Oklahoma football and the Baylor Bears collide Saturday afternoon in Norman, and both teams are riding a two-game winning streak.
Oklahoma defeated Iowa State 27-13 last week in Ames and played one of their few complete games of the season. Baylor put a beatdown on Texas Tech 45-17 and made the Red Raiders use three different quarterbacks.
Before the season, we expected both teams to be ranked, and maybe even be ranked in the Top-10, but that’s not the case this year. They both come in out of the Top-25, but there’s still high intentions between both teams. Here’s our score predictions and game breakdown from the StorminInNormanCrew:
Connor Pasby
Score: OU 34 – Baylor 30
This is going to be a back-and-forth game between OU and Baylor. The Sooners were much better on the defensive side of the ball against Iowa State, but the Bears will provide a lot more offensively than the Cyclones did. It’s a Baylor running attack that has been very efficient this season.
Freshmen running back Richard Reese has been leading the way for Baylor, rushing for 791 yards and 12 touchdowns. I think the Sooners hold him to a reasonable day on the ground. It’s a key for Oklahoma’s front seven to stop the running attack, and force quarterback Shapen to beat you.
Offensively, the Sooners had to grind it out in Ames. Iowa State’s defense is the best in the Big 12, and a Top-10 defense in the nation. We saw the offense figure out the Cyclones defense late in the game, and attacking open spots in the passing game. Quarterback Dillon Gabriel will have to be coherent once again, and take care of the football. Baylor has forced nine interceptions, and has four fumble recoveries. Turnover margin will play a big factor in this game, which team can stay on top.
Timothy Bailey
Score: OU 42 – Baylor 28
Oklahoma seems to have found themselves over the last few weeks, and Baylor is coming off a nice win over Texas Tech. The Sooners pose a bit more on the offensive side of the ball, and the defense shows they are still on the right track. In a game that’s tough until late, I think OU stacks the win streak to three games.
Chip Rouse
Score: OU 31 – Baylor 27
The key matchup in the Oklahoma-Baylor game on Saturday will be Baylor’s ability to run the ball against the Sooners. If the Bears are effective running the ball with freshman Richard Reese, it will limit the Sooners’ opportunities to create disruption and put pressure on QB Blake Shapen. And that won’t bode well for the problematic OU defense. On the other hand, the Sooner must be able to run the football to avoid becoming one-dimensional on offense. Both teams have shown offensive and defensive lapses this season, but I like OU’s chances in this one, especially playing at home. First one to 30 points wins.