The game between the No. 7 Texas Longhorns (7-1) and the No. 23 Kansas State Wildcats (6-2) is as big as it gets. It will play as big a role in determining Texas’ conference title bid as any other game on the schedule.
The Longhorns are 4-1 in conference play. So are four other Big 12 teams. Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Kansas State and Iowa State all fit that description.
Two of the five teams will leave Saturday with two losses. After Texas and Kansas State play, No. 9 Oklahoma and No. 22 Oklahoma State battle for positioning in the standings. Iowa State has a tough game of its own against the No. 21 Kansas Jayhawks who just handed the Oklahoma Sooners their first loss of the year.
Put simply, Texas cannot lose Saturday and hope to make the Big 12 title game. For starters, the loss to Oklahoma gives the Sooners the tiebreaker over Texas. A loss to Kansas State would favor the Wildcats in the same way. And you simply cannot count on Oklahoma State losing any of its last three games. The Cowboys face UCF, Houston and BYU to close the season.
The Longhorns’ playoff hopes certainly rest on a win over Kansas State, but so does its conference title hopes. Saturday is the epitome of a must-win game.
The team will look to secure the victory on Saturday before a national audience at 11 a.m. CT on Fox.