One True Podcast: Baylor/Big 12 football (Waco Tribune-Herald)

Special guests Kelly Hines (@KellyHinesTW) and Guerin Emig (@GuerinEmig), both mainstays of the venerable Tulsa World, join Trib sports guys John Werner and Brice Cherry for some college football talk:

• Obviously this is an intriguing matchup Saturday in Waco, a rematch of last year's Big 12 championship game at AT&T Stadium, which came right down to the McWire in a thrilling finish for the Bears. But what are the chances that Baylor and Oklahoma State end up back at JerryWorld again at the end of the year?

• Let's talk about the gunslinger that is Spencer Sanders. Baylor has had his number for quite awhile: In four career meetings, he has 10 picks against the Bears, including seven times last year. Is that a fluke (he's generally not mistake-prone), and does he avoid throwing a pick this weekend?

• K-State moved into the Top 25 after a huge win over Oklahoma. For our friends in Sooner Country, what are the natives up north saying about this stunner, and is the shine already off Brent Venables?

• Speaking of the Wildcats, they're just one spot ahead of cross-state foe Kansas in the voting. With the Jayhawks off to a 4-0 start, what the heck is going on in the Sunflower State, and can they keep it going this week as KU hosts Iowa State and KSU welcomes Texas Tech?

• On Kelly's Twitter feed, we've noticed she's a big fan of Buc-ee's. We ask our panel: For a sportswriter on the go, what's your go-to snack on those long work road trips?

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Welcome to new Trib sportswriter Zach Smith (@byzachsmith), who will be covering the Baylor football beat going forward after John Werner's retirement. Zach and Trib sports editor Brice Cherry are ready to dig into some BU and Big 12 football talk:

• Baylor opened its preseason camp Thursday, which means football season is officially here. What does Dave Aranda’s team need to accomplish the most over the next month before the Sept. 2 home opener against Texas State? What’s the biggest priority?

• Obviously a lot of eyes will be on Blake Shapen as he enters his second year as a starter. Zach got a chance to talk with Shapen some at Big 12 Media Days — what are the early impressions, and is it a make-or-break year for the redshirt junior?

• With eight home games, Baylor’s schedule couldn’t be a whole lot more favorable. So, let’s get crazy for a second. Fill in the blank: The Bears contend for the Big 12 title if ________.

• Of course, the big news in the Big 12 right now is the addition of Colorado to the conference and future additions on the horizon. What do you make of the return of the Buffaloes? Surely this isn’t the last realignment domino to fall, right?

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1. This isn't exactly the rivalry game most were expecting coming into this year, with Baylor (3-7) and TCU (4-6) really not having good years, to put it mildly. Is there really any reason to watch this one at all?

2. We've talked a lot about Baylor's spiraling season, but TCU has had a pretty awful year, too, following up on last year's national title game appearance. What has gone wrong in Fort Worth and led to this erratic season for the Horned Frogs?

3. TCU may have won some close games to reach the CFP championship game last year, but Baylor is currently playing some not-so-close games. Dave Aranda always says the film is "humbling and frustrating to watch." The fans and media like us have banged on Aranda and the coaching staff plenty this year, but is it possible this version of the Bears just isn't talented enough, or doesn't have enough roster depth, to win? And how do the transfer portal and NIL play into that?

4. The big game this week is the Sunflower State Showdown, with Kansas State traveling to Kansas. The Wildcats are coming off an easy win over Baylor while the Jayhawks dropped a surprising one at home, 16-13 to Texas Tech. But it's still a big game: What's the likelihood of little-brother Kansas knocking off K-State?

5. Let's talk some Fort Worth eats: Here are our Trib traditions of can't miss-places when you head to Cowtown.

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We're joined by Austin American-Statesman royalty Kirk Bohls (@kbohls) and Cedric Golden (@CedGolden), along with the Trib's Baylor beat writer Zach Smith (@byzachsmith) and sports editor Brice Cherry (@BriceCherry), ready to dig into some BU and Big 12 football talk: 

1. It's the 113th meeting between Baylor and Texas on Saturday at McLane Stadium. And while Texas has bred skepticism for many of us, beating Alabama in Tuscaloosa is maybe turning public opinion toward the Longhorns. What makes this UT squad different than some of those overhyped groups in recent memory? 

2. Given where Texas is right now — and where Baylor isn't, so far — oddsmakers have installed the Longhorns as a two-touchdown favorite. Dave Aranda said this week that he heard all offseason that beating Texas was the No. 1 game everyone wants to win, even if that's the only one. What are the chances, if any, of a Bears upset in Waco? 

3. The Baylor-Texas "rivalry" is pretty lopsided, let's be honest, but Brice is looking back at the top 13 games in the 113-year history this week. With many, many decades of experience between the assembled writers, what's your most memorable moment, personality, etc. from the annals of Bears-Longhorns history? 

4. The Longhorns' move to the SEC will obviously end this rivalry, at least for awhile, as well as Texas' tussles with Texas Tech and TCU. But of course, UT will rekindle some old rivalries like Arkansas and, of course, Texas A&M. What's the anticipation like in Austin for that Aggie-Longhorn reunion? 

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• After a 2-0 start against a couple of in-state schools, Baylor opens up Big 12 play this week at Kansas. The Jayhawks are hitting the reset button again — what's the matter with Kansas? New head coach Lance Leipold, formerly of Buffalo, takes over a program that has been in a perpetual rebuilding cycle over the past 10-plus years. Is there any reason to believe that Leipold can succeed where Turner Gill, Charlie Weis, David Beaty and Les Miles failed? 

• Obviously, the shining jewel of the Kansas athletic program is the men's basketball program, helmed by Bill Self. John has witnessed plenty of games in both Allen Fieldhouse and Memorial Stadium — just how different are those gameday atmospheres? Have you ever seen a KU football game that matched a basketball game in terms of intensity? 

• There's been a hefty amount of quarterback turnover so far this season in the Big 12. Meanwhile, six defenses in the Big 12 are allowing fewer than 300 yards per game. Is it possible we've seen a culture shift? Is this a defensive league now? 

• Old Big 8 rivals Oklahoma and Nebraska meet on Saturday, and it's the 50th anniversary of their epic 1971 clash that was dubbed the “Game of the Century.” Is this still a “big game?” Can it pull the eyeballs of the nation, or is it more fun from a nostalgic sense? 

• Finally, let's close with a few memories of our favorite Kansas superfan, Kristin Hoppa. She was an amazing person in many ways, and had a passion for her family, her friends, her dogs and, of course, Kansas athletics, but especially KU basketball. What are some of our favorite memories of Kristin cheering on the Jayhawks or her other favorite teams, the Royals and Chiefs?

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• This sets up as a pretty interesting Big 12 opener for both Iowa State and Baylor, which is traveling to Ames this week. It was also intriguing as last year's opener, as the Bears were unranked and unproven before their 31-29 win over the No. 14-ranked Cyclones. Do you see Iowa State flipping the script this year?

• The Cyclones haven't given up more than 10 points so far this year. How does this stingy defense compare to some of Matt Campbell's other teams, and what is it they do particularly well?

• Kansas, baby! The Jayhawks shocked the world, again, in Houston last week. Is Lance Leipold's team bowl-bound?

• This week, Texas Tech will have its first sellout since 2018 (!) as the Raiders welcome No. 22 Texas in what's likely to be their last trip to Lubbock for a long time. The Longhorns have dominated lately, but even so, it's suprising that the Red Raiders haven't beat UT in Lubbock since 2008. Will that streak end on Saturday?

• Finally, it's Culinary Corner: Ames, Iowa has an impressive capacity for tailgating thanks to the Cyclones faithful. How does Iowa State stack up against some of the other great tailgating scenes in the Midwest, like the Packers or the Badgers?

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Hello to our old friend Jerry Hill, who's @ViewFromHill on Twitter: He's been covering sports in Waco since he started at the Tribune-Herald 1983 and he's been on the Baylor football beat since 1987, before moving over to edit the Baylor Bear Insider in 2008. He joins Brice Cherry and John Werner for a Trib reunion to figure out what's going on with this year's crop of Bears:

• It was an agonizingly slow start (but a rapid finish) against TCU as the Bears fell, 33-23. Brice wrote about several reasons why the Bears are 1-3 in his Sunday column, but why do we think the Bears are so inconsistent?

• Ames, Iowa can be a rowdy place to play, but there are limitations on that behavior in 2020. So does that benefit Baylor on the road this week?

• Jerry Hill has covered 383 consecutive Baylor games and 9 head coaches — so what's his assessment of the current one, Dave Aranda?

• As far as the Big 12, it's been a dog-eat-dog, parity-filled season, with no teams in the top 10 and none undefeated. So who are we projecting for the Big 12 title game? OSU? Sooners? Iowa State? UT? Baylor?

• Finally, we have to talk about Jerry's famous dancing prowess: How it all started and his biggest Twitter hits.

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We're joined by Lubbock Avalanche-Journal mainstay Don Williams (@AJ_DonWilliams), along with the Trib's Baylor beat writer Zach Smith (@byzachsmith) and sports editor Brice Cherry (@BriceCherry), ready to dig into some BU and Big 12 football talk:

1. This probably isn't where either team expected to be, but Baylor and Texas Tech are both 2-3 (1-1) headed into Saturday's game at McLane Stadium. But both have actual momentum, the Raiders after drilling Houston 49-28 and Baylor posting the biggest comeback win in school history in last week's stunner at UCF. This is historically a really tight series — how do you see this one matching up?

