The Big Game: Week 7

Missouri - at - Oklahoma

Missouri

Rushing Offense: 199.0 (24th), Rushing Defense: 141.8 (49th)
Passing Offense: 357.6 (5th), Passing Defense: 265.2 (100th)
Total Offense: 556.6 (4th), Total Defense: 407.0 (79th)
Scoring Offense: 41.8 (11th), Scoring Defense: 21.2 (38th)

Schedule (5-0): won vs. Illinois (40-34), won at Ole Miss (38-25), won vs. Western Michigan (52-24), won vs. Illinois State (38-17), won vs. Nebraska (41-6)

After picking Missouri to win the Big XII North in the preseason, I will admit that I was a little nervous after the Tigers squeaked out a win against Illinois in the opener. As it turns out, though, Illinois has already exceeded my expectations for them, sitting at 5-1 with their sole loss to this Missouri team. Since then, Mizzou has been on a roll, beating their last four opponents by an average of more than 24 points. Included in that streak was the 41-6 demolition of Nebraska this past weekend in Columbia, putting Missouri in complete control of the North division. This weekend, they get a chance to make a national statement as they travel to Norman for their showdown with the bully of the South division, Oklahoma. The Tigers boast a very potent offense, averaging nearly 42 points per game thanks to a fairly balanced air and ground attack. On the defensive side of the ball, however, there is cause for concern. They have succeeded thus far in the season with a "bend, don't break" philosophy as they have allowed over 400 yards per game, but held opponents to just 21 points, on average. They will need the offense to be clicking on all cylinders and for the defense to play their best game of the season if they want to capture the road victory against a hungry Sooners team.

Oklahoma

Rushing Offense: 216.2 (15th), Rushing Defense: 66.5 (5th)
Passing Offense: 266.0 (32nd), Passing Defense: 217.3 (53rd)
Total Offense: 482.2 (11th), Total Defense: 283.8 (11th)
Scoring Offense: 49.7 (3rd), Scoring Defense: 15.8 (10th)

Schedule (5-1): won vs. North Texas (79-10), won vs. Miami (51-13), won vs. Utah State (54-3), won at Tulsa (62-21), lost at Colorado (24-27), won vs. Texas (28-21)

Not only did I expect OU to win the Big XII North, I expected them to roll to an undefeated regular season. After mowing over their first four opponents by a combined score of 246-47, it looked as if the Sooners were well on their way to being in the discussion for the national title. However, that all ended with a loss to Colorado in week five. Fortunately for the Bob Stoops-led squad, they were able to shrug it off and refocus in time for the Red River Rivalry last week, as they beat Texas 28-21 to remain atop the South standings. However, with one conference loss, they have to be careful to avoid a second if they want to guarantee themselves a spot in the Big XII title game. This weekend, they face a real threat as the Missouri Tigers are good enough to beat anyone in the country. Still, Oklahoma looks to be in a great position going in to this game for many reasons. The game is played in Norman, providing one of the best home field advantages anywhere. Furthermore, they have a stout defense (#11 total defense, #10 scoring defense), which will be critical in controlling the potent Tiger offense. Additionally, the Sooner offense remains one of the best in the country as they are averaging nearly 50 points per game despite two straight sub-30 point performances. OU may have lost a game, but they are still among the nation's elite.

The Pick

Vegas: Oklahoma favored by 10.5
NpOl (5-1): Oklahoma favored by 0.5
OpOl (4-2): Oklahoma favored by 1.5
NpNl (6-0): Oklahoma favored by 5.0

Guru Pick (4-2): This is a battle between my preseason Big XII division favorites, and a potential preview of the conference championship game to be played in San Antonio on December 1st. Missouri is one of only 11 remaining unbeatens and will do everything they can to keep the perfect season alive. Unfortunately for the Tigers, the Oklahoma defense will force them to be one-dimensional with the pass and the Sooner offense, unlike Missouri's past opponents, will protect the football and score inside the red zone. In the end, I am calling Oklahoma to edge out a win, 35-29.

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Games To Watch

Though the following games were not chosen as the week's Big Game, they are intriguing match-ups that may lead to upsets. Make sure to keep your eye on ...

LSU at Kentucky
Auburn at Arkansas
Wisconsin at Penn State
Texas A&M at Texas Tech
Connecticut at Virginia

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Past Big Games

Week 1: Tennessee (31) at California (45)
picked correctly by all 3 models and guru

Week 2: Virginia Tech (7) at LSU (48)
picked correctly by all 3 models and guru

Week 3: USC (49) at Nebraska (31)
picked correctly by all 3 models and guru

Week 4: South Carolina (16) at LSU (28)
picked correctly by all 3 models and guru

Week 5: West Virginia (13) at South Florida (21)
picked correctly by 2 models

Week 6: Kentucky (23) at South Carolina (38)
picked correctly by NpNl model