Saturday marks the start of Big 12 play for Kansas football, which means victories are going to be even harder to acquire from here on out. The Jayhawks open what figures to be a brutal nine-week stretch with the most winnable game remaining on their schedule: at Iowa State.

However, only the usually pessimistic Tom Keegan thinks this one will even be close. All our our KUsports.com staff pickers are choosing the Cyclones, and everyone except Keegan thinks ISU will win by at least eight points — with most going two-plus touchdowns for the difference.

Does KU have any chance? Weigh in below, in the comments section.

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WEEK 5 MATCHUPS

West Virginia at Oklahoma

Texas Tech at Baylor

Kansas State at Oklahoma State

Alabama at Georgia

Notre Dame at Clemson

Kansas at Iowa State

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Big 12 play is in full effect beginning this weekend. Who do you think will win the conference, and do you think that team will make the College Football Playoff?

Last week: 4-2 | Season: 18-6

I think Baylor, TCU and Oklahoma will
finish in a three-way tie with one
loss apiece, with BU winning the claim
to a conference title via a
scoring-differential tiebreaker. If a
Big 12 team does get into the College
Football Playoff, I think it will be
Baylor. Although the Big 12 will crown
“One True Champion” after last
season’s fiasco between Baylor and
TCU, I wouldn’t be surprised if the
conference is still without a team in
the College Football Playoff. A weak
non-conference slate for most of the
Big 12’s top-tier teams and a lack of
a conference championship game could
very easily keep the likes of Baylor,
TCU or Oklahoma out of the College
Football Playoff again this season.

Last week: 5-1 | Season: 18-6

The one true champion will be a tie
among Baylor, TCU and Oklahoma, each
with one loss, no championship game
and no college football playoff.

Last week: 5-1 | Season: 18-6

I think Baylor football will rise up,
win the Big 12 and receive an
invitation to the College Football
Playoff.

Last week: 5-1 | Season: 18-6

TCU, yes.

Last week: 4-2 | Season: 17-7

For some reason I think it’s Oklahoma,
but once I pick Oklahoma you just know
they’ll lose to West Virginia. I’ll
pick Oklahoma, but obviously TCU and
Baylor would be good choices as well.
I have a sneaky feeling the Big 12
will be shut out of the playoff again.

Last week: 4-2 | Season: 16-8

I’m going with Baylor. I think they’re
more balanced than TCU, I think
they’re a physically tougher team than
the Horned Frogs and I think they’re
playing with that chip on their
shoulder that landed there after they
were picked to finish second in the
conference in the preseason despite
winning back-to-back Big 12 titles.
That kind of stuff is what bonds teams
and drives them to prove people wrong.
That’s a dangerous tool to give an
already incredibly talented team. I
think the Bears can run the table in
the Big 12 and land a spot in the
College Football Playoff.

Last week: 5-1 | Season: 16-8

TCU, Baylor, Oklahoma and Oklahoma
State will finish in a four-way tie,
be ranked 2, 3, 5 and 7 in the final
poll, and nobody from the Big 12 will
make the playoff because there was no
“One True Champion.”

Last week: 5-1 | Season: 16-8

Baylor and TCU will tie, and neither
will make it to the playoffs.

Last week: 3-3 | Season: 14-10

I have to go with TCU after that
unbelievable tipped pass game-winning
touchdown last week against Texas
Tech. Team of destiny. But TCU won’t
make the playoff because it’ll have
one loss. Can’t compete with other
power conferences without a
championship game.

Last week: 3-3 | Season: 11-13

The safe choice seems like Baylor, and
I think that’s the right choice, too.
TCU hasn’t quite played as well as
many expected early in the season, and
I wouldn’t be surprised if the Bears
go undefeated in the regular season. I
think being unblemished easily gets BU
into the Final Four.