2. And both teams have "new" QBs — After missing 3 games with an MCL injury, Baylor quarterback Blake Shapen played well against UCF, rushing and throwing for a score during the rally. Meanwhile, Texas Tech turned to its backup last week in Behren Morton after Tyler Shough went down with a broken leg. How does this Tech offense operate differently under Morton?

3. It's the final Red River Shootout in the Big 12 for OU and Texas this weekend. Is this a preview of the Big 12 title game? And who wins?

4. These two teams have combined for 17 of the 27 Big 12 championships over lo these many years. With both now exiting for the SEC, that would seem to leave a void in the power position atop the conference. Will the new Big 12 be more wide open, or do you think there's a team that will install itself as the perennial top dog?

5 Bonus question in honor of the State Fair of Texas: What's your deep-fried fair food of choice?

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• For the first time since 2008, Baylor will travel to Lubbock this week — that was Art Briles' first year, so it's been awhile. Two not-so-great teams will meet there, with the 1-4 Bears seeing injuries start to mount while the Red Raiders are just 2-5. Who do you think needs a win more, Tech or Baylor?
• It's Matt Wells' second year now at Tech, and while he didn't exactly inherit a juggernaut from Kliff Kingsbury, Red Raider fans have to be frustrated with the progress. After a 4-8 campaign last year and despite a strange COVID season this year, do you think that, long term, Wells is the answer in Lubbock?
• Baylor got some devastating injury news this week when it lost linebacker Terrel Bernard and running back Craig “Sqwirl” Williams to season-ending injuries. Bernard was arguably Baylor's best all-around player, leading the Big 12 in tackles per game at 11 per contest and ranking fifth in the league with 3.5 sacks. It's easy to forget, though, that he was a backup player in 2019 until Clay Johnston went down with his own season-ending injury. So, is there a breakout, Bernard-type impact guy waiting in the wings for the Bears?
• Around the league, the only other game this week is West Virginia and TCU. The Frogs are 3-3 this year, with the three wins all coming over their in-state Big 12 rivals (Texas, Baylor and Texas Tech). Recent social media commentary has suggested that Gary Patterson is overrated as a coach. So we'll bite: is overrated, underrated or maybe just properly rated?
• Finally, it's Masters week, which is extremely strange to say in November. Matt has covered the Masters a bunch of times — he gives us an inside look at what it's like at Augusta and some of his favorite experiences working with Jim Nantz and others.

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We're glad to welcome Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel, who's @therealBeede on Twitter, and welcome back Joseph Duarte of the Houston Chronicle who's @Joseph_Duarte on Twitter. They're here for a special Big 12 expansion edition with Trib sportswriters Brice Cherry and John Werner:

• So, the word is that UCF, Houston and Cincinnati are slated to join the league “no later than 2024-25.” But what are the odds that those three are able to wiggle out of the American Athletic Conference prior to that?
• With the addition of BYU, this conference will now have teams spread across three time zones. Do you envision some geographical challenges to the new Big 12? Or does that matter in today's college sports landscape?
• There are some obvious reasons why BYU, Cincy, UCF and Houston would want to join the Big 12 – money, exposure, recruiting. For the schools that you cover, UCF and Houston, what's the biggest appeal, in your view?
• Got a good laugh out of a recent tweet touting “Big 12 legend Oscar Robertson,” referring of course to the Hall of Fame basketball great at Cincinnati. In all seriousness, all of these programs have a rich athletic history that predates their arrival in the Big 12. If you were creating a Mount Rushmore for UH (Joseph), UCF (Jason) and Baylor (John), who would be the four people you'd put up there?

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We're glad to welcome Jenni Carlson, who's @JenniCarlson_OK on Twitter: She's been writing for The Oklahoman since 1999 and joins Brice Cherry and John Werner to talk college football: 

• Pretty good game this week in Stillwater: Are the undefeated Bears or the  undefeated Cowboys more surprising to you so far this season, and who do you like in this matchup? OSU has an good resume with a road win over Boise State and last week's 31-20 dispatching of ranked K-State. Obviously, Baylor pulled off a huge win in Waco last week, 31-29 over Iowa State. 

• Mike Gundy and the undercurrent of unrest: It's been a unique marriage Mike Gundy and Oklahoma State. He's an OSU guy and the second-longest tenured coach in the Big 12 behind TCU's Gary Patterson. And he's had a lot of success -- the Cowboys haven't missed a bowl game since his first season as coach. But there always seems to be something going on, with rumors of him going elsewhere. How is Gundy viewed by the majority of the OSU fan base? Does he need a second Big 12 title to get a little more leeway? 

• It hasn't been hasn't been all sunshine and lollipops this season for the Sooners, despite them being undefeated, at least not for Spencer Rattler. The quarterback faced boos last week after an interception against West Virginia, and apparently some fans chanted “We want Caleb,” a reference to redshirt freshman Caleb Williams. Do y'all expect Lincoln Riley to stick with Rattler, and do you think there's a segment of OU fans that might want Tanner Mordecai back after his eye-popping performances at SMU? 

• Finally, let's close with a little news you can use (or at least we can use) - we love to talk Big 12 road trip eats, and it anything makes the trip to Stillwater worth it, it's got to be Hideaway Pizza. Can Jenni recommend any any off-the-radar Stillwater eateries that we should know about?

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We're glad to welcome Kirk Bohls (@kbohls) and Cedric Golden (@CedGolden) of HookEm.com (aka the Austin American-Statesman), here to talk about Baylor-Texas week with Trib sportswriters Brice Cherry and John Werner:

• Baylor hosts Texas on Saturday at McLane Stadium, and it's a tale of two teams going in very different directions. The Bears are coming off back-to-back wins over West Virginia and a ranked BYU team, while Texas is floundering with a couple of inexplicable collapses against Oklahoma and OSU. Is this a toss-up game? How do we see it coming out? 

• Baylor and Texas are meeting for the 111th time on Saturday, and while it's clearly been one-sided historically, the Bears and Longhorns have been a lot more balanced in the last decade-plus, with some feisty and memorable matchups. Do we think that Baylor and UT will continue to play each other, even after the Longhorns exit the Big 12? Or will it be more like Baylor-A&M?

• Despite the Texas-Oklahoma cash grab in heading to the SEC, it's hard to see how the Longhorns think they'll come out ahead, at least on the field. The Longhorns haven't exactly lit it up in recent years. Is this a zero-sum game for Texas, unless Steve Sarkisian can get UT winning with a little more frequency? 
• Kirk wants to know: Just how good is Baylor, really? Are they a top 15 squad? John and Brice compare and contrast the Bears to great teams of the past, including the 2015 and 2019 squads. 
• Cedric and Kirk grab a shovel and commence with some insightful digging into the truth about this year's Texas program, where the word "average" comes up ... a lot. Other than Bijan Robinson and a couple of others, does UT have any difference makers? Conclusion: This is a good team, but not a great team. 
• Since Ced and Kirk will soon be departing for the SEC, we thought we'd ask them which Big 12 city's food they'll miss the most. Could George's factor in?  And is there any good barbecue anywhere in the SEC? Your thoughts? 

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We're joined by Eric Kelly of KWKT-TV Fox 44 in Waco (@EricKellyTV), along with the Trib's Baylor beat writer Zach Smith (@ByZachSmith) and sports editor Brice Cherry (@BriceCherry), ready to dig into some BU and Big 12 football talk to wrap up the regular season: 

1. There will be plenty of good seats available at McLane Stadium on Saturday for the end to a lackluster, to understate it, Baylor Bears season. So we're all on Dave Aranda watch: But does this game even really factor in to that decision? Would a big win, or a big loss, actually matter to his job security?

2. There have been a lot of problem areas for the Bears, who are something like No. 68 in the nation in total offense, 108th in total defense and the special team aren't sterling, either. What area is the most obvious need for Baylor to improve the most?

3. Neal Brown at West Virginia clearly had the hottest seat coming into to the Big 12 season, but the Mountaineers are now looking like they'll go 8-4. Is he the obvious choice for Big 12 coach of the year, and it not, who? Could Mike Gundy or Matt Campbell get a look?

4. Who are your Heisman top 3? What are the pros and cons of Jaden Daniels? Is there a Big 12 dark horse? We debate it all.

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• Is anyone in the Big 12 playing any better than the Bears at this particular moment? Baylor got it done on the road for the second straight week, as the Bears traveled to Norman and pulled out a gritty 38-35 win over the Sooners. Outside of TCU – or maybe even including TCU  is anyone in the Big 12 playing any better than the Bears, right now?

• Baylor now finds itself in a three-way logjam for second place in the conference alongside Kansas State and Texas, two teams the Bears incidentally still have on the schedule, starting this week with the Wildcats. What is the path back to Jerryworld for Baylor, and do you think Dave Aranda’s team can get there?

• "College GameDay" travels to Austin this week for the big TCU vs. Texas clash. All along, it's seemed like the Frogs are due for a stumble — there's no way they go undefeated. Is this the week that Sonny Dykes’ team takes it on the chin?

• Finally, we’re only a couple of weeks away from one of the great food holidays on the calendar, probably the Super Bowl of food holidays: Thanksgiving. When you’re loading up that plate on Turkey Day, what’s the one thing that you’re most looking forward to eating?

