2015 Frogs O' War Staff Picks: Week 5

Big 12

Iowa State vs. Kansas

Jamie Plunkett: Iowa State 7, Kansas 3 - I literally have no clue how this game will go.

Marshall Weber: Iowa State 24, Kansas 21 - Everyone's favorite Big 12 matchup. Cheekiness aside, Kansas will get better; but they're clearly a long way off. And sadly, this may be the last win Paul Rhoads gets  at Iowa State. As a Rhoades scholar, I'll truly miss him in Iowa. Cheers.

Melissa Triebwasser: Iowa State 24, Kansas 13 - ISU gets their first Big 12 win of the season... and it could legitimately be their last. Kansas on the other hand... Kansas'es.

Hawkeyed Frog: Iowa State 16, Kansas 13 - The Cyclones pick up their only Big 12 win of the season- if it weren't on the road though, I'd probably take the Jayhawks.

Andrew Felts: Iowa State 35, Kansas 20 – When this game kicks off, it will have been 2,212 days since Kansas last won a road football game. And I think it is safe to say that the Jayhawks 31-game road losing streak isn’t coming to an end anytime soon. Iowa State’s offense is too much for the KU defense to solve, and the Cyclones improve to 2-2 with a relatively easy win.

Warrior Horned Frog: Iowa State 17, Kansas 3 - Win or lose, liquor sales continue to climb in Iowa, and a sharp increase now reported in Kansas as well.

Rusty Frog: Iowa State 31, Kansas 26 – Kansas actually averages more points per game than Iowa State, so I don’t think ISU will win this by the projected 16 points.  But they will win.  And no one will notice because it’s Kansas.  Poor Jayhawks.

Scott Boase: Kansas 28, Iowa State 24 – I believed in Kansas last week, and though I'm feeling even less confident about this time around, I am going to go out on a limb and pick them again this week. Something's gotta give.

Samantha Calimbahin: Iowa State 30, Kansas 20 - Ohhhh these teams. I say it's a good game, though, not short on entertainment. Maybe there's a game-changing fumble at the goal line. Or a field goal bouncing off the post. Something like that.

Mason Jamboogie: Iowa State 27, Kansas 16 - Battle for the bottom of the Big 12! Not only is it the battle of who is going to finish second to last in the conference, but this is also Kansas' best chance to win a game for the rest of the season. I don't think they'll get it when Ames.  Jayhawks are about to be the 2006 Detroit Lions of the Big 12...without the #1 pick in the draft.

Simone Elices: Iowa State 33, Kansas 10 – Kansas continues to look like one of the worst teams in the country, while Iowa State is looking to win their first Big 12 game since the end of the 2013 season.

HToadSwayze: Iowa State 28, Kansas 17 - This is a game where I wish both teams could win just because I feel bad for them. Iowa State wins their Big XII opener at home and gets to feel good about themselves.

No. 15 Oklahoma vs. No. 23 West Virginia

Jamie Plunkett: West Virginia 24, Oklahoma 20 - I think West Virginia is the real deal this season. we'll find out how good their defense actually is this weekend in Norman.

Marshall Weber: Oklahoma 31, West Virginia 28 - I also really want to take the 'Eers. Despite their great defense, I think Mayfield, at home, is just too much and West Virginia's offense just can't keep up. Buckle up, there's about to be a lot of #SoonerTalk.

Melissa Triebwasser: West Virginia 38, Oklahoma 34 - The game of the year of the week will take place in Morgantown this weekend, as two early conference favorites vy to take the lead in the championship race. Baker has been rising, but will come back to earth Saturday against an aggressive and angry Eers defense that feels like it has something to prove. I think this game turns on a second half interception, and its WVU that makes the deciding play.

Hawkeyed Frog: West Virginia 27, Oklahoma 25 - To win in Norman, a team has to be a lot better than Oklahoma.  I think West Virginia just may be that much better.

Andrew Felts: Oklahoma 27, West Virginia 21 – Unfortunately for West Virginia, their first game against a formidable opponent happens to be on the road at the 15^th-ranked Sooners. In a game highlighted by what might be the Big 12’s best two defenses, the Mountaineers are able to shut down Oklahoma’s running game, while also keeping Baker Mayfield in check. Skyler Howard is able to keep the ‘Eers around, but the Sooners score late to seal the win.

Warrior Horned Frog: Oklahoma  35, West Virginia 28 - This will probably be the best game to watch all weekend, as these highly motivated teams will not want to take home the L. The Norman crowd lifts the Sooners over the Mountains Ears. Won't be as big of a score as a certain Texas shootout recently, because, well, Oklahoma's not Texas.

