Let's take a look back at the players, trends and themes that will tell the story of Week 13 in the Big 12.
You get an injury and you get an injury and YOU get an injury: Baylor and Oklahoma State will play the biggest game in college football this weekend, but they may both be without some of their best players. OSU WR Josh Stewart (ankle) and CB Justin Gilbert suffered a shoulder injury late. He was reportedly spotted in a sling on OSU's campus this week, even though he said after the win over Texas that he'd be fine. Meanwhile, Baylor will be without receiver Tevin Reese (wrist) and LT Spencer Drango (back). Running backs Glasco Martin (knee) and Lache Seastrunk (groin) sat last weekend against Texas Tech, but could return this week. Either way, the team can get those guys on the field and looking like their usual selves might be the one who leaves a winner.
Musical chairs continues in Norman: Blake Bell looked to suffer a head injury and sat most of Oklahoma's win over Iowa State last week, but the Sooners ran the ball as effectively as they had all season. He reportedly won't return this week. With Trevor Knight at quarterback once again, could the Sooners do the same against Kansas State? The answer lies in Knight's completion percentage. If K-State has to respect his arm, the Sooners can soften up the front seven and be on their way to a win in Manhattan.
QB of the future in Lawrence? Montell Cozart has started one game as a Jayhawk, and all he did was end the Big 12's second-longest conference losing streak (27 games) and start quite the party in Lawrence. He'd played a bit over the last month, but last week was the first time coach Charlie Weis had committed to using him for an extended period of time. He was just 5-of-12 for 60 yards throwing the ball, but his 60 rushing yards kept West Virginia's defense on its heels. Could he do the same against Iowa State and give KU two in a row?
Snowy Stillwater: Even if it's small, there's a chance we could see some snow in Stillwater on Saturday. How much fun would that be? Perhaps more for those of us watching than for those playing and coaching. For now, there's a low of 27 overnight Friday with a 30 percent chance of a wintry mix. Saturday is supposed to be sunny with a high of 39, but could drop below 20 late Saturday night.
Finish on a high note: Iowa State has never struggled like this under Paul Rhoads. The Cyclones are currently sitting on a seven-game losing streak in Big 12 play, but I'm betting the fans at Jack Trice Stadium will still cook up a pretty awesome primetime atmosphere for the final home game of the year. Kansas is clearly a winnable game and it's primetime. Could Iowa State win this one and grab another win in Morgantown next week against WVU, who KU beat in Lawrence last week?
The power of Z: Ty Zimmerman may have suffered a serious ankle injury last week, but Bill Snyder won't be confirming or denying that. He even joked that the team planned on parachuting Zimmerman in for the pregame Senior Day festivities before Saturday's game against Oklahoma. The safe bet is you won't see Zimmerman again this season. He could only watch from the sidelines in crutches as TCU quarterback Casey Pachall rallied TCU and nearly ended the Wildcats' three-game winning streak. How will K-State's defense look without its leader this week?
