Oklahoma vs. Baylor: Preview and Prediction
Here is everything you need to know about the upcoming Big 12 match up in our Oklahoma vs. Baylor preview and prediction.
Game info
7:00 p.m. CST, Saturday, December 5th, 2020; Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, Norman, Oklahoma
TV: FOX (Tim Brando, Spencer Tillman)
Radio: Sooner Sports Network (Toby Rowland); Baylor Sports Network/ESPN Central Texas (John Morris); Sirius 134, XM 199
Spread: Oklahoma -21
Fun fact: The Sooners have won six straight games against Baylor (average score of 45-31) and have registered over 500 yards in five of the six contests (had 433 in last year’s Big 12 Championship Game).
Key Players
Baylor Bears
QB Charlie Brewer
Brewer was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week after he led the Bears to a win over Kansas State when he threw for 349 yards and two touchdowns, plus 23 carries for 56 yards and two touchdowns. Brewer has rushed for a TD and thrown a TD 12 times in his career. Baylor is 9-3 in those games. He’s heading down the home stretch of his Baylor career and on the season has thrown for 13 touchdowns and six interceptions, with 1,600 yards and a 65% completion rate, with 169 rushing yards.
LB Abram Smith
Smith is a former high school running back from Abilene, Texas, who is now filling one of the most important positions on the Baylor defense. He has taken over the starting job from one of the Big 12’s best linebackers, Terrel Bernard, who was lost for the season due to injury. He moved into the starting spot against Texas Tech two weeks ago and in his first career start had a team-high 13 tackles and one tackle for loss. Last week in the win over K-State, he tied for the team lead with eight tackles.
Oklahoma Sooners
RB Rhamondre Stevenson
Stevenson, who missed the season’s first five contests, has torn up Big 12 defenses upon his return. He’s rushed for 332 yards and five touchdowns on 50 carries (6.6 yards per rush) in his three games. He ran for 87 yards and three TDs on 13 carries (6.7 average) in his season debut at Texas Tech, 104 yards and two scores on 11 carries (9.5 average) vs. Kansas and a career-high 141 yards vs. Oklahoma State (5.4 average). OU has averaged 55.0 points and rushed for 13 TDs in those three contests.
LB Nik Bonitto
Bonitto is tied for second in the Big 12 with his 6.5 sacks (all over the last five games). Also, according to Pro Football Focus, he is the top player in the country at the Power 5 level with the highest quarterback pressure percentage (26%). Last year against Baylor, in their November comeback in Waco, Bonitto sealed the victory with an interception at the OU 38-yard line with 29 seconds left.
Key Storylines
Baylor Bears
The Baylor Bears can’t run the ball this year, ranking last in the Big 12 (yes behind Kansas) with 102 rushing yards per game. Their only hope is to light up the passing game. Oklahoma has been more vulnerable against the pass this season, ranking fifth in the Big 12 in passing yards allowed per game. Charlie Brewer will have to continue his swan song and pick up from last week’s performance where he helped lead the team back to a win over Kansas State and was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week.
Oklahoma Sooners
The Sooners just need to get through this game healthy and finish it off. They’ve been absolutely rolling the last several weeks, crushing teams and covering spreads for five weeks in a row. They’ve been dealing with COVID-19 issues, which included the postponement of last week’s game against West Virginia. Heck, Bob Stoops was helping the coaching staff this week. The key for Oklahoma is to stay healthy and then make life miserable for the Baylor offensive line, which has struggled all year long, allowing the second-most sacks in the Big 12, while Oklahoma leads the Big 12 with 30 sacks in eight games.
Prediction
Oklahoma 42, Baylor 21
Completely healthy or not, Oklahoma is the far more superior team this season, and where they’ve flourish (getting to the QB and running the ball) plays right into Baylor’s weaknesses. Even if Oklahoma is down a key player or two, they’re playing their best football of the season and will overwhelm the Bears.
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