After seven weeks and six games, the time has come for some mid-term evaluations within the Big 12 Conference.

We’ve seen our share of surprises and disappointments within the conference that I so bravely predict each week, so where am I at with my preseason picks?

So far, so good in the South. I had Baylor and Oklahoma State bringing up the rear, as they are. I tabbed Oklahoma as a pretender and a down year – right again – and wouldn’t you know it, my preseason pick Texas Tech leads the division along with Texas.

The North isn’t going so well. Colorado has proved to be better than expected and is in first, while Iowa State has not lived up to the expectations thus far. There’s still a lot of football to be played, however, so stay tuned.

At this point, it appears that Colorado and Texas are now the favorites in their respective divisions, and while it seems cheap to change horses midstream, it appears I overestimated Mack Brown’s ability to destroy Texas.

Goodbye preseason favorites, hello midseason favorites. I know it’s cheap to switch, but I’m not a playa, I just crush a lot.

I think we better get to the picks before I make a bigger fool out of myself.

Brett went 5-1 last week, upping his record to 42-12.

TEXAS A&M 4-2 (2-1) AT KANSAS STATE 4-2 (1-2)

Last week: Texas A&M beat Oklahoma State 62-23, Kansas State lost at Texas Tech 59-20.

The Aggies finally looked like they had things together last week after they smoked Oklahoma State, but it’s possible the Cowboys are just that bad.

Kansas State didn’t have the offense or the defense – surprise, surprise – to keep up with the Red Raiders last week and gave up 643 passing yards to Cody Hodges. Holy video game statistics!

The Aggies may not be hitting on all cylinders yet, and maybe they were a little overrated to start the season, but Bill Synder may be experiencing the Hayden Fry effect in Manhattan.

Just like his mentor, maybe Synder has hung around a little too long and is driving a program he built up to national respect back into the abyss it came from.

Kansas State’s defense might be able to keep it close for a half or so, but they still can’t score consistently and the Aggies will put it away before the fourth-quarter.

THE PICK: TEXAS A&M

OKLAHOMA STATE 3-3 (0-3) AT IOWA STATE 3-3 (0-3)

Last week: Oklahoma State lost 62-23 at Texas A&M Iowa State lost 27-24 at Missouri (OT).

If you look at the records on these teams you think they both may lose, but somebody has to win this game right?

Seriously though, Oklahoma State is bad. Really bad. In fact, the Cowboys only rank above tenth in the conference in five legitimate categories. Pass defense, kickoff returns, rushing offense, sacks and red zone scoring percentage are the only relevant categories the Cowboys aren’t completely sucking in.

Meanwhile, at stately Jack Trice Stadium, has it really been 28 days since Iowa State won a football game? It’s true.

Nearly one month to the day since the 28-21 victory over Army, the Cyclones will try to summon the team that stomped the Hawkeyes and start a midseason turn-around for the second straight year.

It’s ISU Homecoming and the Cyclones are badly in need of a win not only to boost morale, but also to stop the window of bowl opportunities that is quickly slamming shut. It happens courtesy of the Cowgirls.

THE PICK: IOWA STATE

KANSAS 3-3 (0-3) AT COLORADO 4-2 (2-1)

Last week: Kansas lost to Oklahoma 19-3; Colorado lost at Texas 42-17.

Colorado showed the nation last week what everyone suspected, that the Big 12 is still a one-division show. The Buffaloes got manhandled by the Longhorns last week in what many considered a preview to the Big 12 title game, no doubt thrilling Dr Pepper’s executives.

The Fighting Manginos, on the other hand, may have played the ugliest game in the history of football.

The teams combined for 7 turnovers and just 107 yards total rushing. Kansas rushed for 11 yards on 22 carries. Plus, the Fighting Manginos managed just 96 yards of total offense. Unbelievable.

Colorado will steamroll the Jayhawks and score 40 as the offense sets the atomic batteries to power and the turbines to speed.

THE PICK: COLORADO

BAYLOR 4-2 (1-2) AT OKLAHOMA 3-3 (2-1)

Last week: Baylor lost to Nebraska 23-14; Oklahoma beat Kansas 19-3.

Unfortunately, we couldn’t get Baylor to knock off the Huskers last week and now they have to go into Norman to face the Sooners.

Oklahoma was the second half of the ugliest game ever played, but the Sooners got the job done and recovered from the absolute spanking Texas put on them the week before.

This is an intriguing matchup, not only because Baylor is improved and can actually function on a football field for the first time since the days of the SWC, but also because of Oklahoma’s mediocrity.

I’m tempted to take the Bears in this one, but you can only pick the Bears so many times in one season and not get fired. At four picks for Baylor already this season (three of those were correct, by the way) I think I’ve used up my allotment for the time being.

Plus, Boy Wonder Bob Stoops has been embarrassed enough this season and he won’t let it happen again.

THE PICK: OKLAHOMA

NEBRASKA 5-1 (2-1) AT MISSOURI 4-2 (2-1)

Last week: Nebraska lost to Texas Tech 34-31; Missouri beat Iowa State 27-24 (OT)

Missouri survived last week’s homecoming game even after blowing a 14-0 lead it had built before even picking up a first down, which I thought was impressive even for a Gary Pinkel-coached team.

The highlight of the game had to be, trailing by 10 with seven and a half minutes left to play, Pinkel has his team line up to punt. Only after a chorus of boos from the stands did Pinkel call time out, where presumably one of his players asked, “Are you nuts?!”

Then we have my old pals the Huskers who were oh so close to beating Texas Tech two weeks ago. They got a great blueprint from Iowa State on how to stop Brad Smith, as well as an equally impressive blueprint on how to not stop Chase Daniels.

The Nebraska defense is dominating this year and held Texas Tech last week to only half of its output from a year ago. 70 last year, 34 this year. Great scott!

Husker defense stifles the Tigers.

THE PICK: NEBRASKA

GAME OF THE WEEK: TEXAS TECH 6-0 (3-0) AT TEXAS 6-0 (3-0)

If you like a lot of offense, this is your game. The final score of this game might approach 178-163, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves just yet.

Texas Tech rolls in fresh off of 643 passing yards last week against Kansas State, an amazing statistic for video games, let alone real life. But still, the pressure is going to be on the Tech defense to try to stop Vince Young.

The Red Raider defense isn’t exceptional, so their only hope is to outscore the Longhorns in a shootout.

Texas, on the other hand, has a defense to play with. A pass defense ranked first in the conference will go up against Cody Hodges and company while Vince Young runs wild on offense.

This may be the offensive game of the century, but the defenses will be the difference as Texas Regular comes up with two or three stops that Tech doesn’t. 56-42 Longhorns.

That’s all for the picks. See you next week – same pick section, same paper.

THE PICK: TEXAS

Oh, by the way, 10 bonus points to anyone who can pick out the old “Batman” references in each of the picks.

And now for something completely different, because I need to fill some space: the “Brett McIntyre CD Review.”

The album I chose is “The Essential Simon & Garfunkel.”

This is a compilation of some of Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel’s greatest hits.

Simon, considered by some as of the best lyricists of all time handles lower vocals and guitar work, while Garfunkel handles the high tenor part.

The first disc starts with some slower songs before hitting “Sound of Silence,” probably the duo’s most famous song and the song that launched their careers.

The first disc is probably better as a whole, but the second disc has great singles such as “Mrs. Robinson,” “Bridge Over Troubled Water” and “The Boxer.”