A Reason To Watch

By Big12-Fans Writer Zach Ocken

Ahh, NCAA football, the one sport in the world where if you don't win every single game, you're done. By Saturday 59 teams will already be on the outside of Sun Devil Stadium looking in. The playoff starts the last day of August and does not end until early December. Win and your hopes stick around for another week, lose and you are religated to a prayer, one that is very rarely answered.

With that said there is a reason to watch every single game this season in the Big 12, and I will give you that reason every single week. So without further ado lets get started.

North Texas at Texas

Few who do not wear burnt orange would see any reason to watch this clear over match. The game should be over by half, but like most games in the preseason it is not about win or lose, it is about answering a few questions. How well can first time starter Colt McCoy command the field? Is the offense going to be able to find the boat load of yards they lost when Vince Young went to the Titans in this years draft? Now most of these questions will not be answered by a cleary overmatched North Texas team, but you should get an idea.

Prediction: Texas by 30

UAB at Oklahoma

You had better believe the Sooners will not be taking their home/season opener lightly again. Last years home loss to TCU set a sort of pace for the Sooners the rest of the year and catapulted TCU into the national headlines. While Birmingham is no TCU they are no slouches either, and with OU losing sophomore starter Rhett Bomar to scandal there seem to be more questions right now than answers for the Oklahoma offense. If Thompson can come out and prove himself in this game he may be able to take some pressure off Heisman canidate Peterson, if not expect teams to be loading the box on Oklahoma for a good time to come.

Prediction Oklahoma by 17

Louisiana Tech at Nebraska

Like OU's opener last year an uninspireing prefromance to start the year by the Huskers against Maine last year seemed to set a tone of inconsistancy. Nebraska is looking to get out of the gate faster this year and play a Bulldog team that is well above Maine's level. Nebraska is also a team with many questions coming into the season. Can the Huskers establish a running game? Can the offensive line keep Taylor off his back? How will the Defensive backfield hold up? Insight, if not answers to these questions will be given against LaTech, but far from enough to hang you hat on.

Prediction NU by 20

SMU at Texas Tech

This game should answer about as many questions as the Texas/North Texas game, but I am here to give you a reason to watch this game. That reason is offense. If you enjoy high scoring, high flying games, this is your bag of tea. First year starter Graham Harrell will have a chance to show off his gun a bit, but should be largley unchallenged by the overmatched SMU defense. You may get a sense of how well the Raider D can play, but it won't be much.

Prediction Tech by 30

Toledo at Iowa State

We finally get to our first real challenge. If Dan McCarney does not have his boys ready this game could have upset written all over it. This should be a game well into the 4th quarter and that alone should be enough to get you to watch, but there are more reasons. First off this game should display how well the Cyclone defense can hold up. Second it will be a chance to show of what should be a very high powered offense in Ames. If this does not give you reason to watch this game, pick another sport.

Prediction Iowa State by 10

The Citadel at Texas A&M

The easiest game to find a reason to watch is immediatly followed by the toughest. I can find very little for a non-Aggie to watch in this game, and believe me I have spent a lot of time on it. This game will go nowhere to proving whether A&M deserves any respect coming into the season. It will prove very little about the team. But my goal is to find a reason to watch all 98 games this season, and that is what I will do. The reason to watch aTm vs The Citadel? Big runs. If you enjoy seeing a QB dart from the pocket and break off huge gains, watch this game, McGee should do it a lot.

Prediction A&M by 35

Murray State at Missouri

Ok... no one said this would be easy, but I will press on. This is about the same as the A&M game. It will show very little about the team and serves more as a warm up. For one, this marks the end of the 21 year Brad Smith era. It also starts with head coach Gary Pinkle's butt planted firmly in the hot seat. This will be one of the main story lines throughout the year in the Big 12 so might as well watch it from the start. A glimpse at possible future star QB Chase Daniel.

Prediction Mizzou by 25

Montana State at Coloardo

Hey this is the first week give me a break, but we are starting to get into some of the more juicy storylines again. This is the beginning of the Dan Hawkins era in Colorado, the ball will start flying in the thin mountain air. This game will not show much about how his tenior will go but it will give a glimpse into the future of Buff football. Fans of North teams will be served well to pay attention to this game, but remember to take the results with a grain of salt. This may also be the first, and last, chance stud kicker Mason Crosby will have a chance to break 70 yards.

Prediction Colorado by 30

Northwestern State at Kansas

Another warm up game, that will show very little. But we should get a glimpse of a loss riddled defense, and if it will be able to return to its form from last year. Although it will be a lot to ask, even a fraction of last years D will go a long ways for the 'Hawks. The reason for this will be what looks to be a slightly more potent offense. Again this game will showcase little of either of these but will give you a clue of how the Fighting Manginos are fairing.

Prediction Kansas by 30

Missouri State at Oklahoma State

Wait a minute, Missouri State plays football? Regardless, this marks year two of the Mike Gundy regime, and Pokes fans are chomping at the bit for a little respect. This game, like all but about 2 of the games this week, will not go far towards their end. But it will give a glimpse as to what the QB situation looks like and if RB Hamilton can finally get into the endzone. The Cowboys are going to need a pretty big game to turn any heads, they should march Mizzou State out of Stillwater.

Prediction Oklahoma State by 25

TCU at Baylor

Now we are back to the fun. This game is huge, for both teams. Bet you thought it would be a long time before a top 25 team considered Baylor a major game, but these ain't your pa's Bears. Baylor will unveil for the first time their spread offense, and have a decent QB in Bell to run it. Baylor has speed to spare, but what it has in speed it lacks in strength. If the spread helps offset this difference at all the Bears have more than a fighting chance in this game, and believe me when I say... TCU knows this.

Prediction TCU by 7

Illinois State at Kansas State

Another first week cupcake, but this is not all for loss. Thus marks the end of the Snyder era and the beginning of the Prince era. Make no mistake Prince's job is not nearly as large as Snyder's was when he got to KSU but it is a fairly large one. The Wildcats are only 2 deep at QB so a dispute there is almost unavoidable. If there is nothing short of a blowout here expect those whispers to start early. All and all just getting a glimpse of one of the most unpredictable teams in the Big 12 will be worth watching this game.

Prediction K-State by 25