The thick of the Big 12 schedule awaits West Virginia. After disposing of Kansas last week in Morgantown, the Mountaineers travel the 1,500-mile distance to windy Lubbock this week to see the hurry-up offense of Texas Tech.

With a 3-2 record, the Mountaineers shouldn’t be overmatched against the Red Raiders, only 2-3 after their first five games.

Texas Tech is more potent than was Kansas, but not in the nationally-ranked class of Baylor, which the Mountaineers see at 12-noon in Morgantown on October 18. And after unbeaten Baylor comes Oklahoma State and then unbeaten TCU, a winner over Oklahoma last week in Fort Worth.

Should the Mountaineers present a balanced offensive attack in Lubbock, one with equal parts Clint Trickett and at least 165 rushing yards it would force the Red Raiders to score scads of points — which they are capable of doing — to beat West Virginia.

Meanwhile, in the high school ranks, Jefferson comes back after a week without a game to travel to see Millbrook in Frederick County, Virginia. The Cougars are 4-1 overall and remain firmly in the state’s Top 16 teams, a place they need to occupy when the season closes to find a spot in the Class AAA playoffs.

Millbrook is 3-3 overall with wins over Broadway, Hedgesville (73-6), and Chancellor. The Pioneers have lost to Kettle Run, Fauquier and Skyline (7-3).

After seeing Millbrook, Jefferson has games left with Keyser, Martinsburg, winless Hedgesville and Washington. If the Cougars can win seven games they are all but assured of a playoff berth.

Washington will try to cast aside its five-game losing streak. After opening the first season with Coach Daryl Hayes with a win at Hedgesville, the Patriots have lost five straight times. In their last four losses, the Patriots have scored only a total of 15 points and were blanked twice.

Tonight, Washington is at Skyline, a Virginia-based team with a 4-2 overall record.

Marshall has moved forward to No. 27 in the latest football coaches poll. The unbeaten Thundering Herd disposed of Old Dominion last week in coastal Virginia. All of Marshall’s remaining games are against CUSA opponents and it will be favored in all of them by at least 17 points.

Even with most of the month of October left and all of November ahead, Marshall has almost won enough games already to qualify for another bowl bid.