2015 Frogs O' War Staff Picks: Week 7

Rusty and Samantha topped everyone last week with a 9-1 record. It was good enough to give Rusty the outright lead in the standings, while Samantha is no longer the cellar dwellar. That title goes to Scott, who, while he was at ACL, received a 5-5 for his non-picks, and a tip of the hat for the fantastic video he tweeted out as TCU beat Kansas State.

Rank	Name	This Week	All Time	% Correct	Closest Score
1	RustyFrog	9-1	60-13	82.2%	5
2	HToadSwayze	7-3	59-14	80.8%	8
T-3	Andrew Felts	8-2	59-14	80.8%	8
T-3	Mason Jamboogie	8-2	59-14	80.8%	7
T-3	Marshall Weber	8-2	59-14	80.8%	5
6	Melissa Triebwasser	7-3	58-15	79.5%	11
7	Jamie Plunkett	7-3	56-17	76.7%	6
T-8	Simone Elices	8-2	54-19	73.9%	1
T-8	Hawkeyed Frog	8-2	54-19	73.9%	7
10	Samantha Calimbahin	9-1	53-20	72.6%	6
11	Warrior Horned Frog	7-3	52-21	71.2%	7
12	Scott Boase	5-5	50-23	68.5%	2

Big 12

No. 2 Baylor (5-0) vs. West Virginia (3-2)

Jamie Plunkett: Baylor 56, West Virginia 24 - Baylor won't mess around with West Virginia after last year's loss.

Marshall Weber: Baylor 45, West Virginia 28 - Baylor gets a semi-decent look into reality. Yes, they played Tech better than TCU did; but in neutral atmosphere and rather than the soupy, tortilla tornado, post-rain atmosphere in Lubbock counts for something. Baylor is playing at Mighty Mclane, which is my name for it because it sounds like a kid's cheeseburger, so they won't lose; but it won't be the slaughter that it has been for them as of late. Seth Russell may also have to play a whole game.

Melissa Triebwasser: Baylor 54, West Virginia 31 - This will be the first time that Baylor has been anything close to tested in the young season, as they will face a team that actually fields a defense. But without their best player in the secondary - and one of the best defenders in the conference period, the Eers won't be able to put up much of a fight. Skyler Howard's turnover troubles on the road continue, and the Bears run away in half #2.

Hawkeyed Frog: Baylor 45, West Virginia 28 - West Virginia's defense does an admirable job slowing down the Baylor attack, but the Mountaineer's offense can't make the first downs consistently to get them the rest they need, or the explosive plays to keep up on the scoreboard.  Eventually, they crack under the pressure.

Andrew Felts: Baylor 52, West Virginia 31 - The Bears extract revenge against one of the two teams that beat them a year ago. In yet another high-scoring affair, Seth Russell leads Baylor to a three-score win via another 300-yard, four-touchdown performance. West Virginia is able to string together drives against the Bears' defense, but their offense can't keep up.

Warrior Horned Frog: Baylor 56, West Virginia 28– Baylor sees their toughest contest yet. Just not tough enough.

Rusty Frog: Baylor 56, West Virginia 35 – This is the 2014 game the Bears want to forget but can’t get off their minds.  I really want West Virginia to get this, but they won’t.  The Bears will overpower them by the 2^nd quarter and get payback for last year.

Scott Boase: Baylor 52, West Virginia 38 - Obviously I would love more than anything for WVU to mess up Baylor's season again, but playing in Waco I just don't see it happening. The Bears only ever choke on the road.

Samantha Calimbahin: Baylor 44, West Virginia 34 - Oh, Baylor will win this one. Because, you know, revenge. It won't come easy though. Baylor will lead the whole game, with West Virginia constantly knocking. But of course Baylor will win. They're in McClane.

Mason Jamboogie: Baylor 55, West Virginia 37 - The Bears are going up against their biggest test yet...and they pull away late in the second and continue to lay a beat down on a Mountaineer squad that looked a lot better before conference play. Seth Russell will have a couple of turnovers, allowing West Virginia to stay in it, but the Bears are getting first place votes (vomits in mouth) and are so high on themselves that they play with more confidence than usual.

Simone Elices: Baylor 55, West Virginia 34 – After a strong start to their season, West Virginia has lost their last two games and things aren’t looking to get any easier with Saturday's trip to Waco. Baylor’s offense seems to be unstoppable at the moment; let’s see how they do against a somewhat competent defense.

HToadSwayze: Baylor 55, West Virginia 31 - Baylor gets revenge from last year. Art Briles goes all Brad Pitt from Troy in post game "IS THERE NO ONE ELSE?!?!?!". Yeah Art, there is. You sill have to go on the road to OSU and oh yeah, TCU.

