The Big 12 title will be on the line this coming Saturday as the Kansas State Wildcats and the Baylor Bears square off in the conference’s virtual championship game. With both teams tied alongside TCU at the top of the team standings with 7-1 slates, a win here will guarantee either side of at least a tie for the Big 12 title.
With the stakes this huge, which side will handle the pressure better? Read on for a preview of this crucial showdown and while you’re at it, you can check out our preview of Florida State vs. Georgia Tech here.
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Kansas State Wildcats vs. Baylor Bears Betting Preview
The stage is set for Kansas State’s Big 12 championship clash with the Baylor Bears next weekend after they destroyed the hapless Kansas Jayhawks 51-13 on Saturday night. The Wildcats ran roughshod over the Jayhawks’ defense, generating 505 yards in total offense as they look to be in perfect form ahead of the pivotal matchup.
[sc:NCAA240banner ]Aside from a possible championship, revenge will also be in the minds of K-State players heading into their game against Baylor. The Bears inflicted the Wildcats their only defeat in the Big 12 two years ago, a 52-24 shellacking which scuppered K-State’s national championship dreams back then. Now, the Wildcats can return the favor and foil Baylor’s own playoff aspirations this season.
If they are to win the title this coming Saturday, they will need another spectacular performance from Jake Waters. Waters was superb against the Jayhawks on Saturday, completing 21 of 27 passes for 294 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions. His main beneficiary was Tyler Lockett who caught nine passes for 119 yards and two touchdowns.
He passed his father Kevin Lockett for the school record (222) and matched his personal record of 26 touchdowns in a single season. Lockett and Waters have helped K-State become the 26th-best passing team in the nation with an average of 278.7 YPG this season. They will be licking their chops at the prospect of facing a Baylor secondary that is only 51st in the FBS in passing defense, allowing 221.1 YPG this year.
Another crucial factor in their game this coming weekend is the performance of their secondary defense. The Wildcats will need to limit Baylor’s terrific passing game which is fourth in the FBS with a 345.0 yard per game average. That will be easier said than done, though, considering that the Wildcats are only 68th in passing defense, allowing 229.0 YPG this season.
The Baylor Bears are still in the hunt for the College Football Playoff after surviving a mighty scare from the Texas Tech Red Raiders on Saturday night. Leading 42-17 midway through the third quarter, it seemed like the Bears had the game wrapped up but the Red Raiders unleashed a furious fightback, cutting the deficit down to two, 48-46, with 1:42 remaining.
The Bears defense, stood firm, however, as they stopped the ensuing two-point conversion to preserve the victory and send them into a three-way logjam at the top of the Big 12 standings with TCU and Kansas State at 7-1.
The close win, however, surely didn’t help the Bears’ cause in their bid to reach the season-ending CFP considering that their main rival TCU trounced Texas by 38 points earlier in the week. Fortunately for the Bears, they have one more game to boost their stock and it is a big one as they’ll face K-State (9-2).
A major concern heading into this game, however, is the condition of Bryce Petty. The 23-year-old left Baylor’s game against Texas Tech in the third quarter because of concussion after falling victim to a high hit from linebacker Sam Eguavoen. He was having a solid night at that point, completing 18 of 25 passes for 210 yards and two touchdowns with no picks.
It will be a big loss for Baylor if Petty is unavailable for their final game of the season considering that he is a key part of their success this season. Petty is 15th among starting quarterbacks in total offense this season, averaging 312.1 yards per game. If he is deemed unfit, though, the onus on leading the offense falls to backup Seth Russell.
Russell was good in his cameo appearance against Texas Tech, completing 8 of 17 passes for 82 yards and a touchdown. Still, Russell is no Petty who has already accumulated 2,683 passing yards and 23 touchdowns this season as the starter for the Bears.
With their passing game in question against K-State, it’s highly important for Shock Linwood to carry the torch for Baylor once again. Linwood stepped up in Petty’s absence, rushing for 158 yards and two touchdowns against the Red Raiders as he became the fifth Baylor running back to pass the 1,000-yard mark in the last five seasons.
He will have his work cut out for him, though, this coming Saturday against the Wildcats who allow just 126.4 YPG on the ground this season, 24th in the FBS.
