It's finally here. There will be college football on your television tonight, even though the Big 12 won't get started until Saturday.
I'll be sticking around Dallas to watch games at home Saturday, but on Sunday night I'll be at Floyd Casey Stadium for Baylor's season-opening showdown against SMU.
How'd I do last year? I'm glad you asked. I'll be keeping track of my weekly record as the season goes along.
Without further ado, here's who I've got in Saturday's Big 12 games. Spoiler alert: I have every Big 12 team winning.
Last season: 67-19 (.779)
West Virginia 47, Marshall 14: I sense some nerves on the part of a few West Virginians. No worries, though. The offense will be as good as advertised. The first quarter will be a little rough, but the Mountaineers will take care of business and won't make the fans sweat.
Iowa State 28, Tulsa 24: The Cyclones are a good team, and you always hear they'd do much better in a league that wasn't quite as difficult. How's C-USA sound? Iowa State's the underdog, but it's the better team in this one, even if Tulsa's going to contend for a league title. Steele Jantz will make some more magic happen in the fourth quarter.
Kansas 38, South Dakota State 14: Charlie Weis' debut will go well, and Dayne Crist will look very good as well. Look out for Kale Pick to make a big impact: eight catches and 100 or more receiving yards for the former quarterback in this one.
Kansas State 34, Missouri State 10: Don't expect Kansas State to look very impressive. Bill Snyder is about winning, not blowouts. Still, Missouri State won't be able to stop the running game, and Kansas State will eliminate the mistakes that plagued it in last year's near disaster. Overpowering.
Oklahoma State 172, Savannah State 4: I'm sticking with my offseason prediction on this one. Savannah State just might be the worst four-year college football team in America. The Tigers have two wins in the FCS in the past two years. Both wins have been tight decisions over some school called North Carolina Central. Who gets to play those guys? Rutgers beat them 48-0 in 2011, if you're into that kind of thing.
Texas Tech 55, Northwestern State 20: There will be lots of offense here. Texas Tech's defense still has question marks, but Seth Doege and his receivers do not. On to the next one.
Texas 27, Wyoming 17: The Longhorns have to be careful in this one. A turnover will give Dave Christensen's squad a gift touchdown, but the Longhorns will wear down the Cowboys over 60 minutes with their running game.
Oklahoma 41, UTEP 17: Don't get too wrapped up in the gorgeous views from the Sun Bowl. Mike Price's Miners are in for a long night after the sun goes down. The Sooners won't mess around in the opener, and they'll build a two-touchdown lead by halftime, cruising to an opening win as the Big 12's only team on the road in Week 1.
Baylor 41, SMU 31: This is my pick of the week. Come back later today for a video on this game.
103.3 FM ESPN PODCASTS
Play Podcast Kirk Herbstreit joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett to discuss Bob Stoops' recent comments about the SEC and the pending college football playoff, what appears to be an unpredictable Big 12 in 2013, how the Aggies will handle expectations and more.
Play Podcast Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin talks about the improvements being made to Kyle Field, what those improvements will to for the program, the success of last year, Johnny Manziel's offseason and the expectations for the Aggies in 2013.
Play Podcast Scott Van Pelt and Ryen Russillo talk about Texas A&M's decision to expand its stadium and say although the Aggies had a fantastic year, the school must also be careful not to overextend its resources based on a single hot stretch.
Play Podcast Baylor head coach Art Briles joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett to discuss what kind of player the Cowboys are getting in Terrance Williams.
Play Podcast Arlington and Texas A&M product Luke Joeckel, the potential No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft, joins Ian Fitzsimmons and Richard Durrett to discuss the draft, coaches and advice from his dad.
Play Podcast Florida Gulf Coast athletic director Ken Kavanagh joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett to discuss his school's Cinderella story and playing in the Sweet 16 at Cowboys Stadium.
Play Podcast Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby joins Fizsimmons & Durrett to discuss Cowboys Stadium as a venue, the state of Big 12 basketball, the new 2014 college football format, why there's no hurry to have a Big 12 football championship and much more.
Play Podcast Jay Bilas joins Fitzsimmons and Durrett to discuss the remaining 16 teams in the NCAA tournament, the intrigue surrounding the Northwest Region and the excitement over FGCU, even though a similar story happens every year.




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