Stormin in Norman
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Oklahoma football: Sooners’ series with Baylor dates back 115 years

By Chip Rouse

Dec 7, 2019; Arlington, TX, USA; Oklahoma Sooner receiver CeeDee Lamb (2) runs with the ball after a reception against Baylor Bears linebacker Jordan Williams (38) in the 2019 Big 12 Championship Game at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 7, 2019; Arlington, TX, USA; Oklahoma Sooner receiver CeeDee Lamb (2) runs with the ball after a reception against Baylor Bears linebacker Jordan Williams (38) in the 2019 Big 12 Championship Game at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports /
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Barring a further COVID-related delay, the Oklahoma football season is scheduled to resume this week with the Sooners hosting Baylor.

This weekend was originally scheduled to be the 2020 regular-season and home finale for Oklahoma. The game with West Virginia, originally scheduled for this past weekend, was postponed and rescheduled for Dec. 12, however, because of COVID-19 issues at Oklahoma.

Sooner head coach Lincoln Riley did not sound overly encouraging when discussing the prospects for the Baylor game on Saturday as part of the Big 12 coaches teleconference on Monday.

"“We got a shot,” he said. “We’ll see. I don’t know that I’m optimistic, pessimistic or anything. You get through the week and see how it goes.”"

The Sooners returned to practice on Monday after a five-day hiatus with football operations suspended because of COVID. As of Tuesday morning, the game, scheduled for Saturday night at 7 p.m. CT, is still on. It will be televised in primetime by FOX.

Oklahoma and Baylor have faced each other on the gridiron at total of 30 times, but the very first game between the two schools was back in 1905.

Baylor was one of the founding schools when the Big Eight and Southwest Conferences came together in 1996 to form the Big 12. Since then, OU and Baylor have met every season, or a total of 24 games.

The Sooners won the inaugural 1905 game with Baylor by the modest score of 17-0. After that, the two teams need not meet again until 1973, Barry Switzer’s first season as head coach of the Sooners. Oklahoma prevailed in the rematch 42-14.

Oklahoma and Baylor played each other three more times before the Big 12 came into existence, with the Sooners winning all three.

The Sooners owned a 20-0 record against Baylor before the Bears won their first game in the series in 2011. Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Robert Griffin III led Baylor to a 45-38 victory over 5th-ranked Oklahoma.

Baylor would win two of the next three games in the series, including back-to-back blowout victories in 2013 and 2014 by a combined score of 89-26. The 2014 game was played in Norman. The Sooners took an early 14-3 lead in that game, but Baylor, behind quarterback Bryce Petty scored the next 45 points for a 45-14 win. It was the first road win for Baylor over the OU in 12 tries.

Oklahoma has won the last six games in the series, including a pair of dramatic wins last season. The Sooners overcame a 25-point first-half deficit to pull off an improbable 34-31 regular-season win over No. 12 Baylor. That was Baylor’s first loss of the season.

The two teams met again in the Big 12 Championship game last season, with Oklahoma winning 30-23 in overtime.

Saturday’s game will be the 31st in the series, with OU owning a 27-3 advantage and a 14-1 record in games played in Norman.

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