Here are three teams on upset alert in week 12 of the 2020 college football season.
*Spreads are according to TeamRankings as of Tuesday night.*
17 Iowa State Cyclones (-11)
17 Iowa State Cyclones (5-2) vs. Kansas State Wildcats (4-3)
When: Saturday, November 21 | 4:00 PM EST
Watch: FOX
After starting the season 4-1, Kansas State has lost back-to-back games. The first of the two was a rough 37-10 loss against West Virginia. The other one was much more competitive, as they lost to Oklahoma State 20-18. The Wildcats were leading this game 12-0 at halftime before blowing that lead in the second half. Earlier this season, the Wildcats beat the Oklahoma Sooners 38-35, so they do have some experience with ranked teams this season, and that can carry into their game against Iowa State this Saturday.
Unlike Kansas State’s two-game losing streak, the Cyclones are on a two-game winning streak. They only lost one game since their season opener, which was a 31-14 loss to Louisiana. Louisiana is now ranked in the AP Top 25, and so is Oklahoma State, which is the other loss Iowa State has so far this season. One thing the Cyclones will want to fix is turnovers. Quarterback Brock Purdy has thrown at least one interception in the teams’ last three games, including three in their most recent game.
18 Oklahoma Sooners (-7)
18 Oklahoma Sooners (5-2) vs. 14 Oklahoma State Cowboys (5-1)
When: Saturday, November 21 | 7:30 PM EST
Watch: ABC
Although Oklahoma State is ranked higher, they are still about a touchdown-sized underdog in this game according to the spread. The Cowboys bounced back from an overtime loss against Texas by beating Kansas State 20-18. Oklahoma State is giving up a just a little under 18 PPG so far this season, and that can be a big factor in this game against a high-tempo Sooner offense. The Cowboys of course have Chuba Hubbard in the backfield, but halfback La’Darren Brown has compiled 60 carries for 372 yards this season, taking some of the workload off of Hubbard.
After a shaky 1-2 start to the season, Oklahoma has won four games in-a-row. They scored at least 53 points in three of those four wins, including 62 points in back-to-back weeks. They have been using the run and the pass, as runningback Rhamondre Stevenson rushed for 191 yards and five touchdowns in the teams last two games. However, their last four opponents currently have a combined record of 11-18, so Oklahoma State should give the Sooners a tougher game than some of their recent opponents.
Washington Huskies (-7)
Washington Huskies (1-0) vs. Arizona Wildcats (0-1)
When: Saturday, November 21 | 8:00 PM EST
Watch: FOX
Arizona started their season with a 34-30 loss to USC. The game was tied at 20 after three quarters before the Trojans edged out the win. Arizona had success offensively, as they had 286 yards through the air, and runningback Gary Brightwell added 112 yards on the ground. They will want to prevent as big of a game from Washington’s quarterback as they did against USC, as Kedon Slovis threw for 325 yards, a touchdown and no picks against Arizona.
Washington started their season with a 27-21 win over Oregon State. The Huskies had three backs with at least nine carries, including Sean McGrew, who ran for 91 yards and a touchdown in just nine attempts. Defensively, the team settled down, as they allowed 21 points in the first half, but none in the second half. They also allowed just 85 passing yards and had an interception in the matchup. If they can control the tempo of this game, it could be a big factor in their path to victory and a 2-0 start to their season.
Featured Image Courtesy of 247Sports.
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