State 59, Missouri State 27

Missouri State is a team that can score a lot of points but they also give up a lot. This will be the perfect game for Coach Mike Gundy to get a better feel for his quarterback position. Taylor Cornelius will probably get the start and he will throw for 300-plus yards and three scores. Then Spencer Sanders and Dru Brown will get their chance and each throw a touchdown. Justice Hill will add two more as the offense blows this game open in the first half.

Saturday, Sept. 1

@ Oklahoma 45, Florida Atlantic 21

Oklahoma just keeps on rolling and this game marks the start of the Kyler Murray era and the end of the Baker Mayfield one. I do not think it will show too much impact this first week. Florida Atlantic had a very good year last year but they don’t have the talent to stay with OU. Marquise Brown and CeeDee Lamb both catch a touchdown pass. Rodney Anderson runs wild for 150 yards and two scores. The game is within two scores at half but the Sooners defense steps up in the second half to allow them to extend the lead.

Ole Miss 34, Texas Tech 28

*Game played in Houston

Everyone is probably anticipating a shootout in this one but I don’t think it will be quite as crazy as others may think. Tech’s defense should be as good if not better than last year but its offense may be taking a little bit of a step back. No one knows who the quarterback will be and there is a lot to replace at the wide receiver position. AJ Brown is going to give the Tech secondary a lot to worry about as he will score two times. Tech stays in this game all the way thanks to a few Ole Miss turnovers but ultimately they fall in Houston.

@ TCU 45, Southern 10

TCU has the defense to take teams completely out of the game and I think that happens against Southern. Preseason Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, Ben Banogu, starts the year off with three sacks. The defense forces multiple turnovers including a pick six by Niko Small. Darius Anderson and Sewo Oloniua score two times each. TCU goes up 45-7 going into the 4th and puts the game on cruise control.

Texas 31, @ Maryland 20

This one was a shootout in week one last season with Maryland coming out on top as they hung 51 points on the Longhorns in Austin. Unfortunately for Maryland, they have a lot of instability going on right now with the coaching staff and that usually does not help teams. Texas will be looking for some payback and Coach Todd Orlando will have the defense much more prepared for this game this year. I don’t think it will be as high scoring and the team with less distractions will come away with the win.

West Virginia 41, @ Tennessee 24

This is definitely one of the more interesting week one matchups. Tennessee has a new coach who will be trying to implement a new system a culture. Unfortunately his first game is against one of the most explosive offenses in the country. Will Grier throws for 4 touchdowns and 350+ yards to his loaded receiving group. David Sills V catches two of those. The defense bends but it does not break in this one for the Mountaineers. 

@ Kansas 24, Nicholls 17

Nicholls gave A&M a little bit of a scare last year and are an above average FCS team so Kansas better be ready for this one. I think the combination of Khalil Herbert and Steven Sims Jr. will ultimately give the Jayhawks enough explosive plays. The defense will make some key stops thanks to Daniel Wise and Joe Dineen. 

@ Kansas State 38, South Dakota 14

Kansas State finds a groove with their running game in week one with Alex Barnes and Justin Silmon as they score three times behind the Wildcats big offensive line. Bill Snyder will play both quarterbacks, Skylar Thompson and Alex Delton, and they will look just fine against a decent FCS opponent. The defense will step up and look very good in this one.

@ Baylor 45, ACU 7

Charlie Brewer gets the Bears off to a nice start as he throws for 250-plus yards and three touchdowns. Two of those are to Denzel Mims and the other to Chris Platt. JaMychal Hasty rushes for 100 yards and a touchdown and Jalen Hurd scores his first touchdown as a Baylor Bear on a running play. The Bears defense makes life difficult for ACU as they force three turnovers on the way to a convincing home win.

@ Iowa State 42, South Dakota State 27

The Jackrabbits roll into Ames on opening weekend and this will not be a cupcake. South Dakota State returns a lot to a team that gave TCU a scare last year and made it to the FCS Semifinals a year ago. But Iowa State has too much talent returning to lose at home on the opening week. David Montgomery rushes for 140 yards and scores 3 touchdowns as Iowa State pulls away in the second half.

1. Oklahoma State -- 1-0 (0-0)

1. Texas -- 1-0 (0-0)

1. Baylor -- 1-0 (0-0)

1. TCU -- 1-0 (0-0)

1. Oklahoma -- 1-0 (0-0)

1. West Virginia -- 1-0 (0-0)

1. Iowa State -- 1-0 (0-0)

1. Kansas State -- 1-0 (0-0)

1. Kansas -- 1-0 (0-0)

10. Texas Tech -- 0-1 (0-0)