Oklahoma Sooners vs Baylor Bears: Predictions, Odds and Roster Notes

Where: McLane Stadium in Waco, TX

When: Saturday, November 16th at 7:30pm

How (TV): ABC

Oklahoma Sooners (Away)

Big one Saturday at Baylor.

? 6:30 p.m. CT
? ABC
? https://t.co/7APMWqDJce#ChampionshipNovember | #OUDNA pic.twitter.com/80XKZ6tPs9

— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) November 11, 2019

Head Coach: Lincoln Riley {All-Time: 32-5 | OKLA}

Regular Season Record: 8-1

With their October 26th loss to Kansas State weighing down their playoff resume, Oklahoma’s season is on thin ice. The Sooners will likely have to run the table and get some help if they want to be in the top four by season’s end. With Baylor, TCU, and the Bedlam game against Oklahoma State still on the horizon, Lincoln Riley’s team will have their work cut out for them.

The Sooners nearly had their season derailed last week against Iowa State, escaping with a 42-41 home win that saw them nearly blow a three touchdown lead in the fourth quarter. Fortunately, the Cyclones were unable to execute on a two point conversion on their last touchdown score. Quarterback Jalen Hurts contributed five touchdowns, three in the air and two on the ground, while running back Kennedy Brooks ran for 132 yards and a score. Top receiver CeeDee Lamb hauled in eight passes from Hurts for 167 yards and two touchdowns.

Defensive coordinator Alex Grinch will need to make adjustments with his unit, after they coughed up 477 total yards to Iowa State, as well as five touchdown passes to Cyclones quarterback Brock Purdy. With just four interceptions on the season, the Sooners rank among the worst in the country in that category. Oklahoma will need to put forth a better pass rush effort if they want to disrupt Baylor’s passing attack.

Stayed alive to stay undefeated. #SicEm pic.twitter.com/4eLaIs6fYJ

— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) November 9, 2019

Head Coach: Matt Rhule {All-Time: 45-40 | TEM, BAY}

Regular Season Record: 9-0

Since his inaugural 2017 season that saw the Bears go 1-11, Matt Rhule has completely turned Baylor’s football program around. Currently sitting in first place in the Big 12, Baylor is in position for a New Year’s Six bowl and possibly more if they can take care of business against Oklahoma. Armed with the 17th ranked scoring defense in the nation, the Bears should have the tools to keep up with Oklahoma’s high powered offense.

Like the Sooners, the Bears had to sweat out their last game, emerging with a 29-23 triple overtime win over in-state rival TCU. Baylor’s offense struggled to get going in Fort Worth, settling for three John Mayers field goals in regulation. Quarterback Charlie Brewer took control in overtime, tossing two touchdowns to senior receiver Denzel Mims and running for a three yard score.

Baylor was kept in the game against TCU by their defense, which limited Horned Frogs quarterback Max Duggan to just 140 yards and 14 completions on 32 pass attempts. The Bears sacked and intercepted Duggan three times each, with junior cornerback Grayland Arnold coming up with two of those picks. Defensive coordinator Phillip Snow will have his hands full, as his defense will face a much more mobile passer in Jalen Hurts.

Oklahoma vs Baylor All-Time Series

In 27 total meetings between these Big 12 foes, the Sooners have owned the Bears, winning 24 of those games. All of Baylor’s wins in the series have come this decade, with the first coming in Robert Griffin III’s Heisman season in 2011. The Bears have not beaten the Sooners since a 48-14 blowout in 2014 at Memorial Stadium, while their win the season prior was the last time Baylor emerged victorious at home, although that game was played at Floyd Casey Stadium before McLane Stadium was complete.

Fans have grown used to these teams lighting up the scoreboard, as the winner in the last nine games has never failed to surpass 40 points. The two games that have been played at McLane Stadium thus far have been closer than those played in Norman, with Oklahoma averaging a nine point winning margin in those games, as opposed to 27 points in the corresponding home games for the Sooners.

Oklahoma Roster Notes

Junior tight end Grant Calcaterra will not play against Baylor as he recovers from an undisclosed injury suffered against Kansas.

Junior running back Trey Sermon is out for the season with a knee injury suffered in last week’s game against Iowa State.

Redshirt senior defensive tackle Kenneth Mann is out for the season with an undisclosed injury suffered against Iowa State.

Junior safety Robert Barnes is listed as questionable with an undisclosed injury.

Baylor Roster Notes

Senior linebacker Clay Johnston is out for the season with a knee injury suffered against Texas Tech.

Sophomore offensive tackle Connor Galvin is out indefinitely with an undisclosed injury.

Redshirt freshman running back Craig Williams is out indefinitely with an undisclosed injury.

With Trey Sermon out of commission for Oklahoma, the Sooners’ ground game will be more reliant on the legs of lead runner Kennedy Brooks. Although Hurts is more than capable as a running threat, coach Riley will surely limit his quarterback’s hits and incorporate more handoffs. With Brooks getting more usage, Baylor’s leading tackler, Terrel Bernard, will need to be ready to plug running gaps created by Oklahoma’s offensive line.

Kennedy Brooks

Running back | 5-11, 205lb | Mansfield HS | Mansfield, TX | Redshirt Sophomore

Despite not being highly rated as a running back recruit in 2016, Kennedy Brooks has been an explosive asset for the Sooners since taking his first handoff last season. The Dallas-Fort Worth area product is difficult to bring down, thanks to his combination of brute strength and lateral quickness. With Sermon out of the picture, Brooks will get his chance to prove to NFL scouts that he can be a bell-cow ball carrier and not just a change of pace back.

Terrel Bernard

Middle Linebacker | 6-1, 222lb | La Porte HS | La Porte, TX | Sophomore

Baylor’s Terrel Bernard has been a key part of Baylor’s resurgence, helping the Bears improve a defense that was previously known for being lit up during the Art Briles era. Bernard was previously committed to Houston before opting to play football in Waco, which has paid off for Matt Rhule, who lost his top linebacker, Clay Johnston to a season-ending injury earlier this season. Although he may not have NFL linebacker size at roughly 220 pounds, Bernard makes up for it with his sideline-to-sideline speed and eye for the ball, as evidenced by his fumble recovery touchdown against Oklahoma State.

Oklahoma at Baylor Best Bet and Odds

Find the latest odds for Oklahoma vs Baylor below. The odds are provided by New Jersey sportsbooks bet365 NJ, DraftKings, and Caesars NJ.

Good luck! 

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