Kansas (0-5) vs. Texas Tech (4-2)

Jamie Plunkett: Texas Tech 63, Kansas 20 - Tech continues their "we can beat everyone not named TCU or Baylor" tour with a dismantling of the worst team in the FBS.

Marshall Weber: Texas Tech 60, Kansas 17 - Praying for you, Kansas. Tech is a brilliant offensive team, and the day their defense actually comes together, they'll be a legit contender. Getting Iowa State and Kansas the weeks after TCU and Baylor will help them get their footing back and hell, maybe even make a third place run. Like TCU, they just have to outscore people.

Melissa Triebwasser: Texas Tech 66, Kansas 21 - Basketball season is less than a month away! Tech will drop a basketball score on the Jayhawks.

Hawkeyed Frog: Texas Tech 57, Kansas 23 - Texas Tech keeps rolling up points and takes advantage of the one team in the conference that doesn't have any weapons to punch back with.

Andrew Felts: Texas Tech 49, Kansas 24 - Kansas was ranked 5th overall in the USA Today NCAA Men's Basketball Coaches Poll earlier this week, so congrats to them.

Warrior Horned Frog: Texas Tech 42, Kansas 7 – Someone said Kansas has the toughest schedule in the Big 12 because they don't get to play themselves. Ouch.

Rusty Frog: Texas Tech 69, Kansas 14 – Mahomes got back on track against Iowa State last week.  The Jayhawks didn’t let Baylor score nearly as much as I expected last week, but they can’t hold off Tech this week.  The Raiders will boost their own confidence while giving the Jayhawks a swift kick to the groin yet again this season.

Scott Boase: Texas Tech 56, Kansas 24 - I'm never picking Kansas again. Ever.

Samantha Calimbahin: Texas Tech 56, Kansas 14 - Tech will run up the score like crazy. And Kansas will...well, they'll be Kansas.

Mason Jamboogie: Texas Tech 52, Kansas 20 - A division 1 team against Kansas...pick against Kansas. Texas Tech wins big and goes 2-0 in its easiest 2 game stretch in conference play.

Simone Elices: Texas Tech 62, Kansas 10 – Texas Tech should have a field day against a Kansas team that hasn’t shown any signs of improvement this season.

HToadSwayze: Texas Tech 66, Kansas 17 - Tech slaughters KU to the same tune as ISU, but KU is worse at scoring.

Kansas State (3-2) vs. No. 19 Oklahoma (4-1)

Jamie Plunkett: Oklahoma 38, Kansas State 31 - Kansas State will give the Sooners a good game, but they'll fall short, once again.

Marshall Weber: Kansas State 34, Oklahoma 31 - There are no prizes for our Frogs O'War pick 'em; there's just respect. As much as I value being a better picker than my fellow colleagues, I'm going to go against my brain and pick the Wildcats at home.

Melissa Triebwasser: Oklahoma 34, Kansas State 31 - Two wounded ducks face off in a who wants it more game - the team that had their heart ripped out or the team that got embarrassed by the worst version of their biggest rival to date. My heart will be rooting for the Cats, but my head tells me the Sooners are the more talented team.

Hawkeyed Frog: Oklahoma 38, Kansas State 34 - Oklahoma's record in bounce back games is phenomenal, so narrow edge to the Sooners in this one.

Andrew Felts: Oklahoma 35, Kansas State 31 - Kansas State is in the disadvantageous position of having to play an Oklahoma team coming off an emotional loss to Texas in the Red River Rivalry. Since 1997, the Sooners are 8-1 in games immediately following a loss to Texas. Bill Snyder's Wildcats enter the game following back-to-back one-possession losses to Oklahoma State and TCU. At the end of the day, Oklahoma has more talent on the offensive side of the ball, and K-State falls to their third ranked opponent in a row.

Warrior Horned Frog: Kansas State 35, Oklahoma 34 – I think Oklahoma will hate road games for the rest of the season. Fortunately their fans at home still get to watch them eat cream puffs.

Rusty Frog: Oklahoma 42, Kansas State 38 – This will be a battle, with both teams coming off of difficult losses.  The Sooners want to prove the Showdown was a fluke, while the Wildcats are more pissed off than a cat in a cold bath.  I’m giving this one to Oklahoma.

Scott Boase: Oklahoma 27, Kansas State 24 - Unranked Kansas State teams are something like 0-38 vs. ranked Oklahoma teams, not seeing an upset in this one. I doubt the game will feel as close as the score might indicate.

