TEAM W L THIS WEEK Texas 9 0 def. OU, 68-52; Sat. vs. BU Kansas 8 1 def. Mizzou, 103-86; Sat. vs. ISU Baylor 6 4 def Neb, 74-70; Sat at UT Texas A&M 5 4 def. CU, 73-70 (OT); Sat. at TTU Missouri 4 5 lost to KU, 103-86; Sat. vs. OU Oklahoma 4 5 lost to UT, 68-52; Sat at Mizzou Oklahoma State 4 5 Sat. at Neb Kansas State 4 5 Sat. at CU Colorado 4 6 lost to A&M, 73-70 (OT), Sat. vs. KSU Nebraska 3 6 lost to BU, 74-70, Sat. vs. OSU Texas Tech 3 6 Sat. vs. A&M Iowa State 1 8 Sat. at KU

With just three weeks left in the regular season, the only thing we know for sure about the Big 12 conference is that Kansas or Texas will take home the crown. From third place to the cellar, there is a jumbled mess that likely won’t be sorted out until the final few games of the season. There are currently seven teams within 2.5 games of Texas A&M, a team that is tenuously clinging to fourth place and the bye it brings in the conference tournament.

That murky outlook means that there are a bevy of meaningful games to be played down the stretch, and this Saturday is no exception. There are a pair of games which will break up some of the logjam in the middle of the standings, as the Sooners travel to Mizzou Arena and the Buffaloes and Wildcats have a rematch in Boulder. The Jayhawks, meanwhile, will be keeping an eye on the scoreboard all afternoon, as the Baylor Bears stand to give Texas one of its biggest remaining tests.

Oklahoma at Missouri; Saturday, 12:30 P.M. CT (ESPN Full Court/ESPN3.com)
After getting manhandled at home by Texas on Wednesday night, the road doesn’t get any easier for Jeff Capel and the Sooners. They have managed to climb back into league relevance by grabbing wins against the Big 12’s lesser teams, but now have to head to one of the toughest road venues in the league to take on the Missouri Tigers. All four of Mizzou’s conference wins have come at home, and the Tigers averaged an 18.3-point margin of victory in those four games.

If the Sooners are going to have a chance in this one, they will have to control the basketball and feed big man Andrew Fitzgerald. If he can get Missouri’s Ricardo Ratliffe in foul trouble, Oklahoma will have a decided advantage inside. That’s easier said than done in Columbia, though, and it’s much more likely that the Tigers pressure the Sooners into a ton of mistakes in front of a frenzied crowd.

Texas A&M at Texas Tech; Saturday, 12:30 P.M. CT (ESPN Full Court/ESPN3.com)
The Aggies were just seconds away from a disastrous fourth-consecutive conference loss at Colorado on Wednesday night. B.J. Holmes saved the day, however, nailing a three-pointer from well beyond NBA range with just 1.9 seconds left on the clock. The clutch bucket tied things up, and A&M managed to escape with an overtime win. Now, rather than being 4-5 and chasing a first-round bye in the conference tournament, the Ags are in the driver’s seat and can further solidify their position with a road win in Lubbock.

Tech, meanwhile, has finally started to play like a team filled with upperclassmen. John Roberson is averaging 18.3 points per game over the last six contests, and the Red Raiders managed to post a respectable 3-3 record in those games. Unfortunately for Tech, the last two games in that stretch were losses to Kansas and Texas, and this Saturday’s matchup with A&M precedes road dates with Missouri and Baylor. Even if the Red Raiders can pull off the home upset against the Ags, this brutal stretch will likely kill any momentum they had created.

Iowa State at Kansas; Saturday, 3:00 P.M. CT (ESPN Full Court/ESPN3.com)
Iowa State managed to hang with Kansas in Ames last month, ultimately losing by just five points. But the Jayhawks have looked incredibly impressive since their late-January stumble against the Longhorns in Allen Fieldhouse, and you know the Cyclones won’t sneak up on Bill Self’s team this time. Even without Thomas Robinson and Josh Selby, the Jayhawks are likely to get their revenge by thumping Iowa State in Lawrence on Saturday afternoon.

If the Cyclones do manage to hang around in this one, it will be on the strength of their three-point shooting. Jamie Vanderbeken and Scott Christopherson have made a combined 123 threes on 44.6% shooting from behind the arc, while Bubu Palo showed some long-range skill in non-con against Dartmouth and Chicago State. If any of those Cyclones can string together some threes, this one might stay interesting. If not, there’s simply no way ISU can keep up with the Morris twins, who had 50 points and 24 boards when the two teams met in Ames.

Baylor at Texas; Saturday, 3:00 P.M. CT (ESPN)
An in-depth look at the Baylor/Texas game will be available in our regular game preview, available Saturday morning.

Oklahoma State at Nebraska; Saturday, 6:00 P.M. CT (ESPN Full Court/ESPN3.com)
Prior to getting blown out in the second half by Kansas last Saturday, Nebraska looked practically unbeatable at the friendly confines of the Devaney Center. Earlier this season, they staged a massive comeback in non-con against USC, knocked off a Colorado team that had been 3-0 in the Big 12 at that point, and upset an A&M team that was still in the Top 20 nationally when they arrived in Lincoln.

Oklahoma State, meanwhile, is dealing with rape allegations against one of their most important players, big man Darrell Williams. Jéan-Paul Olukemi and Marshall Moses are talented players who can lead the team through the distractions, but Doc Sadler’s tough defense will likely make this a hard road win for the Pokes to claim. Fortunately, Nebraska’s low-tempo approach means that even if Oklahoma State trails in the final minutes, they should still be within striking distance. This is likely one game you’ll want to catch as it comes down to the wire.

Colorado at Kansas State; Saturday, 8:00 P.M. CT (ESPNU)
The nightcap in the Big 12 is an intriguing match-up. Colorado knocked off K-State in Manhattan during their 3-0 start to league play, although the Wildcats were without Curtis Kelly at the time. Then, Kelly was in hot water after accepting free clothing at a department store. This time around, Kelly will be on the court, but only after a week in which his status was constantly in doubt. According to the Kansas City Star, the forward was under investigation for a violation of condition in the student-athlete handbook, but was cleared at a hearing on Thursday afternoon.

The Wildcats will need Kelly to make a difference in this one, as KSU allowed the Buffaloes to reclaim 48.3% of their offensive rebounding chances during the first match-up. If Colorado has that kind of dominance on the boards once again in Boulder, their chances of earning a season sweep are very good. Even if CU manages to play like just mere mortals on the glass, their potent backcourt combination of Alec Burks and Cory Higgins could easily carry them to victory. The two guards have combined to average more than 36 points per game so far.