Early Window

Tune in For: Texas Tech vs. TCU, 11 a.m. on ESPN2

Outside of Oklahoma/Baylor, this might be the most consequential game of the weekend. Both teams essentially have their seasons on the line, sitting at four wins with three games left in the season, just on the edge of bowl eligibility.

Which version of Max Duggan shows up, the one we saw against Texas or the versions we’ve seen the last two weeks against Oklahoma State and Baylor? Another key is if Jett Duffey can continue has impressive junior campaign against another strong pass defense in TCU. 

Whoever loses this, suddenly looks unlikely to make a bowl so be sure to keep it glued here.

Check Your Phone: 

• UTEP at UAB (12 p.m. on ESPN3): C’mon, do we have to explain why? Now, in UTEP’s defense if you have a second screen available, keeping this one on to watch the likes of Deion Hankins and Jacob Cowing get some burn then go ahead, it’s a light early slate anyway. 

Afternoon Window

Tune in For: Texas at Iowa State, 2:30 p.m. on FS1

Are you in the camp that believes it’s time for Texas to make a change at defensive coordinator? Well good news, they’re only playing one of the most efficient offenses in the nation in Iowa State. 

It’s starting to look like last year’s Sugar Bowl win was the worst thing to happened to Tom Herman with Texas fans expectations being inflated heading into 2019 which was always going to be a reload season in terms of depth on the two-deep.

Regardless of whether or not the hysteria around the program is warranted, a loss to the Cyclones puts the Longhorns in a very real position of going 6-6 with Baylor and Texas Tech to end the season. Keep it locked here because at the very least, you might get an offensive shootout with maybe another Dicker the Kicker moment bound to happen.

Keep an Eye On: Houston vs. Memphis, 2:30 p.m. on ESPN2

Houston has been feisty playing the likes of SMU, Cincinnati and UCF very close for a half before eventually losing out to the more experienced and conditioned team in the second half. 

But for that first half, keep an eye on Clayton Tune and the Coogs since it could be a little preview of what’s to come for Houston in 2020 during Dana Holgorsen’s second season.

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• Texas State vs. Troy (2 p.m. on ESPN3): It’s hard to come out and say outright that this will be a good game. It’s Texas State’s senior day so there will be some emotional fire, but both teams haven’t been impressive this season, especially Troy. If the same Tyler Vitt that came out and threw for over 300 yards last week comes back, this one could get interesting.

• Rice at Middle Tennessee (3:30 p.m. on ESPN+): Oh boy, umm. Rice’s defense has been pretty okay for the last two weeks? JoVoni Johnson might do some fun stuff and show flashes since it’s within the four-game stretch where his redshirt eligibility remains intact! That’s something, right?

Evening Window

Tune in For: Baylor vs. Oklahoma, 6:30 p.m. on ABC

Don’t overthink this. There’s one game this weekend that could lead to a game-changing moment for the program, and it’s in Waco this weekend. 

For the first time this season – and really since 2015 – Baylor football has a national platform against the Sooners. College GameDay will be in Waco and the college football world will all have a close eye on the 9-0 Bears. 

Is Baylor legit? The Bears have beat two ranked opponents and won games against bowl teams by a combined two scores per game. Oklahoma is a measuring stick to prove whether those results are legit. It’s the biggest game of the weekend. 

Keep an Eye On: Texas A&M vs. South Carolina, 6:30 p.m. on SEC Network

This is the last game of the year for Texas A&M that has expectations. South Carolina already proved it can be a giant killer with a win over Georgia earlier in the year. However, the Aggies have generally handled USC since joining the SEC, and that needs to continue in front of a great home crowd. 

From here, the Aggies have punch-up games against LSU and Georgia, two of the top four teams in the country. In many ways, that can be a freeing experience – if anything good happens in those games, that’s tremendous. However, keep an eye and see how Texas A&M handles its business at home. 

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• UTSA vs. Southern Miss (5 p.m. on ESPN+): Southern Miss is one of the best teams in the conference, and UTSA’s four wins this season have a combined zero FBS wins. The Roadrunners have lost the other five games by an average of 31.8 points per game. Unfortunately, expect this one to go the wrong direction. 

Wild Cards

Texas A&M-Commerce vs. Angelo State: This game had a little more luster before ASU lost last week, but this is still potentially a Lone Star Conference playoff game. Both teams are right on the edge of the D-II playoff picture and can lock up a spot with one more quality win. 

Abilene Christian vs. Southeastern Louisiana: ACU has only gotten better under head coach Adam Dorrell, and the Wildcats have a chance to play spoiler on Saturday. SELA is one of four teams still alive for the Southland Conference crown. With a strong performance – which we know they have in them – ACU can clear the field and make it three.

Georgia vs Auburn: This game might not seem like it has much relevance to Texas, but it really could based on where Baylor finishes up. The Bulldogs are ranked No. 4 in the poll, and Auburn has a shot to stay ahead of undefeated Baylor too if it beats both Georgia and Alabama. The result of this game lets Baylor know who they need to root against down the stretch. 

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