Samantha Calimbahin: Kansas State 35, Oklahoma 27 - Fun fact about me...my favorite team that's not TCU is Oklahoma. But as much as I want to pull for the OU, seeing their offense shushed by Texas last week has me skeptical about what their performance is going to be like against Kansas State, at Kansas State. The Wildcats defense might end up running all over the Sooners, and so might Joe Hubener.

Mason Jamboogie: Oklahoma 48, Kansas State 38 - This game depends on what version of a Bob Stoops' 1 loss Sooner team we get. If it's a pissed off team with a fire under their belly, then I think that the Sooners will more than cover the spread. However, if it is a team that is deflated after a stunning loss to their arch rival, then I think Kansas State would  win by a field goal. However, Baker Mayfield really really really hates losing, so I say that we see the angry team show up.

Simone Elices: Kansas State 28, Oklahoma 27 – This is one of the games I’m most excited for around the country this week. Oklahoma is going to have to do a lot better against Kansas State’s rushing attack than they did against Texas’ if they want to have any chance to win in The Little Apple.

HToadSwayze: Oklahoma 31, Kansas State 24 - Is it time for Oklahoma to do their annual disappearing act and suddenly be terrible after losing one game? I sure hope not.

No. 3 TCU (6-0) @ Iowa State (2-3)

Jamie Plunkett: TCU 56, Iowa State 20 - This is the game where the Frogs get out of this road game funk. I hope.

Marshall Weber: TCU 52, Iowa State 34 - I think Iowa State will hang in for a bit; or possibly after TCU's up big, maybe they'll entertain a comeback. Whatever the case--and though I'm slightly scared because of the Frogs' track record on the road thus far, and given that Ames isn't an easy place to play--I still like TCU big in this game. Gassing the Cylcones on the road is really what this team needs before the bye week. Get the win. Win big. Get some damn, much deserved rest.

Melissa Triebwasser: TCU 55, Iowa State 31 - Call me crazy, but I think this is the most important game to date for the Frogs. TCU desperately needs the bye week, and they need to close a team out in the first half on the road just as much. Iowa State scares me a little bit, and after hearing how the team handled the challenge of Manhattan in the days leading up to the game, another road test, at night, against an inferior opponent is nightmare fuel. BUT, I am hopeful that the young guys learned the lesson that you can't take anybody lightly without getting gashed, and that the old guys have them ready for Ames. Turnovers will decide this game - if the Frogs force a couple early ones, it should be smooth sailing in the second half.

Hawkeyed Frog: TCU 63, Iowa State 39 - It's a good thing that TCU's offense is pretty much unstoppable (at least where ISU is concerned) as the Cyclones bust out a few big plays to keep things interesting.

Andrew Felts: TCU 31, Iowa State 21 - I have a gut feeling that this is last year's "Kansas game." Ames can be a deceptively tough place to play for highly-ranked teams, just ask the 2011 Oklahoma State Cowboys. The ISU faithful should be fired up with a top-five ranked team coming to town for a nationally-televised primetime affair. Even on a night when the Frog offense isn't firing on all cylinders, Trevone Boykin finds a way to improve to 7-0. KaVontae Turpin holds of a Cyclone upset bid with a late special teams touchdown. Frogs probably drop two or three spots in the (completely irrelevant) AP poll.

Warrior Horned Frog: TCU 66, Iowa State 31 – Emergency legislation reinstates Blue Laws in Iowa for the day on Sunday Oct 18.

Rusty Frog: TCU 63, Iowa State 28 – As long as our defense can contain Mike Warren, the Frogs will boost their confidence and ours with a game that should allow GP to take baby aspirin vs the heavier stuff of weeks past.

Scott Boase: TCU 53, Iowa State 18 - No chance, Cyclones. Sorry.

Samantha Calimbahin: TCU 40, Iowa State 24 - So this is supposed to be a "style points" game, I guess. However, I'm going to give Iowa State a few more points considering TCU seems to have some legitimate struggles on the road. I'm sure a bunch of weirdly missed tackles and defensive players randomly slipping on the grass will give a few touchdowns to the Cyclones. Plus, Iowa State has been averaging about 28 points per game, so I can see some decent offense happening on their part.

Mason Jamboogie: TCU 59, Iowa State 20 - Yes the past two conference road games ended with TCU trailing near the end and having to pull a win out in the final seconds of the fourth, but I HOPE that this game is a start of a change in that heart pounding habit. Derrick Kindred gets another interception, and the defense causes two fumbles. Josh Doctson does Josh Doctson things, and Listenbee makes his return with the patented deep shot from Deuce. Frogs (hopefully) roll.

