Fortune Teller: Wisconsin gifts Ohio State the help it needs
Once a week, psychics around the country gather with a giant crystal ball and attempt to read the future of college football. Ahead of the 2016 season's 14th - and final - slate of games, here are the fortunes they revealed:
Westbrook extends TD streak ... with ease
Sept. 17 was the last time Dede Westbrook played a game and didn't record a touchdown. The Oklahoma wideout has 15 of them in eight games since, and it won't take more than the first half against Oklahoma State's vulnerable pass defense for him to stretch the streak to nine.
With a touchdown already in his back pocket, Westbrook will head into halftime thinking he might as well collect another score in the second half as a last-minute attempt to push his Heisman Trophy argument. Pencil him in for two TDs against the Cowboys, one in each half, giving him 17 total for the season.
Wisconsin wins the Big Ten
Injuries have battered Wisconsin all year, but that didn't stop the Badgers from reaching the Big Ten title game. Standout linebacker Chris Orr went out in the season opener in just the first of many significant injuries the residents of Camp Randal overcame this year. That bodes well for Ohio State, whose playoff aspirations may depend on Penn State not winning this game.
The good news for Ohio State is that the cream usually has a way of rising to the top, and the Buckeyes are the cream of the Big Ten. They need not bite their nails while watching this one, as Wisconsin will do 'em a favor and knock off the Nittany Lions - with or without the help of quarterback Alex Hornibrook, who spent the week dealing with a head injury.
Baylor goes out with a thud
Baylor appeared to throw in the towel on this season long ago, and it's reflected in their run defense. Mired in a five-game losing streak, the Bears have surrendered 200 rushing yards in four of their five defeats. The one anomaly came last week, when Texas Tech annihilated them through the air instead.
West Virginia, meanwhile, comes in averaging 173.6 rushing yards per game, meaning the Mountaineers need only an extra 26.4 to hit 200. It'll be fairly easy pickings against Baylor, especially if Rushel Shell returns from injury to suit up for senior day. Even without him, and possibly without junior Justin Crawford, West Virginia has freshman Martell Pettaway, who ran for 181 yards on Iowa State by himself last week. Book West Virginia for 200 yards on the ground, and Baylor for a long offseason.