Rusty Frog: West Virginia 41, Oklahoma 38 – I've gone back and forth on this. Call me dumb but I'm going with the Mountaineers. They have an incredible defense, Oklahoma doesn't always play well at home, and the Mountaineers have put up some great yardage every game.  Yes, it'll probably cost me in the standings. Call it a feeling. Plus ESPN wrote an article about Oklahoma being the Big 12 champs. So call me a grudge holder, too.

Scott Boase: West Virginia 35, Oklahoma 28 – West Virginia has the kind of defense we're more accustomed to in Ft  worth. It's straight nasty, y'all. This is going to be a close game until the end I think, with the Mountaineers edging the Sooners out in the end, mainly because it's a day game in Norman and not a night one.

Samantha Calimbahin: Oklahoma 56, West Virginia 52 - Both teams are running hot, but Oklahoma is just a bit hotter. It's a high-scoring game -- one of those "score last to win" situations. For whatever reason, the Mountaineers' generally stellar defense struggles to figure out the Sooners. I say the Sooners survive the struggle in this one.

Mason Jamboogie: Oklahoma 34, West Virginia 27 (OT) - This is my pick for most intriguing Big 12 game of the week. West Virginia has the best defense in the Big 12 (at least in terms of efficiency), and will be a good test to see how Mayfield will play against the rest of the teams in the Big 12. I believe this one will be close, and OU's 2nd overtime game this season, but I give it to the Sooners since they're at home.

Simone Elices: West Virginia 45, Oklahoma 21 – West Virginia boasts one of the top defenses in the Big 12— second only to Oklahoma State— and it will be on display in Norman, Saturday afternoon. If West Virginia wants to cement their place as a serious Big 12 title contender this year, this weekend against a surging Oklahoma team is the time to do it.

HToadSwayze: West Virginia 42, Oklahoma 35 - Man, it sure is frustrating that even the better defenses in the Big XII give up this many points. Baker Mayfield can't do quite enough against what is probably the Big XII's best defense. WVU pulls the upset in Norman.

No. 20 Oklahoma State vs. Kansas State

Jamie Plunkett: Oklahoma State 27, Kansas State 23 - A close game between two teams I can't get a good read on just yet.

Marshall Weber: Oklahoma State 24, Kansas State 21 - I don't believe in Oklahoma State. But I'm only believing in them this weekend because they're at home. Like I said in the preseason, I wasn't sold on Mason Rudolph despite his big Bedlam win. There's still plenty of time to convince me otherwise, however.

Melissa Triebwasser: Oklahoma State 41, Kansas State 28 - I still have no idea who the Cowboys are. But I know who Kansas State is. The Wildcats have been almost as decimated at the quarterback position as the Frogs have been on defense. They just won't be able to score enough to get it done.

Hawkeyed Frog: Oklahoma State 27, Kansas State 10 - Yeah, Oklahoma State isn't great, but Kansas State flat out isn't good.  The Wildcats offense is absolutely miserable and won't be able to get anything going consistently against an aggressive Cowboy front, and the Cowboys will own the field position battle, meaning that even as KSU's defense is pretty good, they're going to be defending short fields a lot.  Think 2013 TCU.

Andrew Felts: Oklahoma State 38, Kansas State 17 – After a relatively pedestrian 3-0 start to the year, Kansas State gets a rude awakening this afternoon in Stillwater. The Cowboys come out swinging in their first home conference game of the year, setting the tone for the game early on. Mason Rudolph orchestrates a solid day for the OSU offense, passing for over 250 yards and three touchdowns. On the other side of the ball, Joe Hubener can’t get things going with the Wildcats’ offense and K-State posts their lowest point total of the young season.

Warrior Horned Frog: Oklahoma State 45, Kansas State 21 - Jayhawks will try to poop on Stillwater, but will just get blasted out of the trees.

Rusty Frog: Oklahoma State 34, Kansas State 24 – Both teams have done well this season, but Mason Rudolph will carry OSU to a win this week.  As long as he has a better game than last week, that is.

Scott Boase: Oklahoma State 27, Kansas State 21 – As usual, Snyder's boys keep it close but just don't have the athleticism or offensive firepower this year to overcome the top teams in the league.

Samantha Calimbahin: Kansas State 31, Oklahoma State 27 - First off, Mason Rudolph will need to polish up and cut down on turnovers. Oklahoma State's defense keeps Kansas State from scoring excessively high, but in the end, K-State's run-heavy offense wins the game.

Mason Jamboogie: Oklahoma State 38, Kansas State 24 - This will be an interesting game to see where Kansas State is really at, I'm a huge fan of Bill Snyder, but I don't think that they can overcome the injuries on offense to win in Stillwater.

