ESPN College Gameday 2015: Location, TV Schedule and Week 11 Predictions

The Big 12 would be forgiven if it felt slighted and worried with the release of the second College Football Playoff rankings Tuesday. The conference is on the outside looking in at the top four spots, and the Baylor Bears are the only ones in the top six.

That could change down the stretch of the season with a back-loaded schedule, and one of the league’s marquee showdowns of the entire year takes place Saturday when the powerhouse Oklahoma Sooners visit the Bears. ESPN’s traveling pregame show, College GameDay, elected to take its act to Big 12 territory and shared its decision on Twitter:

The Sooners check in at No. 12, while the Bears are No. 6. Saturday’s game feels like an elimination contest in the playoff race, and the winner will be in prime position for the season’s final few weeks. 

Here is a look at the essential information for College GameDay, as well as a preview and prediction for the showdown.

ESPN College GameDay : Week 11 Info

Date: Saturday, Nov. 14

Time (ET): 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Location: Waco, Texas

Watch: ESPN

Live Stream: WatchESPN

Preview and Prediction

The Big 12 is known for its offense, and for good reason. Five of the top seven teams in the nation in points per game come from the conference, including Baylor at No. 1 (57.4) and Oklahoma at No. 3 (46.3). It is easy to attribute that to lackluster defenses, but these groups are headlined by explosive playmakers who will be on full display Saturday.

Baylor wide receiver Corey Coleman is arguably the top player in the nation, and he boasts 1,178 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns in a mere eight games as proof. Graham Watson of Yahoo Sports had Coleman in the driver’s seat of the Heisman Trophy race:

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It doesn’t matter who Corey Coleman’s quarterback is, the star receiver continues to impress week after week. Coleman made first-time starter Jarrett Stidham look pretty fantastic against Kansas State last week by hauling in 11 receptions for 216 yards—both season highs—and two touchdowns.

Coleman is averaging 20.3 yards per reception thanks to speed that he turns on when he gets into the open field.

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As Watson mentioned, the Bears offensive machine stayed on track even without quarterback Seth Russell because replacement Jarrett Stidham torched Kansas State for 419 yards and four total touchdowns. Having Coleman makes the aerial attack lethal, but defenses cannot afford to overlook running back Shock Linwood, who has 1,046 rushing yards and 10 total touchdowns on the year.

If the Sooners focus too much attention on stopping Coleman, Linwood—who leads the Big 12 with 130.75 rushing yards per game—will exploit any available running lanes.

As for the Sooners, they are not scoring an otherworldly 57.4 points a game, but quarterback Baker Mayfield has proved to be one of the best in the nation as well, with 2,812 passing yards, 33 total touchdowns and only four interceptions on 275 throws. Oklahoma also has an impact receiver for Mayfield to target in Sterling Shepard (826 receiving yards and seven touchdowns).

While Bob Stoops’ offense has gone to the air more this season than the ground, running back Samaje Perine will pose a problem for Baylor. He ran for 1,713 yards and 21 touchdowns last year and has 806 rushing yards and 11 total touchdowns in 2015. Much like Linwood on the other side, Perine will pounce on defenses too worried about the pass.

Despite offenses talented enough to break the scoreboard, the difference in the contest will be the Oklahoma defense.

It is 16th in the nation in scoring defense and the only Big 12 unit in the top 45 (Oklahoma State is 46th). For context, Baylor checks in at No. 60.

Sue Ogrocki/Associated Press

Most importantly against the Bears’ air-raid attack, the Sooners are No. 16 in passing yards allowed per game. In total, they lead the conference in rush defense, pass defense, scoring defense, total defense and sacks. In fact, Oklahoma is second in the nation with 34 sacks.

Stoops seemed confident in his group leading up to this season-defining contest, per the Associated Press (via Yahoo Sports):

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The way we've been playing, you have to feel confident the way we've been executing, really, in all parts of the game. As much as anything, we're playing together as a team. The offense has been moving the ball and putting pressure on the other team, the way they're scoring and moving the ball, and defensively, coming up with pressure and turnovers and a lot of good stops. We've got to play that way Saturday.

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As Stoops mentioned, the Sooners defense will pressure Stidham throughout the game and force a critical turnover in the second half. Opponents don’t have to shut down the Bears, but they can beat them if they prevent the offense from exploding for 50 or more points. That is especially the case for a squad like Oklahoma that can counter with a talented offense of its own.

The Sooners may be the only team in the Big 12 deep enough on both sides of the ball to beat the Bears in a shootout this year. That is exactly what will happen as Baylor takes its first loss of the season Saturday.

Prediction: Oklahoma 42, Baylor 31