Oklahoma football: Breaking down 4th Quarter of Sooners’ 2021 schedule
By Chip Rouse
If you are an Oklahoma football fan, settle down and buckle up because the Sooners are about to head into the most difficult 2021 remaining schedule in college football.
The good news is that Lincoln Riley and his team get a week off this week to get rested up, healthy and prepare against three Big 12 opponents who have a combined overall record of 19-5 and are 11-4 in conference games.
The not-so-cheery news is that two of the November opponents (Baylor and Oklahoma State) are ranked in the top-15 nationally and both games are on the road.
History may be in Oklahoma’s favor, but the past has little or no bearing on the current season. The Sooners are 24-0 in November since the 2014 season and have won 28 of their last 30 true road games, but they will be seriously challenged and with little margin for error in quest of their first perfect regular season since the 2004 season.
In addition to being a perennial target of every Big 12 opponent as the six-time reigning conference champions, Oklahoma is the subject of extra resentment because of their impending departure from the Big 12 to join the SEC. OU and Texas are drawing an extra dose of hate because of that factor everywhere they go in the conference this season.
Here’s a breakdown of what’s ahead for Oklahoma football down the homestretch of the 2021 season:
November 13 — @ Baylor Bears
The last time Oklahoma played at Baylor was in 2019, and Baylor was the team that came into the game with a perfect 9-0 record. Sooner fans will not soon forget that emotional roller-coaster of a contest. The Sooners trailed 31-10 at halftime and came back to win with a remarkable second half, outscoring the Bears 24-0 and seizing a 34-31 victory.
The Sooners will have an extra week to get ready for Baylor. OU is 28-3 all-time against Baylor and has won the last seven games in the series. Baylor is playing exceptionally well this season, its only loss coming to Oklahoma State on the road. Three of the last four OU-Baylor games have been close. Expect this one to be too.
November 20 — vs. Iowa State in Norman
At the beginning of the season, this game was circled as a potential Big 12 Championship preview. The Cyclones have disappointed some this season, losing three times in the first eight games of the season and have fallen out of the top 25.
Oklahoma has the highest winning percentage against Iowa State of any opponent (77-7-2, .907) it faces on a regular basis, although the Cyclones have won two of the last five games in the series. That includes a 37-31 Iowa State win in the regular season a year ago.
Don’t be fooled by Iowa State’s 5-3 record through eight games. The Cyclones have plenty of firepower on both sides of the ball. The good new is that this year’s game is being played at Oklahoma.
November 27 — Bedlam @ Oklahoma State
How many times has the Big 12 title or at least a spot in the Big 12 championship game come down to the outcome of this game at the end of a season? That could easily be the case this year, as well. What more can you ask for from a regular season-ending rivalry game?
Oklahoma has dominated its in-state rival with a 90-18-7 record in the all-time series. The Sooners have a six-game winning streak against the Cowboys and have won 16 of the last 18, including the last four games played in Stillwater.