Trib sports guys John Werner and Brice Cherry are back for some college football talk.

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Welcome to special guest Max Olson, @max_olson on Twitter, who has covered national college football for The Athletic since 2017. Prior to that, he spent six years covering Big 12 football and recruiting for ESPN.com.

After the weirdest offseason in memory, Here's what Brice Cherry, John Werner and Max have on their minds this week:

• We will have a college football season — kind of. After the strangest offseason on record, how do you guys expect the 2020 season to unfold? And will the champion always be marked with an asterisk, given that two major conferences aren't even playing?

• Locally, Baylor has experienced its own paradigm shift. Fast-talking Matt Rhule is now in the NFL and in his place enters the soft-spoken, thoughtful Dave Aranda, kind of the polar opposite personality. John's gotten to know Aranda through a lot of remote, Zoom interviews: How will he fit in with the Waco crowd? What does Max think is the perception of Aranda from a national perspective?

• Coming off a Sugar Bowl trip and an 11-win season, Baylor is picked only fifth in the conference. Kind of a Goldilocks question here, but is that too low, too high, or just about right?

• In terms of the Big 12, what or who are you most looking forward to seeing?

• What do you think would constitute a successful 2020 college football season?

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We're joined by Houston beat writer Joseph Duarte of the Houston Chronicle (@Joseph_Duarte), along with the Trib's Baylor beat writer Zach Smith (@ByZachSmith) and sports editor Brice Cherry (@BriceCherry), ready to dig into some BU and Big 12 football talk: 

1. Saturday's game could be called the Disappointment Bowl — which may be the closest either of these teams gets to a bowl this year. It's been a pair of erratic, disappointing seasons for the Bears and Cougars, who are both 3-5 overall, with the Cougars 1-4 in the Big 12 thanks to a Hail Mary win against West Virginia and the Bears at 2-3 after a humbling Homecoming loss to Iowa State last week. Houston has not won a road game this year. Baylor has not beaten an FBS team at home. So something's gotta give. Who wins? 

2. Obviously, neither fanbase is very happy with its head coach right now. Dana Holgorsen has been at UH since 2019 and went 12-2 in 2021, winning the American, but the team regressed to 8-5 last year. Meanwhile, after a bad COVID-19 debut, Dave Aranda's squad also went 12-2 in 2021, winning the Big 12 and the Sugar Bowl before a big backslide to 6-7 last season. On a scale from 1 to 10, how hot is the seat for each of these guys? 

3. For all the OU-Texas talk dominating the season, it's actually a five-way tie atop the Big 12 standings right now, along with Kansas State, Oklahoma State and Iowa State. The Wildcats travel to the Longhorns this week, and Chris Klieman's team is probably playing as well as anyone in the Big 12, winning by a combined 81-3 the last two weeks. How worried should Texas fans be about this one? 

4. It's Bedlam week, and for the last time in awhile. It's kind of early for this game to be played, but it's always a fun one. OU has won 17 of the last 20, but the last game in Stillwater was a Cowboys win. Can OSU send the "fraudulent Sooners," according to one of our pundits, off to the SEC with a loss? 

5. Dana Holgorsen is “still kind of mad” about the 2020 "equipment truck-gate," which saw the game between the Cougars and Baylor canceled. He seems intent on turning Baylor-Houston into a permanent rivalry. 

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We're joined by Iowa State beat writer Randy Peterson of the Des Moines Register (@RandyPete), along with the Trib's Baylor beat writer Zach Smith (@ByZachSmith) and sports editor Brice Cherry (@BriceCherry), ready to dig into some BU and Big 12 football talk:

1. Iowa State's last game was against Cincinnati, too, a 30-10 road win two weeks ago as the Cyclones are coming into Waco this Saturday off a bye week. The Baylor Bears, who held on 32-29 last week in the Queen City, are now just a game under .500 after a rocky start. This one seems to historically be pretty close — it was a 31-24 BU win last year in Ames and a two-pointer two years ago at McLane Stadium. This year the oddsmakers have it close, too, under a field goal — who wins, and will it be close yet again?

2. It's hard to run the table in the Big 12, emblematic in OU and Texas' narrow escapes a week ago. But with just five games to go, is there a school out there in the league that can upend the Longhorns-Sooners collision course for the Big 12 title game?

3. Let's talk Matt Campbell: His name has popped up a lot for different jobs over the years, most recently Michigan State. What's the likelihood the Iowa State coach might depart? He's been in Ames since 2016.

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Chad Conine drops by to talk Big 12 football with Brice Cherry and John Werner as the Bears take another unexpected siesta this week:

• This one wasn't a scheduled bye week: The Bears are dealing with an outbreak of COVID-19 cases that led to the postponement of the homecoming game with Oklahoma State, and as we sit here today, it feels like even next week's game at Texas is in question. Has Baylor just been unlucky, or have the Bears not been cautious enough with all the protocols?

• Now BU-OSU is slated for Dec. 12, the same day as the Big 12 Championship Game. What's the likelihood that the conference will have to move that game back a week — it's already built a Dec. 19 possibility into the schedule — in order to accommodate the Cowboys or Bears competing for a spot in that game? 

• The Big 12 stat of the week is that 62 percent of the games have been decided by a touchdown or less, with four upsets out of 13 games. Simple question: Good thing or bad thing for the league?

• Not to get too political on One True Podcast, but here's a timely question: What Big 12 head coach would make the best presidential candidate, who would be his running mate, and what would their slogan be?

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We're joined by Drew Davison, who's @drewdavison on Twitter: He's spent 13 years at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the last three on the Horned Frogs beat, and he joins Brice Cherry and John Werner return to dissect this week's head-scratcher at Amon Carter Stadium:

• This week it's a renewal of the old TCU-Baylor rivalry, and it feels like the Frogs and Bears are floating down the Brazos in the same boat: Both teams are coming off disappointing losses to Big 12 teams who have endured their own disappointing seasons. They call this series the Revivalry, so which offense is most in need of reviving?

• Since TCU went 11-3 in 2017, they've kind of backslid with 7-6 and 5-7 years, missing a bowl game last season for only the third time in Gary Patterson's tenure. What accounts for the program's downslide?

• For a long time, Gary Patterson was THE defensive coach in the Big 12, a league known for wacky, point-a-minute barnburners. Now you've got Matt Campbell at Iowa State, Chris Klieman at Kansas State, Dave Aranda at Baylor. Do you think the conference is taking on a more defensive mindset?

• Oklahoma State remained undefeated by slipping by Iowa State in Stillwater last week. Now the Cowboys get an unpredictable Texas team — do we see the Good Longhorns or the Bad Longhorns show up this week, and do they have enough to corral the Cowboys?

• The what-if segment: Most people know that both TCU and Baylor used to both reside in Waco a century or so ago. But what if TCU's administration building had never burned down in 1910 and the school remained in Waco? And what if Baylor had moved to Fort Worth instead? How would that have changed each program's trajectory over the years, if at all?

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We're joined by Kansas State beat writer Tim Everson of the Manhattan Mercury (@iamtimeverson), along with the Trib's Baylor beat writer Zach Smith (@ByZachSmith), Trib alum John Werner (@JohnWernerTrib) and sports editor Brice Cherry (@BriceCherry), ready to dig into some BU and Big 12 football talk: 

1. This is as big a mismatch as Baylor has had this year: The Kansas State Wildcats are the defending Big 12 champs, 6-3 overall despite an OT loss in Austin last week, and they still have a path back to Arlington. Baylor, on the other hand, will not be invited to Arlington and maybe not a bowl, either. Where would a Bears upset rank on the weird-o-meter for 2023?

2. We've talked about how disciplined and physical K-State is, with great fundamentals. Let's get some insight from Tim: What makes this team so tough?

3. Let's go down to Austin for a second — QB Quinn Ewers has been upgraded from questionable to day-to-day. How much of a difference can Ewers make for the Longhorns down the stretch?

4. The Sunflower State Showdown is next week: How big a game is Kansas vs. K-State this year, especially in the history of that rivalry?

5. Time for some Kansas/Kansas City food talk: Where are the good places to hit?

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Welcome to special guest Stephen Simcox, an alum of both TCU and ESPN Central Texas who hosts the Locked On Horned Frogs podcast, available anywhere that you pod. He's here to talk with Brice Cherry and John Werner about Big 12 football:

• The big news of the week is that Gary Patterson won't be on the sideline for the first time in 20 years when TCU face Baylor. Even though the Frogs have been trending in the wrong direction for a couple of years, it seems like a pretty surprising move, especially coming in-season. What's your reaction?
• At last check, Baylor is a 6.5-point favorite in Fort Worth — seems like it could be higher, as this looks like two teams going in very different directions. But it is a rivalry game, of course, with all the old cliches. Is this a trap game for the Bears, or will they roll easily over the Frogs under Jerry Kill?
• Baylor opened at No. 12 in the College Football Playoff rankings with a 7-1 record — not sure if we would have predicted that level of success coming into the year. That said, we know how the CFP can go. Assuming they win out, which means beating Oklahoma twice, is there a path for a one-loss Baylor team to get to the CFP final four?
• TCU coaching search: Who are the top candidates for the Frogs? Not to mention, Texas Tech is in the market for a football chief. Are they targeting the same people? Where will SMU's Sonny Dykes likely end up?
• Sam Khan wrote in The Athletic that "TCU may be the best job in the future Big 12" (sans-OU and UT, that is). Could that possibly be true?
• Culinary Corner: Kincaid's Hamburgers is the official Fort Worth stop of the Trib sports staff, but we're in kind of a rut. Here's hoping Stephen can clue us in to some different options, either under or on the radar.

