By: David Ware (@DavidWare)
Fool Me Once, Shame On You, Fool Me Twice Shame On Me!
This is the section where I get to eat crow and offer a formal apology to everyone at Oklahoma! This week they came out and put 52 points on the scoreboard. I know some people will say, well they played Notre Dame, but in two weeks so far they are averaging 48.5 points a game. That is good for second-best in the league. They lead the league in offensive yards per game with a whopping 619 yards per game and have the most balanced offense in the whole league. They are averaging 315 passing yards a game and 304 rushing yards per game! Oklahoma has made a fool out of my predictions on the Big 12.
Another mind-blowing fact about the Sooners is that with all this offense, they have only had one turnover all season. Junior Halfback William Avery rushed for three touchdowns this week in the huge win. Quarterback Himoteo Del Este had a total of 489 yards of offense in the win and four touchdowns. I am not sure how many more games I can pick against Oklahoma at this point, but they will have their work cut out when conference play opens up.
Like a Phoenix From the Ashes
The season started rough for the LSU Tigers, who had their heart destroyed in Week One as they lost by two points to a very good Florida State team. In Week Two they had to face Michigan, who nearly made the championship game last season and are looking to overcome a tough three-point week one loss as well.
This game had all the makings for an instant classic and it did not disappoint the LSU faithful. With three seconds left the Tigers kicked a field goal to win the game 33-31 and send Michigan home with their second straight heartbreaker.
The transfer Quarterback Sean Keohane had a fantastic night as he threw for 428 yards and two touchdowns. The official “unofficial” player of the game is kicker Noah Schafer, who was three for three with field goals including the game-winner as time expired. Two of those field goals came in the fourth quarter. Free Safety Cash Thomas must be mentioned for his very dominating performance; 10 tackles, and an interception.
Do You See This Pattern Too?
Do you believe in coincidences? Sophomore Cornerback Valente Martinez has been on a roll since Week Seven of last season. Looking at his game logs you will find a unique pattern as in every other game since Week Seven he has had an interception and out of those interception games, every other one has been a two-interception game.
To add even more craziness, when he gets two interceptions, he also gets a defensive touchdown in the game as well. This week in Texas’s 52-27 win against Penn State he had two tackles, two interceptions, and a touchdown.
The Other Big 12 Results
Colorado lost to Miami 34-44
Texas A&M defeats Clemson 55-24
West Virginia lost to Virginia Tech 37-47
Big12 Schedule Week 3
Monday
LSU hosts Auburn (6:30 Twitch)
Wednesday
Texas hosts Alabama (6:30 Twitch)
Texas A&M travels to Florida (6:30 YouTube)
Colorado travels to Tennessee (8:30 YouTube)
Thursday
Oklahoma hosts Georgia (6:30 Twitch)
West Virginia hosts Kentucky (8:30 YouTube)
Potential Big 12 Game of the Week
Two games will be huge this week in the Big 12. The first is on Monday as LSU has their third straight top-five matchup as they play the Auburn Tigers. The Auburn lost in the championship last year, but have dominated the majority of their games since Justin Duke has taken over as AD. For 1-1 LSU, this is a massive test. This game can come down to the final play again for the Tigers.
The other game happens on Wednesday night. Texas has their hands full this week as they host the Crimson Tide and try to get their second win of the season. Alabama coming off a (2-0) start would love to go undefeated out of conference. The Texas defense may have something to say about that. This game should be a nail-biter, much like the past several games. The last four matchups have been a one-score difference, with both teams winning two of the games. This is a possible game of the week.
