LSU vs. Texas the cream of the Big 12 crop of games
The Big 12's second week arrives, with a huge national showdown, another interesting game against the SEC and two Division I-AA games involving Oklahoma teams. Here is a ranking of the games, an upset special and a coach on the hot seat:
1. LSU at Texas, 6:30 p.m., ABC: A victory by the Longhorns could make the game in Dallas the biggest Red River showdown since 2008.
2. West Virginia at Missouri, 11 a.m., ESPN2: The quarterback transfer from Oklahoma (Austin Kendall) who backed up Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray vs. the quarterback transfer from Clemson (Kelly Bryant) who backed up Deshaun Watson and wouldn't back up Trevor Lawrence.
3. Coastal Carolina at Kansas, 6 p.m., ESPN+: What exactly is a chanticleer? “A rooster; used as a proper name in medieval fables,” according to dictionary.com.
4. Bowling Green at Kansas State, 11 a.m., Fox Sports Oklahoma: Can K-State build momentum before heading to Starkville for an SEC showdown against Mississippi State?
5. Texas-San Antonio at Baylor, 3 p.m., Fox Sports Oklahoma: The Roadrunners are 1-6 alltime against the Big 12; the lone win was 17-10 in Waco two years ago.
6. Texas-El Paso at Texas Tech, 7 p.m., Fox Sports Oklahoma: Old Border Conference rivals have started playing again — fifth meeting in the last 14 seasons — after playing only thrice between 1957 and 2006.
7. McNeese State at Oklahoma State, 6 p.m., ESPN+: McNeese is OSU's seventh opponent from Louisiana in the last 23 seasons, joining Louisiana Tech, Louisiana-Lafayette, LouisianaMonroe, Southeastern Louisiana, Northwestern State and Grambling State. But the Cowboys haven't played LSU since 1956 and never have played Tulane.
8. South Dakota at Oklahoma, 6 p.m., Pay-per-view: OU never has played a team from the Dakotas.
Coach on the hot seat
In November 2016, both LSU and Texas were courting Tom Herman. The LSU job was open — Les Miles was fired in September — and the Texas job was about to be, as the Charlie Strong regime limped to a finish.
Herman chose Texas, and LSU settled for Ed Orgeron. Both schools are happy with their choices. Orgeron, the ultimate Cajun, is 26-9 as head coach of the Tigers. Herman is 18-10 with the Longhorns but last season beat Southern Cal, Oklahoma and Georgia.
Texas has returned to the national spotlight, but it's not easy to stay there. In the conference, the `Horns play OU, Iowa State, TCU and Baylor all away from Austin.
UT finally has a winning quarterback in Sam Ehlinger and an apparent QB edge over LSU's Joe Burrow. The pressure is on Herman to keep the Texas momentum going.
Upset special
Les Miles has Kansas fans at least casting an eye toward football. And last week's announced attendance of 32,611 was much more than the Jayhawk norm of recent years.
Miles might indeed turn around the Jayhawks. But there will be growing pains. KU survived Indiana State 24-17 last week, only with a late touchdown drive that wiped out a 17-16 deficit.
Kansas remains low on talent and scholarship players. Meanwhile, Coastal is in its third season as a full member of Division I-A. The Chanticleers are 8-16 the previous two years.
But they've been to South Carolina and lived to tell about it (a 49-15 loss last year) and they've been hanging out together all week in upstate Greenville, escaping Hurricane Dorian.
Kansas is a 10½ point favorite, but let's go with the Chanticleers in the upset.