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• Baylor opens its season with its first-ever game in San Marcos — luckily, we have two Texas State alums, former Tribber Jason Orts and longtime Baylor beat writer John Werner, to reflect on the rise of the program from the NAIA ranks to the FBS: What's the gameday atmosphere like at Bobcat Stadium, and how does it compare to those halcyon student days? 

• Both the Bears and Bobcats are coming off two-win seasons, though the Bobcats played 12 games to Baylor's nine. Given the fact that Baylor's going on the road, breaking in a new quarterback and a new offensive scheme, does that give Texas State a reasonable shot to win this game? How do you guys see it playing out? 

• Elsewhere in the Big 12, we actually have a Top 25 game on the docket the first weekend, as No. 21 Texas hosts No. 23 Louisiana (Lafayette). The Longhorns start out the year in the Top 25 and then exit rather quickly — will it be in Week 1 with a loss to the Ragin' Cajuns? 

• Do you think Steve Sarkisian is the guy to take Texas back to prominence? And what reception awaits the Longhorns and Sooners when they travel to other Big 12 stadiums this season? 

• Let's do a quick run-and-shoot of other Big 12 games of interest: K-State vs. Stanford and Texas Tech vs. Houston. 

• We always like to close with our “Culinary Corner” — John and Brice are making a beeline for Herbert's in San Marcos, but where else can you find good eats in Bobcat Country?

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Jerry Hill joins the Trib guys as college football kicks off for 2022:

• At long last, the season openers are here. Baylor will open up at home against the University of Albany on Saturday. The Bears, of course, are the Big 12 preseason favorites for the first time in program history. What will need to happen for Baylor to actually live up to that prediction this season?

• Dave Aranda said this week that one of his chief objectives for the opener was to “establish an identity.” Obviously this will be revealed over time. But if you were guessing today, what’s the most likely identity for this Baylor team?

• Down in Austin, the Texas Longhorns created a little hubbub this week for something they did NOT do. That is, Steve Sarkisian opted not to release UT’s depth chart prior to the season opener against Louisiana-Monroe. Furthermore, reports surfaced that Sark plans to not release a two-deep all season. What do you think, is this is a big deal or much ado about nothing?

• Most of the Big 12 teams should have lopsided wins on their ledger after this weekend. The team that has the toughest road to a win is West Virginia, which plays No. 17 Pitt in the “Backyard Brawl” on Thursday night. Pitt is a 7.5-point favorite in this one. What’s the likelihood that the Mountaineers spring the upset?

• A little breaking news out of the Big 12: The league plans to enter into discussions with ESPN and Fox about a potential early extension of its media rights deal that still has two more football seasons left after this one. What's going on there?

• Finally, we were all in Arlington in July for Big 12 Media Days, which means we were part of the Great Beef Jerky Eating Competition. The Big 12 hooked up with a company called Old Trapper Beef Jerky for its official sponsor, and Old Trapper, meanwhile, hooked the media up with plenty of free samples. So the question is this: If you could pick any company to sponsor the conference and thus supply us with all sorts of free goodies, who would you pick?

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We're joined by Trib and Baylor legend Jerry Hill (@ViewFromHill) of the Baylor Bears Insider, along with the Trib's Baylor beat writer Zach Smith (@ByZachSmith) and sports editor Brice Cherry (@BriceCherry) to preview a pivotal year in the tenure of Dave Aranda. 

1. The fifth-year Baylor ball coach doesn't seem to be ducking the pressure of what's clearly a a win-or-else year. Do you think his players are embracing that mentality, and what do you ultimately expect from the 2024 Baylor Bears? Will they return to a bowl game? 

2. Which person, player or position group has the most to prove for this edition of the Bears? 

3. Six wins gets you to a bowl, but Baylor is probably only a lock to be favored in four of its 12 games. There look like three likely losses on the board, with several toss-ups. Let's predict the Bears' record for 2024 — which games are they best-equipped to win? Is there one where BU shocks the world? 

4. Remembering our friends John and Karen Werner. 

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We're joined by Josh Furlong (@JFurKSL) of KSL-TV in Salt Lake City, along with the Trib's Baylor beat writer Zach Smith (@ByZachSmith) and sports editor Brice Cherry (@BriceCherry) after one week in the books for the Bears.

• Both Baylor and Utah blasted off in Week 1, playing overmatched teams like Tarleton State and Southern Utah. With the Utes as the preseason Big 12 favorite coming in, what kind of game are you expecting Saturday?
• Cam Rising's return went as well as it possibly could, with 5 TDs passing against Southern Utah. Rising's long journey has been well documented, with three college seasons so far where he hasn't played. How beloved is Rising in SLC, and could he "rise" to the Heisman-level ranks?
• The new Big 12 had a solid debut, going 14-2 in Week 1 of the college football season. Which team stood out as the most impressive in the league?
• Week 2 gives us a bunch of tasty Power 4 clashes in Arizona State-Mississippi State, Houston-OU, Colorado-Nebraska, Kansas-Illinois, Iowa-ISU, Cincy-Pitt, Arkansas-OSU and SMU-BYU. Which of these, if the Big 12 were to win, would be the biggest feather in the cap for the conference?
• Culinary corner: Josh gives us some sage advice for good eats in SLC.
• Bonus question: Let's talk about the Rice-Eccles Stadium home advantage. What makes it a special place to play?

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We're joined by Darby Brown of KWTX-TV in Waco (@DarbyJoBrown), along with the Trib's Baylor beat writer Zach Smith (@ByZachSmith) and sports editor Brice Cherry (@BriceCherry) as the Bears return home this week. 

• Both Zach and Darby were in SLC to witness Baylor's 23-12 loss to Utah firsthand. Obviously there's no shame in losing at Rice-Eccles Stadium, but this still felt like a step back for the Bears. What were the biggest areas of concern? 

• Baylor's where we figured they'd be, sitting at 1-1. Is this team well-equipped enough to get back to a bowl game? Did the Utah game change anything in your mind? 

• Speaking of bowl games, the Bears get a rematch with Air Force, who they faced in 2022 in a freezing Armed Forces Bowl affair in Fort Worth. The Falcons are a unique unicorn in college football with an old-school wing-T offense, but they haven't exactly lit up the scoreboard so far this year in a 17-7 loss and a 21-6 win. Is there anything the Bears need to watch out for here? 

• Friday night we have a not-actually-a-Big-12-game with a Top 25 matchup between No. 14 Kansas State hosting No. 20 Arizona. Is the winner of this one the team to beat in the league, or is Utah still the favorite? 

• How good did the Texas Longhorns look vs. Michigan? Could they win the national title? 

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We're joined by Mike Craven (@CravenMike) of Dave Campbell's Texas Football, along with the Trib's Baylor beat writer Zach Smith (@ByZachSmith) and sports editor Brice Cherry (@BriceCherry) as the Bears head west this week. 

• The Big 12 opener for the Bears is in Boulder, Colorado, against a new and old conference squad. It seems like a pretty interesting toss-up game. What's the key for the Bears to win in the mountains, and will they get it done? 

• Can Deion Sanders, Coach Prime, actually win in Boulder, or is this just a pit stop on the way to another job? 

• Things can change in a hurry in college football — just ask TCU, which blew a three-touchdown lead to UCF last week. The Horned Frogs were in the national championship game just a couple of years ago. Amid the Frog faithful, you hear a lot of grumbling. How hot is Sonny Dykes' seat in Fort Worth, or is that premature? 

• Game of the Week: No. 12 Utah goes to Stillwater to play No. 14 Oklahoma State. Cam Rising is supposedly back for the Utes. Meanwhile, Alan Bowman is tearing it up for the Cowboys. Is this a Jerryworld preview? 

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We're joined by Sean Walker (@ActuallyDSW) of KSL-TV in Salt Lake City, along with the Trib's Baylor beat writer Zach Smith (@ByZachSmith) and sports editor Brice Cherry (@BriceCherry) as the Bears return to McLane Stadium this week. 

• It's time for the "Holy War" between Baylor and BYU — two teams on opposite ends of the emotional spectrum with the 4-0 Cougars and the 2-2 Bears both coming off surprising outcomes. How much craziness do we expect, and who comes out on top? 

• Where does Parker Kingston's punt return against Kansas State last week rank among the best plays you've ever seen live? 

• Let's talk about Travis Hunter. He's pretty special, and Baylor saw why last week. Can he win the Heisman if Colorado goes 7-5? 

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We're joined by Rob Gray (@ROBWGRAY) of Cyclone Fanatic and the Cedar Rapids Gazette, along with the Trib's Baylor beat writer Zach Smith (@ByZachSmith) and sports editor Brice Cherry (@BriceCherry) as the Bears hit the road this week. 

• For the second straight week, the Baylor Bears will face an undefeated, nationally ranked team when it goes to Ames, Iowa. Iowa State moved up to No. 16 and is the BIg 12's highest ranked team after Utah's home loss to Arizona dropped the Utes to 18. Is this Cyclones squad equipped to get back to the title game for the first time since 2020, and is Baylor anything more than a speed bump?