Simone Elices: TCU 63, Iowa State 21 – Probably going to get more of the same from TCU this weekend; their offense looks unstoppable, while their defense struggles. Let’s just hope that  those struggles aren’t as bad this week as they were on the road against Kansas State.

HToadSwayze: TCU 63, Iowa State 34 - Gary Patterson was very angry with his team for overlooking Kansas State. We will come into Ames ready to roll and lay an absolute beat down on the Cyclones.

Around the Country

No. 20 Northwestern (5-1) vs. No. 17 Iowa (6-0)

Jamie Plunkett: Iowa 27, Northwestern 17

Marshall Weber: Northwestern 28, Iowa 24

Melissa Triebwasser: Northwestern 31, Iowa 28

Hawkeyed Frog: Iowa 23, Northwestern 20

Andrew Felts: Northwestern 21, Iowa 20

Warrior Horned Frog: Northwestern 28, Iowa 24

Rusty Frog: Iowa 24, Northwestern 21

Scott Boase: Northwestern 23, Iowa 17

Samantha Calimbahin: Northwestern 34, Iowa 24

Mason Jamboogie: Northwestern 20, Iowa 18

Simone Elices: Iowa 27, Northwestern 24

HToadSwayze: Northwestern 21, Iowa 17

Memphis (5-0) vs. No. 13 Ole Miss (5-1)

Jamie Plunkett: Ole Miss 42, Memphis 35

Marshall Weber: Ole Miss 28, Memphis 25

Melissa Triebwasser: Ole Miss 42, Memphis 34

Hawkeyed Frog: Ole Miss 37, Memphis 30

Andrew Felts: Ole Miss 41, Memphis 30

Warrior Horned Frog: Ole Miss 42, Memphis 21

Rusty Frog: Ole Miss 38, Memphis 28

Scott Boase: Ole Miss 54, Memphis 38

Samantha Calimbahin: Ole Miss 31, Memphis 24

Mason Jamboogie: Memphis 31, Ole Miss 30 - VIVA LA FUENTE

Simone Elices: Ole Miss 31, Memphis 28

HToadSwayze: Ole Miss 38, Memphis 35

No. 12 Michigan (5-1) vs. No. 7 Michigan State (6-0)

Jamie Plunkett: Michigan 30, Michigan State 21

Marshall Weber: Michigan 28, Michigan State 24

Melissa Triebwasser: Michigan 31, Michigan State 27

Hawkeyed Frog: Michigan 24, Michigan State 13

Andrew Felts: Michigan State 31, Michigan 27

Warrior Horned Frog: Michigan 21, Michigan State 20

Rusty Frog: Michigan 31, Michigan State 28

Scott Boase: Michigan 27, Michigan State 18

Samantha Calimbahin: Michigan 35, Michigan State 31

Mason Jamboogie: Michigan 33, Michigan State 24

Simone Elices: Michigan 24, Michigan State 21

HToadSwayze: Michigan 28, Michigan State 20

No. 9 Texas A&M (5-0) vs. No. 10 Alabama (5-1)

Jamie Plunkett: Alabama 27, Texas A&M 21

Marshall Weber: Alabama 34, Texas A&M 31

Melissa Triebwasser: Alabama 37, Texas A&M 31

Hawkeyed Frog: Texas A&M 40, Alabama 31

Andrew Felts: Alabama 27, Texas A&M 21

Warrior Horned Frog: Texas A&M 42, Alabama 35

Rusty Frog: Texas A&M 35,  Alabama 31

Scott Boase: Alabama 35, Texas A&M 31

Samantha Calimbahin: Texas A&M 37, Alabama 30

Mason Jamboogie: Alabama 38, Texas A&M 37

Simone Elices: Alabama 42, Texas A&M 28

HToadSwayze: Alabama 35, Texas A&M 31

No. 6 LSU (5-0) vs. No. 8 Florida (6-0)

Jamie Plunkett: LSU 35, Florida 20

Marshall Weber: LSU 20, Florida 17

Melissa Triebwasser: LSU 34, Florida 24

Hawkeyed Frog: LSU 20, Florida 12

Andrew Felts: LSU 27, Florida 14

Warrior Horned Frog: LSU 35, Florida 28

Rusty Frog: LSU 41, Florida 38

Scott Boase: LSU 24, Florida 20

Samantha Calimbahin: Florida 24, LSU 20

Mason Jamboogie: LSU 31, Florida 23

Simone Elices: LSU 45, Florida 17

HToadSwayze: LSU 23, Florida 20

I don't really know why you sent this

Mason Jamboogie: PENN STATE 30, OHIO STATE 3