Baylor Week 10 Opponent Preview: Oklahoma Sooners

Sooners and Bears riding winning streaks ahead of Saturday matchup in Norman.

Author:
Cameron Stuart
Publish date:
Nov 1, 2022 12:20 PM EDT

In this story:

For the first time all season, both the Baylor Bears and Oklahoma Sooners feel stable. Now, something has to give when they play each other in Norman Saturday.

This will be the first time these two teams have met while both outside the Top 25 since 2005 when the Sooners beat the Bears 37-30 in double OT at Floyd Casey Stadium. The Sooners got off to a nightmare start but seemed to have righted the ship after their landmark 49-0 loss to Texas in the Red River Shootout.

Since that fateful day in the Cotton Bowl, winning two in a row, beating Kansas and Iowa State. The Sooner did not make it look easy against the Big 12 basement-dwelling Cyclones last Saturday, needing a late touchdown to put the game away for a 27-13 victory.

Sooners quarterback Dillon Gabriel seems to be 100% healthy again, although he threw for just 148 yards on 15 completions against Iowa State. Let's take a deeper look at the Sooners ahead of this matchup.

Oklahoma Sooners

2022 Record: 5-3 (2-3 Big 12)

Head coach: Brent Venables

In his first season at the helm, Venables got his fair share of criticism during the three-game losing streak earlier this season. Because of Oklahoma's perpetually high standards, it's easy to forget how important continuity is to a program, and the Sooners not only bring in a new coaching staff this year, but also lost a lot of their skill position players from a year ago and it has taken some time for Venables' defensive scheme to take shape.

Offensive scheme: Spread

Defensive scheme: Hybrid

Returning offensive starters: 5

On the offensive side, it has been a mixed bag for Oklahoma with Gabriel's injury struggles, but they certainly looked like a team that likes to pound the rock the way they ran the ball against Iowa State. The Sooners have an old Baylor foe (or friend) on their sidelines calling the plays, as Jeff Lebby is their first-year offensive coordinator. Needless to say, Dave Aranda's defensive strategy was a huge hit against Lebby's Ole Miss Rebels in last year's Sugar Bowl.

Projected offensive starters:

QB Dillon Gabriel

RB Eric Gray

WR Theo Wease

WR Jalil Farooq

WR Marvin Mims

TE Brayden Willis

LT Anton Harrison

LG McKade Mettauer

C Andrew Raym

RG Chris Murray

RT Wanya Morris

Returning defensive starters: 4

The Sooners looked good defensively against the conference's worst offense last week, but that side of the ball has been a major issue all season. In the four games leading up to the win over Iowa State, the Sooners gave up 41, 55, 49, and 42 points. They also allow 189 rushing yards a game, the worst mark in the Big 12. The way the Bears have committed to the ground game in recent weeks could give Baylor a big advantage Saturday.

Projected defensive starters:

DE Reggie Grimes

DE Ethan Downs

DT Jordan Kelley

DT Jeffery Johnson

LB DaShaun White

LB Danny Stutsman

LB David Ugwoegbu

CB Woodi Washington

CB Jaden Davis

S Billy Bowman

S Key Lawrence