• Is the fact that the Big 12's highest-ranked team is only No. 16 in the country a sign of disrespect for this league, or is that about right — and a reflection of how wide-open this conference is?

• Houston plays TCU in a growing trend of Friday night games. Is this just the cost of doing business in the business of college football, or is this an affront to all that is good and holy in our nation's football landscape — i.e. high school football?

• We've got a pretty big nonconference game this week with UCF going to Florida. This is not a vintage Gators team, but how big would it be for this Knights program to win in Gainesville?

• Getting some food and hangout recommendations for anyone traveling to Ames.

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We're joined by Lubbock legend Don Williams (@AJ_DonWilliams) of the Avalanche-Journal, along  with the Trib's Baylor beat writer Zach Smith (@ByZachSmith) and sports editor Brice Cherry (@BriceCherry) as the Bears hit the road this week. 

• Coming off an open week, Baylor (2-4) heads to Lubbock (5-1). Kirby Hocutt and Mack Rhoades won't like this question, but let's ask it anyway: When Matt Rhule left Baylor, assistant Joey McGuire was a serious candidate for the job. Instead, he went to Lubbock. If he had been hired instead of Dave Aranda, how would the trajectories of these programs been different?

• The last time Baylor went to Lubbock, in 2022, the Bears shocked the Red Raiders 45-17 and spoiled Patrick Mahomes Night. What are the odds of a repeat this week?

• Texas Tech is 5-1 and 3-0 in the Big 12, yet remains unranked in the Top 25 — in fact, they're the equivalent of No. 32 in the poll. Is this just the Big 12 not getting enough respect nationally and how much of a problem is that, or are the rankings more or less right?

• The Big 12 has two undefeated teams left in BYU and Iowa State. Will either or both of them make a run at a 12-0 regular season, and if not, who loses first?

• Lubbock eats: We get advice from Don on some grub, plus some weather talk.

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Special guest Kurtis Quillin (@KurtisQuillin) of KCEN-TV, Channel 6, joins Trib sports guys John Werner and Brice Cherry for some college football talk:

• Oklahoma State got a little payback on Baylor — and while they're still good and it's only one loss, unless something changes, it seems like the Bears are not destined for a return to Jerryworld for the Big 12 championship game. Agree or disagree?

• Baylor is 3-2 with losses to BYU and OSU. What's been the most surprising (read: disappointing) element of this team vs. last year? Leadership, the offense, play calling or something else? Blake Shapen has sure not looked the same.

• Jayhawks fever, baby! The game of the week in all of college football is in Lawrence, Kansas (Baylor is on a bye) as No. 17 TCU travels No. 19 KU. Lance Leipold's name is popping up in every hot seat rumor story, with justification, but TCU has been plenty good this year, too. Who has the inside track to Big 12 coach of the year, Lance Leipold or Sonny Dykes? And does that answer tell us about your pick in this one?

• The Red River Shootout in DFW is emphatically not the game of the week: Either UT or OU will have 3 losses after this game. Whose seat gets toastier if they lose this one: Steve Sarkisian or Brent Venables?

• So it's a bye week for Baylor. What are your bye week plans (John's headed to Vegas to see Van Morrison), and more broadly, how do you like to spend an off day during a busy sports season?

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We're glad to welcome Randy Peterson, who's @RandyPete on Twitter: He's been writing for the Des Moines Register since the 1970s and he joins Brice Cherry and John Werner to talk college football:

• Following three straight afterthought opponents, Baylor takes a dramatic upward step in its schedule this week when 14th-ranked Iowa State comes to Waco. Both teams are coming off extremely impressive wins, as the Cyclones dismantled UNLV, 48-3, in Las Vegas last week, while Baylor opened Big 12 play with a 45-7 thumping of Kansas. The Cyclones are a touchdown favorite in this matchup. How vulnerable to an upset is Matt Campbell's team, and do you guys think Baylor will pull it off?
• The expectations surrounding this Iowa State team entering the season were through the roof, as many predicted the Cyclones to challenge Oklahoma for the Big 12 title. Did any of that enthusiasm dampen with the loss to Iowa?
• Baylor's defense gave up just 166 yards in that win over Kansas. We've talked a lot about the Bears' dramatic improvement in their running game and offensive line play this year, but it's still the defense that remains the biggest strength of this team, right?
• Around the Big 12, this might be the most interesting slate of games to date yet this season. Of the rest of the games around the league this week, which will you guys be most interested in watching? And who do you like in it?
• Randy wrote a column recently proposing an interesting idea for the future Big 12, after the four new additions join the conference. He tossed out the concept of a two-division system where those divisions are reshuffled every two years. We ask Randy to explain his thinking there — does he suspect there's any hope that the Big 12 would adopt such a plan? Or does it make too much sense for that to happen? 

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Special guest Jenni Carlson (@JenniCarlson_OK) of The Oklahoman, now in her 24th year covering Sooner state football and other cool stuff like the NBA, joins Trib sports guys John Werner and Brice Cherry for some college football talk: 

• Last week was kind of a surprise for BU, with Baylor winning impressively in Lubbock over Texas Tech, and now they're on the road for a second straight week to head to Norman. That was Baylor's most complete game of the year, and now they face the Sooners, coming off a 27-13 win at Iowa State and having a disappointing year, by OU standards (5-3 overall and 2-3 in conference). All that makes it kind of a tough one to pick. How do you guys see it shaking out? 

• We get Jenni to take the temperature of the OU fanbase — we know Lincoln Riley is still public enemy No. 1, but are they still behind this team and on board behind Brett Venables? What's going on with the maroon-minded faithful? The talent level is down, especially due to the transfer portal. 

• About that other Oklahoma team ... what the heck happened last Saturday? K-State just trampled the Cowboys, 48-0. So where does OSU go from here? Could they get it together and potentially get back to Jerryworld? With two losses, they're looking up at 5-0 TCU and the 4-1 Wildcats in the standings. 

• We probably haven't talked enough this year about K-State and the job Chris Klieman has done with the Wildcats. They could be headed to the Big 12 title game, which they haven't sniffed since 2003. What impresses you the most about Kansas State, and is Klieman the perfect fit in Manhattan? 

• It's Halloween week, aka the Super Bowl of sweet holidays. For our panel, what's your favorite candy prize? 

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We're joined by Texas State correspondent for the Austin American-Statesman Keff Ciardello (@Keff_C), along with the Trib's Baylor beat writer Zach Smith (@ByZachSmith) and sports editor Brice Cherry (@BriceCherry), ready to react to an eventful week of Baylor and Big 12 happenings as the season winds down.

1. Jake Spavital spent four years as the head coach at Texas State, going 13-35, but was fired after the 2022 season and has been the offensive coordinator at an improved Cal program this year. He'll now be Dave Aranda's third OC in four seasons after Jeff Grimes was unsurprisingly let go. Keff, what can you tell us about what to expect from a Spavital offense?

2. Mack Rhoades zigged where others zagged as many other coaches were fired over the last week — but Dave Aranda was not, even following a very disappointing 3-9 season. Being patient is not the norm in today's college football world, and a lot of Baylor fans are definitely unhappy. Now with Aranda under the gun, what kind of season does he need to have in 2024 to stick around for a sixth year (and beyond) in Waco?

3. The transfer portal allows teams to completely reinvent themselves from year to year. Nobody flipped their whole roster this year quite like Texas State, but how aggressive does Baylor need to be when the portal opens next week? What's the biggest area of need for the Bears?

4. The Big 12 championship game is this week with the Texas Longhorns vs. Oklahoma State at Jerryworld. Assuming the Longhorns win, do they crack the College Football Playoff, despite sitting No. 7 at the moment?

5. The Texas State Bobcats are going bowling after a 7-5 year, finishing tied for second in the Sun Belt. What's their likely destination in the first year under GJ Kinne?

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Kevin Reynolds of the Salt Lake Tribune, on Twitter @KevinReynolds30, joins Trib sports guys John Werner and Brice Cherry as the Bears head to Provo: 

• It's a big-time Big 12 matchup this week as the No. 9 Baylor Bears head to Provo to play the No. 21 BYU Cougars. On paper, this sets up as an enticing battle with near-even odds, according to the bookies. We ask our dueling beat writers: BYU/Baylor wins this game if ... what? 

• Dave Aranda and Kalani Sitake obviously respect one other — but the Cougars want some payback for last year's game, don't they? 

• It seems like BYU fans have really embraced the Big 12 move, ending a long stint as an independent. Why now? What makes this situation unique for the Cougars? 

• Top-ranked Bama heads to Austin, where the unranked Longhorns await. The Tide is not the only team coming to Austin — you've got ESPN "College GameDay" and Fox, plus maybe the "Today Show." Is this game actually all that big a deal? Doesn't it just have bloodbath written all over it? 

• Finally, it's Culinary Corner: Kevin gives us some good eatin' options in the Provo/Salt Lake area. 

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Chad Conine drops by to talk Big 12 football with Brice Cherry and John Werner as the Bears take a breather this before homecoming Oct. 17:

• So, the cliché tells us that the biggest improvement in a team comes from Week 1 to Week 2, and Baylor's Dave Aranda even agreed with that sentiment last week. So, what exactly happened to the Bears in Morgantown? And what was the most disappointing step back for Baylor?

