The Baylor Bears limp into Memorial Stadium in Norman to make their last stand against the Oklahoma Sooners on Saturday, November 11th. The BIG-12 battle between the two schools is set to go off at High Noon ET and will be televised on the ABC or ESPN2 Networks for your viewing enjoyment. As of this article, the Sooners are -16 point favorites and the contest’s total is at 80.
In last year’s match-up, the Oklahoma Sooners took the lead from the Baylor Bears towards the end of the first quarter and never looked back. Baker Mayfield and Samaje Perine combined for over 400 yards and five touchdowns on their way to a 44-34 in Waco, Texas.
Baylor (6-2):
Once adversity hit, it appears that the wheels on the Baylor bus are about to fall off. Reeling from two straight losses, Baylor will need to recover from their 62-22 beat-down that TCU put on them at home.
There’s little doubt, quarterback Seth Russell will need to get the nation’s sixth ranked offense back on track. Russell has been good against mediocre competition so far this season. The signal-caller has almost 2,000 yards passing with 19 touchdowns and six interceptions.
Once again, Baylor has proven that it is a running team just as much as a passing one. The duo of Terence Williams and Shock Linwood have combined for over 220 carries for almost 1,300 yards and 10 trips to the end zone.
Quarterback Seth Russell has pitched-in nicely with another 82 carries for 436 yards and eight scores. As of now, it appears the Shock Linwood will not participate because he laid his hands on one of the Baylor coaching staff.
KD Cannon and Ishmael Zamora have been Seth Russell’s go-to guys in the passing attack. Together, they have reeled in 65 balls for over 950 yards and 11 scores. Two other wide outs have well over 300 yards and have collected five more touchdown tosses.
In the contest against the Hornfrogs, the Bears yielded 431 yards and six touchdowns via the ground. A repeat performance could pose a similar fate, as Sooner tail backs Joe Mixon and Samaje Perine return from a one-game suspension and health issues. Unfortunately, the Baylor Bears field the 101st ranked rushing defense in the country.
#11 Oklahoma (7-2):
Oklahoma has been beaten twice, but since the embarrassing defeat doled out by Ohio State they’ve roared back with six straight victories. As a result, Bob Stoop’s troops are in the drivers seat to take over the BIG-12 and crack the top 10 since losing their opener.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield is leading an offense that is racking-up nearly 50 points a match during their six-game win streak. In fact, the Sooners now rank eighth in the country passing for 342 yards a game. All told, Mayfield has threw for 2,912 yards with an impressive 31 touchdowns and six picks.
Running backs Joe Mixon and Samaje Perine have helped the Sooners to balance their offensive attack. The teammates have combined for 208 carries and almost 1,300 yards. They also have earned 11 trips to the promised land for Oklahoma. Both will be suited-up and ready to roll in this one.
Wide receiver Dede Westbrook has become the best receiver in the BIG-12. Baker Mayfield’s favorite target has caught 64 passes for 1,166 yards and 12 touchdowns. Furthermore, the talented wide out just doesn’t dink and dunk defenses down the field. This year, Westbrook is averaging over 18 yards a catch.
Don’t be fooled by the Sooners recent defensive insurgence. A lot of that had to do with the unit facing Kansas and Iowa State on consecutive weekends. As a whole, the Sooner’s secondary is one of the worst in the country (121st), and the unit is still allowing over 31 points a contest.
Trends and Notes:
The Bears are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 conference games.
The Sooners are 9-4 ATS in their last 13 conference games.
The Under is 6-2 in the Bears last 8 games overall.
The Over is 7-3 in the Sooners last 10 home games.
The Road team is 13-3 ATS in their last 16 meetings.
Game Prediction:
It’s gut-check time for Baylor University, and it has to be on the road against the hottest team in the BIG-12. A win for the Bears, and all of the craziness that went on during last week’s debacle will be forgotten. Another beating at the hands of the Sooners and you can put a fork in them.
Oklahoma looks to defend their home turf with the help of an offense that is starting to hum. Baker Mayfield also gets some relief this weekend when his two back field mates return to help in the run game. A win in this match and it’s off to West Virginia to finish off the trek back to the top of the BIG-12.
Jim Grobe is a heck of a ball coach, but stepping into this hornet’s nest was a time bomb waiting to happen. Sure, a lot of the off-season shenanigans were put behind them. But that’s when they were beating up on weaker teams. That trend has swung sharply since their last two defeats against talented clubs.
Wrong place, wrong time, to get the sinking ship righted in this one. That being said, there’s a lot of seniors in Waco that will play their hearts out on Saturday. You can’t win football games when you give up points in bunches. Especially, on the road against Oklahoma. Fourth quarter points in a losing effort for Baylor, makes this over playable. Take the over 80 and watch these offenses go at it.