Simone Elices: Oklahoma State 21, Kansas State 20 – Even though both teams are undefeated coming into this game, neither has looked particularly convincing in any of their games. Oklahoma State will win a sloppy game after Kansas State fails to capitalize late.

HToadSwayze: Oklahoma State 24, Kansas State 20 - Oklahoma State fails to look super impressive again on Saturday. KSU just can't do enough to win in Stillwater.

Jamie Plunkett: TCU 45, Texas 35 - The Frogs defense will be bolstered a bit by the return of Tuaua, and they'll tackle better than they did a week ago. TCU's offense will get the squad out on top early, and objects in mirror will be accurately displayed for distance from the vehicle.

Marshall Weber: TCU 52, Texas 38 - Sticking with the same score as my preview. One thing I didn't point out however, was the turnover conundrum. One big reason TCU's played closer games than normal in the past two games was that their turnover streak was snapped at 27. The Frogs are so good about capitalizing on turnovers, and that's what usually let's them break away in games. Maybe if they get the fumble call last weekend, we have a different result. Either way, I think Heard does a great job Saturday; he won't throw a lot, but will make the most of what he does. However, given his youth, he's going to make a mistake--I think it comes later as he's trying to put together a comeback and then Boykin and TCU just bleed them out from there.

As a sidenote: Meacham and Doctson know that the latter will be double covered on Saturday. Everyone knows about Texas' promising defensive backs. What a middle school aged fan says on Instagram doesn't need to be BULLETIN BOARD MATERIAL (message board voice). Nor does a grown man need to be offended by it. But you do you .

Melissa Triebwasser: TCU 45, Texas 35 - UT will be able to put points on a TCU defense that will play better - and hopefully tackle Saturday - but the scrambling and play-extending ability of Jerrod Heard will give them fits. I think this looks a lot like SMU - the Frogs are too fast and too good at home to not get off to a hot start on offense against a sleepy Texas D. But the Horns have some fight in them for the first time in quite a while, and won't let the home team totally run away with things. For the D, who hasn't forced a turnover in two games, the game will hinge on a late play by Derrick Kindred, who refuses to lose his senior homecoming.

Hawkeyed Frog: TCU 59, Texas 38 - TCU needs to get off to a good start in this one, but if Texas starts feeling the pressure in this one, they're primed to wilt.  TCU's defense will improve a bit against the pass, but Heard will make some gains on the ground that will be incredibly frustrating for us all day.

Andrew Felts: TCU 41, Texas 27 – Led by another impressive day for the TCU offense, the Frogs notch their first win over Texas in Fort Worth since 1992. Trevone Boykin picks up where he left off in Lubbock, throwing for over 350 yards and three touchdowns. Aaron Green tacks on two more, and the Frogs improve to 5-0 on the year. For the Longhorns, Jerrod Heard has another sluggish performance, as he scores two touchdowns but also commits two turnovers. The Longhorns head back to Austin staring down the barrel of a 1-5 start on the season.

Warrior Horned Frog: TCU 66, Texas 10 - Yeah, we'll take the cupcake win too!

Rusty Frog: TCU 48, Texas 31 – I can see this being a runaway game for TCU, but with our defense this year, I’m not brave enough to predict it here (or jinx us).  Jerrod Heard was sacked 7 times last week, and he seems to be the best thing Texas has right now.  If our defense can shake him up, we might see one of the most fun games we’ve watched all season.

Scott Boase: TCU 57, Texas 35 – In keeping with the point trend, TCU's offense lights up Texas' talented, but young secondary and Aaron Green breaks off a few big runs to put this one out of reach by the 3rd quarter. Heard will keep Texas churning, but won't be able to sustain long drives and falls short.

Samantha Calimbahin: TCU 38, Texas 17 - Someone has to have this score by obligation. I say it happens during the TCU-Texas game if the Frogs defense can make their tackles (I think they will, mainly because everyone else keeps bashing them).

Mason Jamboogie: TCU 51, Texas 31 - According to Aaron Green, the season's early nominee for play of the year has done nothing but motivate the team to play harder. Hopefully that'll translate to tackling harder. Sadly, this game won't be the glorious dismantling of Texas that was last season's Thanksgiving game, large in part due to Jerod Heard. I'm more worried about his legs than his arm. I wouldn't worry too much about them burning us on the deep ball (which is weird to say), but looking at how Matt Davis kept plays alive for SMU, I have some reason for worry. I think Texas will get some frustrating 1st downs on 3rd down thanks to a QB run from Heard, but while Heard might give us fits, TCU's offense will give the Horns a nightmare.