• Obviously he was under duress much of the game, but it was far from Charlie Brewer's best effort, and certainly not what you want to see from a senior four-year starter at quarterback. As good as Brewer can be, he mixes in his fair share of bad days as well. I'm not suggesting a change at QB, but doesn't he have to play better?

• Kirk Bohls this week basically put the nail in the Big 12's coffin from a national perspective, due to last week's losses by Oklahoma and Texas. It's a theory that notoriously bristly TCU coach Gary Patterson bristled at, and we agree with him for once. Is the Big 12 ever going to thrive as a conference if it can't escape the idea that if OU or Texas is down, the whole league is down?

• Though it hasn't exactly played murderer's row, Oklahoma State is undefeated and has given up just 27 points in three games. Could the Flying Mullets be a player on the national stage in 2020?

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• Baylor went to Provo and fell in double-OT in the Big 12 After Dark game, and the crowd stormed the field after the game (even though they were favored, but whatever). In a game that featured 14 Baylor penalties, four sacks and just 137 passing yards for the Bears, they were still right there until the last moment. Is that a positive or a negative for Dave Aranda's squad?

• Werner-Orts University is in Waco this week for the Bears' final nonconference game as the Texas State Bobcats arrive at 1-1 after a blowout of FIU and a loss to Nevada. This game was a lot closer than expected last year, 29-20. Baylor is favored by 30-plus, but will it be closer than the bookies say?

• Speaking of closer than expected ... Alabama-Texas? UT outplayed the Tide in many respects, but Bryce Young made just enough plays late to escape Austin, and the Longhorns looked good enough to lose their way into the Top 25. Can UT keep it up? Is Texas back?

• Kansas, of all teams, leads the Big 12 at 1-0 in the standings. Of course, that's a scheduling quirk. The Jayhawks are 2-0 overall, so should they just call it a year and stay undefeated? Is Kansas for real, y'all?

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Special guest Don Williams (@AJ_DonWilliams) of the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, who's been on the Texas Tech beat since 1986, joins Trib sports guys John Werner and Brice Cherry for some college football talk:

• There are many intriguing subplots to Baylor-Texas Tech this week: An ultra-competitive series — a three-point game last year, a one-point game in 2020,  double-overtime in 2019, etc. — plus it's 40-39-1 all-time with Baylor holding the edge; both teams have identical records (4-3, 2-2) and are seeking bowl eligibility; and of course, new Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire is going against his old team. With all that in mind, are you guys expecting a down-to-the-wire finish, and who takes it?

• For all the talk about Big 12 parity, TCU is sitting atop the league with a clean sheet at 7-0 and 4-0 in the league. A precocious Big 12 football fan asked Brice recently if the Frogs could go undefeated, and while he dismissed it at the time, it may not be that far-fetched. Can TCU run the table?

• Let's circle back to Baylor-Tech. Both John and Don have gotten to known Joey McGuire a bit, both in Waco and Lubbock. It feels like the perfect marriage — a Texas guy with tons of statewide high school football connections and a winning pedigree who was eager to be a college coach. At this point, can we say it's a home-run hire for the Raiders?

• Don mentioned that it's a big weekend in Lubbock as former Texas Tech QB Patrick Mahomes will be inducted into the Ring of Honor. Does Mahomes carry the same sway among the younger generation of Red Raider fans that guys like Donny Anderson, Gabe Rivera did for the previous generations? What do you expect the buzz to be like on Saturday?

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• Many of us wrongly thought TCU was going to slip up in Austin last week, but that didn't happen as the Frogs stayed undefeated with a 17-10 win over Texas and clinched a Big 12 title game berth. How do the Frogs just keep doing this week after week? Is the gap between them and the rest of the league just that big?

• TCU travels to Waco this week, and all logic says that TCU wins this one: They're winning close games, they have the No. 1 offense in the Big 12 and are coming off their best defensive performance of the year. On the other side, Baylor's reeling from a baffling "what was that?" 31-3 loss to K-State. But is there any chance the Bears play spoiler here?

• The Frogs are No. 4 in the lastest CFP rankings. On SportsCenter, ESPN indicated that the Frogs had a 30-something percent chance to make it to the four-team playoff, while fifth-ranked Tennessee had a 60-something percent chance. Does that make sense? There's no way an undefeated Big 12 champion would be left out ... is there?

• Let's say Sonny Dykes does get TCU into the playoffs in his first year in Fort Worth, which would be pretty incredible. There would certainly be lots of Coach of the Year-type plaudits thrown his way. But how does that color Gary Patterson's legacy? The guy's got a statue outside the stadium after a long run of bowl games and impressive seasons. Will it tarnish Patterson a little bit if his successor does what he never could? And then, next year, can Dykes go anywhere but down?

• Thanksgiving is the Super Bowl of food holidays. When you’re loading up that plate next Thursday, what’s the one thing that you’re most looking forward to eating?

We're joined this week by special guest Stephen Simcox (@SimcoxStephen), an alum of both TCU and ESPN Central Texas who hosts the Locked On Horned Frogs podcast, available anywhere that you pod and on YouTube. He's here to talk with Brice Cherry and John Werner about Big 12 football this week.

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We're joined by Jerry Hill (@ViewFromHill) of the Baylor Bear Insider and a Trib alum, along with the Trib's Baylor beat writer Zach Smith (@byzachsmith) and sports editor Brice Cherry (@BriceCherry), ready to dig into some BU and Big 12 football talk: 

1. Baylor clearly made some across-the-board improvements last week; nevertheless, it's another L as the Bears fell 20-13 to No. 12 Utah. What gives you hope that Baylor can still have a "good season" — and go ahead and define that: What does a "good season" look like at this point? 

2. Some of us are still a little baffled by the absence of Richard Reese in the BU game plan. He's made just 14 carries on the season, seven in each game. He is averaging just 2.5 yards per carry, so maybe that's a clue. Last year, he was getting 30-plus carries against Kansas and in Lubbock. He hasn't cracked 15 since. Is he in the doghouse, or is he maybe just being outplayed by newcomer Dominic Richardson? 

3. Let's look ahead to the future of the Big 12: Of the eight teams coming in, four this year and four next, which is the most likely team to become a perennial Big 12 power? 

4. Mea culpa to the Longhorns: Some of us around the state are eating some crow after (usually correct) Texas skepticism, but the Horns went into Tuscaloosa last week and impressed everyone. But ... we've seen this movie before, where UT loses some games it shouldn't. What's the biggest hurdle for the Longhorns ascending to the Big 12 title for the first time since 2009? 

5. In honor of this week's Baylor opponent, Long Island University, give us your best breakdown of LIU in a Yankee accent — the more ridiculous, the better. 

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We welcome a very special guest in Trib sports writer Chad Conine this week.

Baylor finally got a game in, trouncing Kansas handily with a 47-14 win. But on a scale from “it's just Kansas” to “that was a thoroughly impressive performance,” where does this one rank?

It's yet unknown whether WVU fans will burn couches after watching the Mountaineers from home as the Bears go to Morgantown for their first road trip of the year. Given the usual home-field advantage at Milan Puskar Stadium, how much of a benefit is that for BU?

Speaking of things burning, the Big 12's been something of a mess this season thus far. We've seen a lot of the league's teams lose games they were “supposed” to win, with OU dropping a game to K-State for a second straight year the latest example. Last year, the Sooners bounced back to make the CFP. Can this team do the same?

Crossing the Red River, the Longhorns won a wild overtime game at Texas Tech (sorry, Chad) that they looked destined to lose. Honestly, it's a game several recent Texas teams probably would have lost. Could Tom Herman's team actually be the best in the Big 12?

The Heisman Trophy is the most prestigious award in college football. But what would the award for the Most Disappointing Player in College Football be called? For lack of a better idea, we're calling that the Skip Bayless Award, because, let's face it, he's always disappointing. Who in the Big 12 would be the front-runner?

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Special guest Blair Kerkhoff (@BlairKerkhoff) of the Kansas City Star, in the sportswriting biz for 41 years, joins Trib sports guys John Werner and Brice Cherry for some Big 12 football talk:

• Going into this season, Baylor probably wasn't looking at the Oct. 22 matchup with Kansas too closely. Now it's suddenly a big deal. At 5-2, the formerly nationally ranked Kansas Jayhawks are coming to town for Homecoming weekend. Blair's been in Jayhawk country for a long time — did anyone see this coming, at all, and has the excitement faded around Lawrence since KU lost its last two games to TCU and OU?

• Both teams are dealing with uncertainty at quarterback after Blake Shapen's injury in Morgantown last week; meanwhile Jalen Daniels has missed the last couple of games and probably won't play in Waco this week. How does the backup QB situation change the complexion of this game, and is either team better positioned for that wrinkle? 

• The Big 12's marquee game has the K-State Wildcats heading to Fort Worth, a battle of the only 3-0 teams in the league. What are the odds that TCU vs. Kansas State is a preview of the Big 12 title game?

• What a crazy, parity-filled league this is: 9 of the 17 games in the Big 12 have been decided by a touchdown or less, including 3 of 4 decided by 3 points or less last week. Is this the most balanced the Big 12 Conference has ever been?

• Blair's part of an all-star media panel, along with Joseph Duarte of the Houston Chronicle, Jenni Carlson of The Oklahoman and Max Olson of The Athletic, on a new (and long-overdue) Big 12 weekly football show on ESPN+/Big 12 Now. He fills us in on that and how it's going.

