3 games to watch in the Big 12: Oklahoma State takes its show on the road

The Big 12's version of Separation November trudges on this week as the conference hopes to produce at least one team for the four-team national playoff.

The only game this week featuring a matchup of "big four" squads is a doozy. Suddenly-hot No. 12 Oklahoma ventures to Waco to play unheralded No. 6 Baylor. This one is so big, the ESPN cameras, the Gameday set built by Home Depot and Lee Corso's two headgears will be on site to kick off the college football Saturday.

No. 12 Oklahoma at No. 6 Baylor
Saturday, Nov. 14, 8 p.m. ET (ABC)

How has freshman Jarrett Stidham responded to getting the starting nod for BU? One look at the Big 12 passing efficiency chart and you'll see Stidham's name at the top with a rating of 229.0, ahead of Seth Russell's 189.7. Yes, it doesn't look as if the quarterback position is any problem for the Bears.

The big question is what is the pulse of their defense? Against Kansas State, they couldn't seem to put the clamps on anything, allowing the Wildcats to hang around the entire game before escaping with a 31-24 victory. The Sooners should provide a much stiffer challenge.

Since their inexplicable loss to Texas in October, Baker Mayfield and Co. have been a momentum machine, scoring 58 points per game. But it's the burgeoning defense that has been the story as the Big Red defense leads the Big 12 in scoring defense (18.1 per game), total defense (327.2 yards per game) and pass defense (178.6 yards per game). Most concerning of all, the Big Red also leads the conference in 3.78 sacks per game, led by that ball of energy known as Eric Striker with 7.5 sacks in 2015.

The biggest key to the game could very well be the turnover battle. Baylor is downright stingy in that department, sitting at a plus-11. The Sooners are at a plus-three, but look for Mike Stoops' defense to go all-out in pressuring the precocious Stidham to try to force him into some bad decisions.

No. 8 Oklahoma State at Iowa State
Saturday, Nov. 14, 3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)

Warning: This could be the working definition of a trap game for the Cowboys.

All the elements are there.

• They made national news with a blowout win over a top 10 opponent last week.
• They've got another top 10 team to take on next week.
• They're playing against a team that has shown potential to pull of a big upset.

Check. Check. And check. All three things describe the now-eighth ranked Orange and Black as they come off a big time 49-29 win over previously unbeaten TCU and have a date at No. 6 Baylor next week. But they better take care of the matters at hand as the Bears will have to make an arduous road trip to Ames.

The Cyclones are a team that could either play top-notch ball (a 24-0 clampdown of Texas) or completely lay an egg (a 52-16 loss at Oklahoma). If you catch the 'Clones at the wrong time, or overlook them, they'll bite you right in the loss column.

Quarterback Joel Lanning has given the Cyclone offense a shot of adrenaline since taking over the starting spot, but got derailed by the Sooners. This week, he'll be going against another nasty defense, especially sack-masters Emmanuel Ogbah and Jimmy Bean, who have combined for 14.5 sacks coming in from the edge.

Let's see if the Cowboys have their focus right in this one.

Texas at West Virginia
Saturday, Nov. 14, 12 p.m. ET (ESPNU)

With bowl-eligibility still in question, these two could use a big win here. The Longhorns have won three of their last four and have finally found a happy medium with their two quarterbacks in letting Jerrod Heard (79-134, 1,040 yards) jump start the offense and then bring in former starter Tyrone Swoopes (nine rushing TDs) to manage through the red zone.

WVU quarterback Skyler Howard is the best throwing quarterback between the two teams and has completed 139 of his 250 throws. But the key to this one will definitely be the ball control side of things. Whichever team runs the ball with more effectiveness and keeps the other side's offense on the sidelines will take the W, no doubt.

Wendell Smallwood (954 yards) and Rushel Shell (437 yards) have combined for 11 TDs and average 6.7 and 4.0 yards per carry, respectively. They both went over the century mark in last week's 31-26 win over Texas Tech. The Longhorns rely on their two QBs to set the tone, but D’Onta Foreman (534 yards) has come on strong lately, including a 157-yard, two-touchdown performance in the 59-20 romp over Kansas last week.