Simone Elices: TCU 52, Texas 17 – When your defense is going through a rough patch, it’s always nice to have an offense that can pick up the slack; Boykin, Doctson, Green, and co. have done exactly that. This game will be a test for our young defense, but I think the combination of being in Fort Worth and Jerrod Heard not being a real threat through the air, will allow our team to settle into the game and build some confidence after a dismal weekend in Lubbock.

HToadSwayze: TCU 41, Texas 27 - The Longhorns will be competitive in this game; probably into the third quarter. Late in the game we are going to turn to last week's hero Aaron Green, and TCU will grind Texas into submission old school.

Around the Country

No. 16 Northwestern vs. Minnesota

Jamie Plunkett: Minnesota 20, Northwestern 17

Marshall Weber: Northwestern 31, Minnesota 20

Melissa Triebwasser: Northwestern 27, Minnesota 24

Hawkeyed Frog: Minnesota 26, Northwestern 22

Andrew Felts: Northwestern 21, Minnesota 17

Warrior Horned Frog: Minnesota 35, Northwestern 28

Rusty Frog:

Scott Boase: Northwestern 24, Minnesota 17

Samantha Calimbahin: Northwestern 30, Minnesota 24

Mason Jamboogie: Minnesota 20, Northwestern 17

Simone Elices: Minnesota 21, Northwestern 17

HToadSwayze: Northwestern 21, Minnesota 17

No. 8 Georgia vs. No. 13 Alabama

Jamie Plunkett: Alabama 34, Georgia 24

Marshall Weber: Alabama 24, Georgia 20

Melissa Triebwasser: Georgia 31, Alabama 28

Hawkeyed Frog: Georgia 31, Alabama 20

Andrew Felts: Alabama 28, Georgia 24

Warrior Horned Frog: Georgia 35, Alabama 28

Rusty Frog: Georgia 40, Alabama 38

Scott Boase: Georgia 34, Alabama 24

Samantha Calimbahin: Georgia 45, Alabama 42

Mason Jamboogie: Alabama 31, Georgia 26

Simone Elices: Alabama 37, Georgia 34

HToadSwayze: Alabama 35, Georgia, 28

No. 25 Florida vs. No. 3 Ole Miss

Jamie Plunkett: Ole Miss 42, Florida 17

Marshall Weber: Ole Miss 31, Florida 17

Melissa Triebwasser: Ole Miss 42, Florida 38

Hawkeyed Frog: Ole Miss 40, Florida 17

Andrew Felts: Ole Miss 28, Florida 23

Warrior Horned Frog: Ole Miss 42, Florida 35

Rusty Frog: Ole Miss 28, Florida 24

Scott Boase: Ole Miss 45, Florida 27

Samantha Calimbahin: Ole Miss 34, Florida 28

Mason Jamboogie: Ole Miss 24, Florida 21

Simone Elices: Ole Miss 42, Florida 27

HToadSwayze: Ole Miss 38, Florida 24

No. 12 Clemson vs. No. 6 Notre Dame

Jamie Plunkett: Clemson 35, Notre Dame 28

Marshall Weber: Notre Dame 31, Clemson 28

Melissa Triebwasser: Notre Dame 35, Clemson 31

Hawkeyed Frog: Clemson 38, Notre Dame 27

Andrew Felts: Clemson 30, Notre Dame 28

Warrior Horned Frog: Clemson 28, Notre Dame 24

Rusty Frog: Notre Dame 40, Clemson 31

Scott Boase: Clemson 34, Notre Dame 31

Samantha Calimbahin: Notre Dame 54, Clemson 49

Mason Jamboogie: Clemson 34, Notre Dame 27

Simone Elices: Notre Dame 31, Clemson 30

HToadSwayze: Clemson 31, Notre Dame 28

No. 14 Texas A&M vs. No. 21 Mississippi State

Jamie Plunkett: Texas A&M 33, Mississippi State 13

Marshall Weber: Texas A&M 38, Mississippi State 31

Melissa Triebwasser: Texas A&M 35, Mississippi State 34

Hawkeyed Frog: Texas A&M 40, Mississippi State 28

Andrew Felts: Texas A&M 38, Mississippi State 30

Warrior Horned Frog: Texas A&M 42, Mississippi State 35

Rusty Frog: Texas A&M 34, Mississippi State 28

Scott Boase: Texas A&M 38, Mississippi State 31

Samantha Calimbahin: Texas A&M 44, Mississippi State 37

Mason Jamboogie: Texas A&M 35, Mississippi State 24

Simone Elices: Texas A&M 27,  Mississippi St. 21

HToadSwayze: Texas A&M 35, Mississippi State 21