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We're glad to welcome back Joseph Duarte, who's @Joseph_Duarte on Twitter: He's spent 25 years on several sports beats at the Houston Chronicle and he joins Brice Cherry and John Werner to talk college football:

• Baylor opened the year with a fairly pedestrian 29-20 win over Texas State on Saturday. What did we see that was encouraging for the 2021 Bears, and what areas of concern jumped out?
• Instead of previewing Texas Southern, which should be a layup, let's talk with Joseph Duarte of the Houston Chronicle about the topic on the minds of all college football fans: conference realignment and expansion. The Big 12 is reportedly in the midst of extending invitations to Houston, BYU, Cincinnati and UCF. Does this lock down the Big 12's long-term stability? And what do each of these new programs bring?
• Of course, Houston has tried to hook up with the Big 12 before, including in 2016. We've also some rumblings that Baylor was at least initially against adding UH this time around, but either acquiesced or was outvoted. Will there be a bit of bad blood between the Cougars and Bears once Houston makes the move?
• The big game in the Big 12 this week also shapes up as one of the most attractive games in the country: Both Iowa State and Iowa will be ranked in the Top 10 when they play, with College GameDay coming to Ames. How do we see the game coming out, and will the Cyclones be in the CFP discussion at the end of the year?
• Finally, we always like to close with “Culinary Corner” — Joseph gives us some prime intel on good eats in the AAC cities of Cincinnati and Orlando.

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We're glad to reconnect with Joseph Duarte, who's @Joseph_Duarte on Twitter: He's spent 25 years on several sports beats at the Houston Chronicle and he joins Brice Cherry and John Werner to talk Baylor-Houston, the Big 12's disaster week and more:

• It's remarkable how this game came together so quickly, especially in the age of college football schedules being set up eight to 10 years in advance. Was this the best-case scenario for both schools?

• Dana Holgorsen is entering Year 2 at Houston, while Dave Aranda kicks off his first year as a head coach at Baylor. Does that give Houston an advantage?

• Who needs a win more in its season opener?

• It was a rough start for the Big 12 overall, with three favorites falling to Sun Belt teams. How much does that hurt the optics of the conference on a national level?

• Plus, The return of Culinary Corner: Brice and John offer up some Waco favorites, plus get Houston recommendations from Joseph.

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Special guest Chris Williams (@CWillTV) of KWTX-TV, Channel 10, joins Trib sports guys John Werner and Brice Cherry for some college football talk:

• Coming off an open week and a loss to Oklahoma State, Baylor heads into an unforgiving climate: The Bears play their annual Thursday night game at West Virginia, quite the doomsday scenario for BU, as they've never won in Morgantown. Is this the year the streak ends?

• John wrote last week about Baylor really missing the leadership they had on last year's championship squad. Other than Dillon Doyle, who's a prominent and vocal leader, who are the other candidates the Bears have to step up into that role?

• Pleasant surprises abound every week in the Big 12, but not in Norman. The Sooners got absolutely run over in the Red River Shootout. Is this the worst Oklahoma team of the Big 12 era, and how bad would it look for OU to limp its way into the SEC?

• The other disappointment around the league is Iowa State, who were a trendy pick last year but finished 7-6, then picked sixth this year, but are tied for last place with an 0-3 record. The Cyclones have really labored to even score points. Matt Campbell used to be a hot coach. What's happened in Ames?

• Circling back to Baylor, the Bears make their second mountain trip this season. BYU has some stunning views in Provo — but who has the most picturesque setting in the Big 12? Where does McLane Stadium rate? What about the worst setting in the conference?

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We're zooming this week with Kirk Bohls (@kbohls) and Cedric Golden (@CedGolden) of HookEm.com (aka the Austin American-Statesman) and the Longhorn Confidential podcast. Brice Cherry and John Werner return to dissect the state of the Big 12 headed into this week's championship game:

• Just as everybody expected, it's K-State vs. TCU for the Big 12 title this week. The Frogs back in October scored 21 in the second half to beat the Wildcats, 38-28. How do you see round 2 playing out?

• It would be a shame if TCU lost and got left out of the CFP. They may need to be undefeated to stay ahead of the likes USC, Ohio State or Alabama — if K-State pulls off the upset, will the Frogs stay in? Or will the bluebloods prevail?

• The teams that we cover are nowhere near the CFP — Texas is 8-4 after last week's 38-27 over Baylor. It's been an erratic second season for Steve Sarkisian down south, and though the Longhorns improved from 5-7 to 8-4, we want to know from Ced and Kirk what's the feeling about Sark among football fans in Austin: Does he need to make another decent jump next year to avoid the fate of Tom Herman et al?

• As far as the Bears, the defending Big 12 champs were the preseason favorite for the first time ever. They're 6-6. What do you think the Bears need to do to get back into the top part of the Big 12? Where do they need to improve — like QB play? What bowl game are they likely to land in?

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We're joined by Cincinnati beat writer Scott Springer of the Enquirer (@sspringersports), along with the Trib's Baylor beat writer Zach Smith (@ByZachSmith) and sports editor Brice Cherry (@BriceCherry), ready to dig into some BU and Big 12 football talk:

1. About 15 or 20 years ago, an old ESPN.com feature broke down the "pillow fight of the week." That may not be exactly what's going on this week in Cincinnati, but it's not far off. Both teams are 2-4, after the Bearcats having lost four straight, including last week 30-10 at home to Iowa State and Baylor's loss to Texas Tech two weeks ago. What's led to these sluggish first halves, and who gets win No. 3 on Saturday?

2. When the Big 12 added Cincinnati, BYU, Houston and UCF, they seemed to be the best four options available. But they haven't exactly lived up to the standard, going just 1-9 against the old-school teams in the league so far. (And that one win was a Hail Mary win last week by Houston against WVU, 41-39.) Is this a sign that it's going to take a little time for the new guys to adjust, or is it a cyclical thing and these teams are just in a down place right now?

3. The flip side of the imports' woes is that the exports are killing it, with the Big 12's only ranked teams Texas and Oklahoma, of course. This time next year, they'll be in the SEC. The conference will probably be fine long-term, but at the same time, how much will the league miss the Longhorns and Sooners?

4. Culinary Corner: What's the place to visit for good eats in Cincinnati? Zach will be looking for some Skyline Chili, I guess. What else is good in the Queen City?

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Welcome to special guest Stephen Simcox (@SimcoxStephen), an alum of both TCU and ESPN Central Texas who hosts the Locked On Horned Frogs podcast, available anywhere that you pod and on YouTube. He's here to talk with Brice Cherry and John Werner about Big 12 football, which only means one thing this week in our bonus episode:

• From "One True Champion" to the national championship on One True Podcast: TCU is living right and the national championship game is set, Georgia vs. the Horned Frogs. The blue-chip Bulldogs aren't a surprise to be there, but obviously it's different for their opponent. TCU was picked No. 7 in the Big 12, after all. They're the first Big 12 team to play for a title since 2009 (i.e. Colt McCoy's Texas squad). Where do you feel like these Frogs rank along all-time surprises in college football?

• Let's rewind to TCU’s 51-45 win over Michigan, part of an epic semifinal weekend with Georgia-Ohio State. Now that a few days have passed, what stands out to you most about this game, and what was the biggest factor in the Frogs’ victory over the Wolverines?

• TCU is a whopping 13-point underdog to Georgia after being an 8-point dog to Michigan. The Bulldogs have lived up to its No. 1 seed most of the season, with next-level speed and blue-chip athletes all over the roster. So, what’s the road map for a TCU upset?

• Win or lose, this season is going down as a monumental breakthrough for TCU. How much do you think this season will help the Frogs’ recruiting? And what does it mean for Sonny Dykes going forward?

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We're joined by Orlando Sentinel beat writer Matt Murschel (@osmattmurschel), along with the Trib's Baylor beat writer Zach Smith (@byzachsmith) and sports editor Brice Cherry (@BriceCherry), ready to dig into some BU and Big 12 football talk: 

1. UCF is hosting Baylor this week — believe it or not, the Bears' first road game of the year. Other than the fact that they're both 0-1 in the Big 12 (UCF a 44-31 loss at K-State last week, Baylor dominated at home vs. Texas), they're not only in different time zones, they're in totally different situations, program-wise. Who gets the bounce-back win the Bounce House? 

2. This is Baylor's first trip to UCF and the first-ever Big 12 game in Orlando. What can Big 12 and BU fans expect from the gameday environment and except from this Knights program as they get settled in a new conference? 

3. With these new 4 teams and 4 new ones coming next year, this Big 12 is going to become as far-flung as any college football fan has ever experienced. Do you think that in this fragmented geographic environment, can new rivalries develop? How might that happen? 

4. We have a top 25 Big 12 matchup this week as the Kansas Jayhawks travel to Austin to play the Longhorns. While UT handled KU last year on the road, the Texas faithful definitely haven't forgotten two years ago, when Kansas notched an improbable upset at DKR Memorial, 57-56 in overtime, so the Longhorns will be highly motivated, obviously. Is there any chance Kansas pulls the upset? 

