Big 12 Football: Ranking The Top 5 Potential Upsets

Big 12 Football: Ranking The Top 5 Potential Upsets In 2013

With every college football season comes big time upsets. The Big 12 is no exception. Last year saw the Baylor Bears upset the No. 1 ranked Kansas State Wildcats and did so in convincing fashion in a 52-24 blowout in Waco, Texas. There have been plenty of other Big 12 upsets since the leagues inception in 1994. Each year, a few teams ignore the medias hype of bigger and better teams and upset them despite talent deficiency and depth.

One of the biggest reasons that the Big 12 hasn't sent a member to the national championship since 2009 is because the national championship contenders seem to fall to underdogs at some point in the season. From the Iowa State Cyclones topping the Oklahoma State Cowboys and the Texas Tech Red Raiders knocking off the Oklahoma Sooners in 2011 along with the 2012 Kansas State at Baylor game.

If the Big 12 wants to send a team to the BCS national championship in the last year before the NCAA Football Playoffs start, the top teams will need to avoid being upset by underdogs.

This year shouldn't be any different. There are several match ups in 2013 that could be tailor made for an upset that will change the outcome of the conference. Some upsets may take the underdog playing perfect and the favored team playing bad, some may be due to being at home in front of a rabid fan base and some may be inexplainable. One thing is for sure: college football is unpredictable and this season is bound to see big time upsets.

The following slides are my top five predictions for the most likely upsets for the 2013 college football season.

No. 5 Mississippi State @ Oklahoma State

The Mississippi State Bulldogs take on the Oklahoma State Cowboys on Aug. 31 for each teams first game of the 2013 season. Oklahoma State is favored and should win this home game, but the Bulldogs will be looking to get an early season marquee win before starting SEC play. This will be the Cowboys big non-conference test and they better be ready when the Bulldogs come to Stillwater.

No. 4 Texas Christian at Texas Tech

The Texas Christian Horned Frogs travel to Lubbock, Texas to take on the Texas Tech Red Raiders on Sept. 14 to open Big 12 play. The Horned Frogs will face a raucous crowd in a night game as new head coach Kliff Kingsbury takes on his very first Big 12 opponent. Expect this to be a great game, just like last years 56-53 triple overtime thriller.

No. 3 Texas at Iowa State

The Texas Longhorns travel to Ames, Iowa to take on the Iowa State Cyclones on Oct. 5. Texas could be ranked in the top 10 at this point in the season and these two teams have similar offensive and defensive styles. The Longhorns are more talented at every position, but the Cyclones will be at home at Jack Trice Stadium, a place where upsets happen often. Look for the Cyclones to challenge in this game.

No. 2 Texas Tech at West Virginia

After a shocking 49-14 blowout win over the No. 4 West Virginia Mountaineers last year, the Mountaineers will be looking to get revenge against a Texas Tech Red Raiders team that could be highly ranked when they travel to Morgantown, W. Va. on Oct. 19. The fans in Morgantown will not be welcoming to the Red Raiders and expect the Mountaineers to put themselves in a great position to upset Texas Tech this fall.

No. 1 Kansas State at Kansas

The Kansas Jayhawks have had a rough go in the Big 12 for the past four years. The Jayhawks are looking for their first Big 12 win since 2010, and one of their biggest chances for a win in 2013 is the against arch rival Kansas State. The Wildcats will be rebuilding this year, and the Jayhawks could catch them off guard.