Over/Under: 62
Oklahoma: -5.5
The Oklahoma Sooners are ranked 4th in the college football playoff rankings. The Sooners have steamrolled through the BIG12 but this weekend they’ll get their first test against Baylor. Baylor comes in at 7-2 with a loss to #10 Oklahoma State and an inexplicable loss to TCU.
The Oklahoma Sooners are the lone undefeated team in the Big12 at 9-0 and for good reason. Coach Lincoln Riley has a reputation as a quarterback whisperer and he’s showing why— freshman quarterback Caleb Williams has been pretty great since taking the helm in week three. In seven games, he has 1189 passing yards and 14 touchdowns to only one interception. To add to that, he’s accumulated 288 rush yards for an additional four touchdowns. Baylors’ defense ranks 81st against the pass. Expect Williams to put on an absolute show against the Baylor defense; although Baylor only surrenders 20.5 points per game, their secondary is iffy and only ranks as the 81st stingiest in the country in terms of passing yardage allowed. Additionally, Baylor hasn’t faced an offense nearly as lethal as Williams and the Sooners’ offense; even accounting for their slow start, the Sooners are putting up a ridiculous 43 points per game. The Sooners offense will more than likely roll right over the Baylor defense.
The Sooners run defense vs. Baylors’ run offense will more than likely play a huge role and be a deciding factor in the outcome of the game. Spearheaded by star running back Abram Smith, Baylor has the seventh-most prolific ground game, averaging 230 rushing yards per game. However, the Sooners are 17th against the run, limiting teams to only 110 yards per game. The Sooners are destined to put up points and Baylor will likely have to lean heavily on their shaky passing attack to keep pace, neutralizing their running game in the process.
Oklahoma is simply better than Baylor, so expect them to cover rather easily.
However, Baylor, like Oklahoma, often produces explosive plays on offense so expect the 62 point O/U to get crushed.
Prediction: Oklahoma 48, Baylor 35
The two teams square off tomorrow November 13 at noon on FOX.