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We're joined by Eric Walden (@tribjazz), Utah correspondent for the Salt Lake Tribune, along with the Trib's Baylor beat writer Zach Smith (@byzachsmith) and sports editor Brice Cherry (@BriceCherry), ready to dig into some BU and Big 12 football talk:

1. Baylor’s surprising, perhaps inexplicable loss to Texas State in the season opener may take some of the shine off this matchup, but it still should carry a big-game feel when 12th-ranked Utah comes to McLane Stadium on Saturday for an 11 a.m. kick. These teams definitely look to be on different levels right now, given that Utah completely neutralized Florida in the first-ever visit by an SEC team to Salt Lake City. Utah is listed as a 6.5-point favorite. What are you guys expecting — a blowout by the Utes, or does Baylor bounce back and at least make a game out of it?

2. This game also pits two future Big 12 opponents, as the Utes will join the conference next season along with former Pac-12 mates Colorado, Arizona and Arizona State. We'll get Eric's take on how that move was greeted by Utah’s fan base. And what can Big 12 fans expect from this program?

3. For Baylor last week, there were numerous problems. Pick one — an offensive line that got manhandled by a Sun Belt team with a revamped roster, a secondary that left receivers completely uncovered, a game plan that somehow managed to only yield seven carries for last year’s Big 12 Freshman of the Year in Richard Reese. Where does the biggest fix need to come? And which of those areas that could be particularly vulnerable to the Utes?

4. Speaking of future conference opponents, "College Gameday" will be in Tuscaloosa for the battle between No. 3 Alabama and its future SEC foe No. 11 Texas. Last year this turned out to be a close game — surprisingly close — as the Tide survived in Austin, 20-19, thanks to a 33-yard field goal with 10 seconds left. What do you guys think, do we get another classic this year? Any chance the Longhorns can get some payback with a road upset?

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Zooming with Kirk Bohls (@kbohls) and Cedric Golden (@CedGolden) of HookEm.com (aka the Austin American-Statesman), Brice Cherry and John Werner return to dissect this week's showdown in Austin with the Longhorns:

• As of right now, the Baylor-Texas game is still a go for Saturday as the Bears are 2-3 this year —  2 games played, 3 canceled. Has this tumultuous season going like you expected, and what's the likelihood that the game still hits the scrap heap before Saturday?

• A typically ridiculous season for the Longhorns saw them plummet from No. 8 to an unranked 2-2 record: Kirk, Ced, what is the chief issue with this program in terms of not quite living up to expectations?

• So, Baylor hasn't played in three weeks. And Texas has had two weeks to prepare. What do you guys expect from this game, and who are you taking?

• The Big 12 serves up one Top 25 matchup this week as Matt Campbell's No. 17 Iowa State team travels to Stillwater to face the league's only unbeaten, Oklahoma State. There's no way the Cowboys run the table, right? So is this the week?

• Let's say you had to be quarantined with one Big 12 football coach. Who are you bringing the party and why?

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Hello to Benton Smith, who's @BentonASmith on Twitter: He's spent 9 years at the Lawrence Journal-World in Jayhawks county and he joins Brice Cherry and John Werner to talk about (hopefully) a football game being played in Waco this week:

• Baylor had the first Power 5 game in the country canceled on a Friday this year, and given everything going on, what's the likelihood that this Kansas-Baylor game happens?

• Les Miles was an interesting hire by the Jayhawks, to say the least. What's the general feeling about him among the KU fan base as Year 2 unfolds? Especially after laying an egg to Coastal Carolina for a second straight year?

• Meanwhile, Baylor remains a bit of a mystery with Dave Aranda at the helm. While Matt Rhule's Bears won this game, 61-6, last year in Lawrence, that kind of blowout isn't likely to happen again. Right?

• Texas traveling to Lubbock to face Tech is probably the most intriguing Big 12 game this week after the Red Raiders nearly lost to Houston Baptist. But No. 8 UT is almost perpetually overrated by national voters and the sportsbooks have the Longhorns a double-digit favorite, naturally. What are the odds Matt Wells' bunch can spring the upset?

• It's the return of Culinary Corner: Even though this game isn't in Lawrence, what are some of your favorite eating spots there?

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We're joined by Texas State correspondent for the Austin American-Statesman and Bobcats alum Keff Ciardello (@Keff_C) along with Trib sportswriter Zach Smith (@byzachsmith) and Trib sports editor Brice Cherry (@BriceCherry), ready to dig into some BU and Big 12 football talk:

• Guys, at long last, college football is back. Baylor and Texas State will open the 2023 season at 6 p.m. Saturday at McLane Stadium. It’s the third straight year the Bears and Bobcats will have played. Two years ago, in Baylor’s Big 12 championship season, Texas State played Baylor pretty close in San Marcos, as the Bears won, 29-20. Last year Richard Reese ran for three touchdowns and Baylor rolled to a 42-7 blowout. What are you guys expecting from this one?

• Keff, to say that Texas State has some new faces on its roster would be a serious understatement. In addition to a new head coach in GJ Kinne, the Bobcats have, what, 50-plus new players? Even in this transfer portal-happy world, that’s an incredible number. How much of an unknown does that make this team, and who among the new faces should we keep an eye on?

• Zach, we’ve already talked at length about Baylor’s unique schedule, with its national-leading eight home games, and it undoubtedly won’t be the last time we bring it up. How important is it for Dave Aranda’s team to make some hay with these first four games at home?

• Across the Big 12, all 14 teams in the league play this week, mostly against opponents they should beat. However, there are two Power 5 matchups, as TCU will welcome Colorado to Fort Worth in the long-awaited debut of Coach Prime for the Buffs. Also, West Virginia must travel to Happy Valley to take on No. 7 Penn State. Which game on the Big 12 schedule are you most interested in watching this week?

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We didn't have to go far to find special guest Chris Williams, who's @CWillTV on Twitter: He's been a sports reporter for KWTX-TV News 10 for about a year, and he joins Brice Cherry and John Werner to talk college football:

• Well, the Bears got back on track with a convincing 45-20 win over West Virginia last wee. What impressed you the most about Baylor's performance? Where was the biggest improvement — QB play, pass rush?
• They didn't know it when they scheduled it, but a future Big 12 opponent, BYU, comes to Baylor this week. The Cougars dropped from No. 10 to No. 19 this week after their first loss of year, 26-17 to Boise State. It should be interesting to see what kind of reception a future Big 12 member gets at McLane Stadium: How do you see this matchup shaking out — and do you agree with Vegas that BU should be favored by 4.5 points?
• Chris hails originally from Salt Lake City and even attended BYU football camp as a kid, so let's pick his brain about the culture: Where does BYU football rank among Utah's sporting passions, especially vs. the Jazz? What's the fanbase like?
• Two undefeated teams are left in the Big 12: Oklahoma and OSU. The Cowboys head to Austin to play Texas, which has to be desperate for a win after last week's Red River debacle. Does the winner of this one have the inside track to meeting the Sooners in the Big 12 title game? With a win, could a Texas win blow open the conference? And is anybody actually impressed by Oklahoma State?
• It's Baylor Homecoming week — let's say you're heading back to your college for homecoming, and you were making a parade float that best captures your college experience. What would the theme be and what would it look like?

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We're joined by Trib alumn John Werner (@JohnWernerTrib), along with the Trib's Baylor beat writer Zach Smith (@ByZachSmith) and sports editor Brice Cherry (@BriceCherry), ready to dig into some BU and Big 12 football talk: 

1. Baylor's weird season took a further downturn in a home loss to the Texas Tech Red Raiders. It's hard to say what was most troubling: the non-existent rushing game, the perplexing play-calling or the lack of playmaking by a sleepy defense. Is there still a hope for a turnaround, and what would that look like from a record standpoint? 

2. It's hard to fathom that this Baylor program was the Big 12 champion and Sugar Bowl winner just two seasons ago. So it's time to address the elephant in the room: Dave Aranda. In his fourth season, he's in the midst of his third losing year (so far), though last year was 6-7 with a bowl loss. How hot is Aranda's seat, and will Mack Rhoades make a coaching change this off-season? 

3. Oklahoma and Texas delivered a battle for the ages on Saturday as the Sooners survived, 34-30. We've talked a lot about the Longhorns so far this year, but how about Brent Venables and OU? Now they're 6-0. Can the Sooners run the table and be undefeated heading into the Big 12 championship game? 

4. We're basically at the midpoint of the season, so let's hand out some award: Who are your picks for Big 12 coach, offensive and defensive player of the year? Are there any non-Sooners on this list, other than maybe Neal Brown? 

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Brice Cherry and Zach Smith take a minute to break down what they saw at McLane Stadium on Saturday night. 

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As the Bears regroup from their first loss, Brice Cherry and John Werner are ready to talk some college football:

• The Baylor Bears will not go undefeated as the dream fizzled in Stillwater. Let's glance into John Werner's Dave Campbell-esque crystal ball — will the Bears be ranked in the Top 25 at the end of the season?

• Offensively, Baylor has regressed in its last two games against Oklahoma State and Iowa State. Admittedly, those are pretty good defenses. But what's most concerning for the Bears right now? And do you agree with Dave Aranda that these issues are fixable?

• Who is Baylor's MVP through the first 5 games? How about JT Woods?

• Texas has (sort of) righted the ship and Oklahoma hasn't been a world-beater, to say the least. Could the Red River Shootout be another close one, even an instant classic after a 4 OT game last year?

• An all-Texas Big 12 tussle is on tap as TCU travels to Lubbock — which teams needs it more, who's likely to win this one, and are those the same team?

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