Baylor vs. Oklahoma: TV Info, Spread, Injury Updates, Game Time and More
The Big 12 game of the year no longer, there is still plenty riding on Saturday's high-profile showdown between the No. 12 Baylor Bears and No. 15 Oklahoma Sooners.
Both preseason College Football Playoff contenders enter Norman Saturday firing on all cylinders after rebound performances the week prior.
Bryce Petty and the Bears dropped a 41-27 decision to West Virginia before blowing away Kansas, 60-14. Bob Stoops' Sooners did much of the same with a 31-30 loss to Kansas State before a 59-14 shellacking of Iowa State.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Two of the nation's most prolific offenses now meet with Big 12 and CFP implications hanging in the balance. It may not be Saturday's most noteworthy contest, but its result will weigh heavy in the minds of most after the fact.
History Beckons
For the Bears to obtain a share of the Big 12 title, the team has to win the rest of its games. For the Bears to simply survive a trip to Norman, repetitive words from Petty, via the team's Twitter account, better be quite accurate:
Petty is an elite player when healthy. Fans know this much. The numbers, which read 2,034 passing yards and 20 touchdowns to three interceptions, verify the statement.
But beating the Sooners in Norman is no simple task. In fact, the Bears have never won at Oklahoma, and the Sooners have a 21-2 series lead.
| at WV | 376 | 2 | W, 45-33 |
| at TCU | 318 | 2 | L, 37-33 |
There is always a silver lining, of course. The Sooners have struggled mightily against prolific passing attacks this season, something Petty and the Bears do quite well. Baylor ranks No. 5 in the nation with an average of 349.0 passing yards per game and No. 1 overall in terms of scoring at 50.4 points.
Oklahoma ranks outside of the top 30 in terms of total defense, so Petty, in tandem with Shock Linwood (777 yards and 10 touchdowns), certainly has the talent to exploit a unit that struggles against air-raid attacks.
Keep in mind that Petty also has to concern himself with the fact that the program's schedule-making process means the season is essentially over if the team once again succumbs to the pressure of winning in Norman.
Stewart Mandel of Fox Sports puts it in a blunt manner:
History is there to be made for the Bears, but only if the roster can stay cool in a hostile environment while in the face of gaudy odds.
Reloading for War
To be clear, Oklahoma is no stranger to scoring in bunches, either.
But to keep pace against Baylor Saturday, the team is going to need to be loads healthier.
It starts with star wideout Sterling Shepard. The junior suffered a groin strain in last week's win on the first offensive snap of the game for his team while—get this—reeling in a 46-yard reception. Shepard is far and away one of the best wideouts in the nation and already has 50 grabs for 957 yards and five scores.
"The best way I'd say it now is we're optimistic that it will heal enough that he'll be full speed by the end of the week," Stoops said, per The Associated Press, via ESPN.com.
It is not so much just about Shepard being in the game, though. He will need to prove to be more than a decoy for the Sooners to keep pace. The same goes for top running back Keith Ford, who has missed the team's past five games with an injury but gives the Sooners a serious receiving threat out of the backfield.
Sometimes-shaky quarterback Trevor Knight (12 touchdowns to eight interceptions) has other weapons, such as tight end Blake Bell, who has caught three touchdowns over the course of his past two games. But things will surely go a lot smoother Saturday if Shepard and Ford are in the game and effective.
When: Saturday, November 8, Noon ET
Where: Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, Norman, Oklahoma
Television: Fox Sports 1
Betting Lines (via Odds Shark):
- Over/Under: 73.5
- Spread: Oklahoma (-5)
Team Injury Reports
| Troy Baker | T | 10/19/2014 | will miss the remainder of the season | Out | knee |
| Desmine Hilliard | G | 10/16/2014 | will miss the remainder of the season | Out | wrist |
| Jamal Palmer | DE | 10/06/2014 | will miss the remainder of the season | Out | knee |
| Dannon Cavil | WR | 10/30/2014 | has left the team | Out | personal |
| Keith Ford | RB | 11/02/2014 | is questionable for Saturday's game against Baylor | Questionable | fibula |
| Dorial Green-Beckham | WR | 08/25/2014 | will miss the entire season | Out | eligibility |
| Baker Mayfield | QB | 08/31/2014 | is expected to miss the entire season | Out | eligibility |
| Joe Mixon | RB | 08/02/2014 | will miss the entire season | Suspended | disciplinary |
| Quincy Russell | DT | 09/08/2014 | was dismissed from the team | Out | disciplinary |
| Frank Shannon | LB | 08/21/2014 | will miss the entire season | Suspended | disciplinary |
| Sterling Shepard | WR | 11/03/2014 | is probable for Saturday's game against Baylor | Probable | groin |
Injury reports per The Sports Network, via USA Today.
Prediction
Were this on Baylor's home turf, the end projection might be a little different.
But this affair goes down in Norman, which dramatically shifts the outlook. The only real negative for the Sooners at home this year came in a loss to Kansas State, but the No. 7 Wildcats tout one of the nation's best defenses, so the one-point loss in hindsight is forgivable.
Oklahoma has enough defensively to keep this thing close, which in turn will lead to one or two game-changing plays by a suddenly healthy crop of star offensive players in front of a friendly crowd.
Sometimes, history is just doomed to repeat itself.
Prediction: Oklahoma 40, Baylor 30
Statistics and info courtesy of ESPN unless otherwise specified.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
