OU-Baylor: Our Picks
John Hoover
Oklahoma has won its last five games by an average score of 50-22. But more recently, the Sooners have been forced to totally shut things down — no workouts, no practice — and now they and their coaches are coming off a week of positive COVID tests. So don’t look for another easy blowout win. Baylor has made great progress over the last 3-4 weeks, and the Bears may have some things figured out — especially QB Charlie Brewer, who’s coming off one of the best games of his career last week. Combined with OU’s roster and coaching situation, Baylor has just enough playmakers on both offense and defense to keep the Sooners from running away with it. Also, facing one of the Big 12’s best pass defenses, expect Lincoln Riley to dial up a lot of run plays (which are going to work), and that will shorten the game.
FINAL: OU 31, Baylor 21
Parker Thune
Sure, the Sooners will be a bit shorthanded, but they shouldn’t have any difficulty dispatching a Baylor team that can’t match up with Oklahoma in the trenches. I expect Rhamondre Stevenson to log another career high in carries as the Sooners slow down the pace, and whether it’s Alex Grinch or Bob Stoops falling the shots on defense for OU, I can’t foresee the streaky Baylor offense finding solid footing. Spencer Rattler shouldn’t need to do much beyond serving as the steady hand on the tiller, and Drake Stoops should have plenty of room to operate underneath. Oklahoma wins in convincing fashion, and jumps into the CFP top 10 next Tuesday.
FINAL: Oklahoma 38, Baylor 10
Caroline Grace Estes
The word I’m liking for this game is big. We know that Baylor has the tools to do a successful job but the new coaching changes have not worked out in their favor yet. We also know that new Baylor coach Dave Aranda has struggled to keep his team lively in the fourth quarter. The Sooners did a great job completing a convincing win against Oklahoma State, but they need to finish out the season big in order to convince people nationally that they are an elite program. I say Oklahoma comes out fast and doesn’t let up.
FINAL: Oklahoma 42, Baylor 17
To get the latest OU posts as they happen, join the SI Sooners Community by clicking “Follow” at the top right corner of the page (mobile users can click the notifications bell icon), and follow SI Sooners on Twitter @All_Sooners.
