Each college football and NHL season I choose other teams in other conferences to follow partly as a joke but also just to have a connection to the national scene in case my team falls apart. (See Michigan football 2013).

Sometimes I have a good reason for adopting these teams (Anaheim Ducks) but mostly I just choose these teams at random. At the beginning of this college football season I decided that I was going to follow the Baylor Bears. That was mainly due to this interview their coach Art Briles did with edsbs but also due to the fact that his team might put up 60 points per game.

“We just want to hug you America”- Baylor

So I have rooted for them partly as a joke but since the beginning of the year Baylor has laid waste the majority of their soft schedule and has been even more fun to watch than I expected. Now they have their seasons biggest test on the biggest stage and I am genuinely excited for their game this weekend versus Oklahoma State in primetime on ABC.

If Baylor is going to lose any game this would be the one everyone, including me, would pick. While they are favored by almost ten points there is also the mental hurdle of winning a road game in November. Oklahoma and Texas are looked at as the two big dogs in the Big 12 and with good reason but other schools in the conference have had recent success as well. One problem each has had is they have all lost in November away from home. Missouri lost late in 2007, Texas Tech in 2008, Oklahoma State in 2011 and last year an unbeaten K State team went on the road to Waco and got waxed by these same Baylor Bears.

So for Baylor to break through and snap that trend this is the game they will have to win. This is on the road against a fellow top ten team. Win here and they can for sure consider themselves a National Title contender. Lose and they may not even make a BCS bowl. Not that Baylor is going anywhere with Briles all locked up for the next decade but a win here and they can make that push to be considered a team to beat in the Big 12 year in and year out.

No pressure or anything…

Thursday Schedule

730pm Rutgers at UCF ESPN: Jesus Christ Rutgers.

830pm Saints at Falcons NFLN: I don’t think I am emotionally over both the Falcons and Braves getting new stadiums.

Friday Schedule

830pm Navy at San Jose St ESPN2: Umm, go on a date. Or sing karaoke. Actually for sure please sing karaoke.

Saturday Morning/Day/Night Schedule

9am College Gameday from Stillwater, OK: Is that water moving or is it still?

Noon MSU at Northwestern ESPN: I think NW fans would prefer if Sparty just beat them handily so they don’t have their hearts ripped out again.

“Come and get it”- Bucky

Flip the channel: Oklahoma at K State FS1: After struggling earlier in the year the Wildcats have put together a nice four game win streak and could test an average OU squad.

No more yelling: Michigan at Iowa BTN: Punts and field position. Hell yea!

Someone has to win: Illinois at Purdue BTN: At least I think someone has to win.

Nerd Alert: Harvard at Yale NBCSN: Lots of kids trust funds will be on the line here.

330pm Texas A&M at LSU CBS: The Manziel show goes on the road to Death Valley. This is not an elite LSU defense though so he should have some success against them. Unfortunately so will Mettenberger against a terrible Aggie defense.

Flip the channel: Wisconsin at Minnesota ESPN: The battle for Paul Bunyan’s axe has meaning for both teams. Yes I just typed that. For Wisconsin their hopes of a ten win season and at large BCS berth are still alive. And for the Gophers they still have an outside shot to make Indy if they get some help from Northwestern. Either way it should be a fun matchup in Minneapolis.

O yea, Oregon: Oregon at Arizona ESPN2: Thanks to USC the Ducks now control their own fate for the Pac 12 North. Two more wins and they will host the title game in Eugene.

One eye on the enemy: Indiana at OSU ABC: I will watch them eviscerate Indiana for 5 mins and then pretend I didn’t see it. It is not real.

7pm ASU at UCLA FOX: Winner gets the drivers seat to the Pac 12 South title

Be Afraid

Flip the channel Missouri at Ole Miss ESPN: Trap game for the Tigers who might be looking past Ole Miss to A&M

8pm Baylor at Oklahoma State ABC: Last time Herbstreit was in Stillwater this happened.

Late night: Washington at Oregon State ESPN2: The Huskies need this one in order to get Sarkisian over the seven win hump.

Sunday Funday

1pm Steelers at Browns CBS: I don’t know whether to laugh or cry at this

4pm Colts at Cardinals CBS: Wait the Cards are 6-4?

830pm Broncos at Patriots NBC: Moreno vs Vereen. Historic matchup

Monday Funday

49ers at Washington ESPN: You may see some pistol formations.