@BPrzybylo - Here we go with Baylor and the biggest game of the season. And not just because it’s the next one for Oklahoma.
Face it, by Saturday evening, we’re all going to know if 9-3 is possible for the Sooners, or if 7-5 would be something to shoot for.
Because if OU can beat Baylor, you can start believing again the team has turned the corner. KU was as must-win as it gets. Iowa State was about showing improvement, and now Baylor, in theory, is about OU starting to show the best version of itself.
For that to happen, it’s going to be up to the interior offensive line to be able to handle the beef in the middle for the Bears. If that occurs, the Sooners win this one pretty comfortably.
But that won’t be an easy task, and it feels more like the Bears will have the edge in that matchup and this is gonna be a four-quarter battle.
Let’s see the real Marvin Mims once again. After a puzzling outing in Ames, Mims returns to being who he has been for three seasons and finds the end zone. More than that, though, he stretches the field and opens up a whole bunch of options for Dillon Gabriel and Jeff Lebby.
The defense forces two more takeaways, taking advantage of the inconsistency Blake Shapen has shown throughout this season and putting the offense in good position to score.
Eric Gray is kept under 100 yards, but Gabriel and the offense find a way to win with Brayden Willis coming up big in the fourth quarter.
OU 34, Baylor 28.
@Eddie_Rado - It’s starting to feel normal. No not because it’s now Championship November. Those goals have obviously changed but it’s starting to feel normal in that Saturdays are no longer feared. My how times have changed.
We’ve heard the word physical used time and time again. You know what you’re going to get from Baylor. They have to win battles in the trenches. Last week Jeff Lebby solved the Jon Heacock dilemma. This week’s it’s Dave Aranda.
How about Oklahoma defensively? Can they stop the run consistently? Sure it’s a tough ask. How much of last weeks performance was Iowa State offensive distinction? How much was it Oklahoma actually taking steps in a positive direction.
We should start answering these questions as Oklahoma looks to finish the final four games in what ultimately would be a dream scenario. The fact we can sit here and say we now look forward to Saturdays again is a win in of itself.
Oklahoma finds a way at home. Dillon Gabriel continues his streaky play. And look for a continued progression in the turnover department.
Oklahoma 37
Baylor 31
@Josh_M - Man this is an interesting game as it's the two teams many had pegged for the Big 12 title game in the preseason that have seen their seasons work in very similar patterns, including that they are finding their feet at the same time in the season.
Where I think Oklahoma finds success?
Oklahoma can pass vertically on this team. Baylor, aside from last week against Texas Tech, has struggled to create pressure and behind that pass rush is a young secondary that has struggled at times. Particularly they've had problems on the road giving up 252-yards per game on the road as opposed to less than 200 at home.
Where I think Baylor can give Oklahoma trouble?
I'm just going to keep talking about the same things so, don't stop me if you've heard this before, the defensive line and it's ability to contain the run game.
If the Sooners can just keep Baylor's ground game within reason, I think they win this game. What I'm not sure about is whether Oklahoma can do that. I thought they were better against Iowa State but like I talked about last week the Cyclones were a straight forward scenario. Baylor is going throw more variation and try to do things to confuse Oklahoma's scheme.
The Sooners can run well laterally in this game, I believe that and in the end I just think their ability to be a bit more consistently diverse offensively is going to provide just enough room to pull away. And I want to tell you I came into this expecting to pick Baylor, I just kind of talked myself out of the pick.
Predictions:
1) Oklahoma gets a pair of interceptions from the secondary.
2) Marvin Mims goes over 150 yards.
3) Key Lawrence will be a key to the game.
Oklahoma 34
Baylor 24
Face it, by Saturday evening, we’re all going to know if 9-3 is possible for the Sooners, or if 7-5 would be something to shoot for.
Because if OU can beat Baylor, you can start believing again the team has turned the corner. KU was as must-win as it gets. Iowa State was about showing improvement, and now Baylor, in theory, is about OU starting to show the best version of itself.
For that to happen, it’s going to be up to the interior offensive line to be able to handle the beef in the middle for the Bears. If that occurs, the Sooners win this one pretty comfortably.
But that won’t be an easy task, and it feels more like the Bears will have the edge in that matchup and this is gonna be a four-quarter battle.
Let’s see the real Marvin Mims once again. After a puzzling outing in Ames, Mims returns to being who he has been for three seasons and finds the end zone. More than that, though, he stretches the field and opens up a whole bunch of options for Dillon Gabriel and Jeff Lebby.
The defense forces two more takeaways, taking advantage of the inconsistency Blake Shapen has shown throughout this season and putting the offense in good position to score.
Eric Gray is kept under 100 yards, but Gabriel and the offense find a way to win with Brayden Willis coming up big in the fourth quarter.
OU 34, Baylor 28.
@Eddie_Rado - It’s starting to feel normal. No not because it’s now Championship November. Those goals have obviously changed but it’s starting to feel normal in that Saturdays are no longer feared. My how times have changed.
We’ve heard the word physical used time and time again. You know what you’re going to get from Baylor. They have to win battles in the trenches. Last week Jeff Lebby solved the Jon Heacock dilemma. This week’s it’s Dave Aranda.
How about Oklahoma defensively? Can they stop the run consistently? Sure it’s a tough ask. How much of last weeks performance was Iowa State offensive distinction? How much was it Oklahoma actually taking steps in a positive direction.
We should start answering these questions as Oklahoma looks to finish the final four games in what ultimately would be a dream scenario. The fact we can sit here and say we now look forward to Saturdays again is a win in of itself.
Oklahoma finds a way at home. Dillon Gabriel continues his streaky play. And look for a continued progression in the turnover department.
Oklahoma 37
Baylor 31
@Josh_M - Man this is an interesting game as it's the two teams many had pegged for the Big 12 title game in the preseason that have seen their seasons work in very similar patterns, including that they are finding their feet at the same time in the season.
Where I think Oklahoma finds success?
Oklahoma can pass vertically on this team. Baylor, aside from last week against Texas Tech, has struggled to create pressure and behind that pass rush is a young secondary that has struggled at times. Particularly they've had problems on the road giving up 252-yards per game on the road as opposed to less than 200 at home.
Where I think Baylor can give Oklahoma trouble?
I'm just going to keep talking about the same things so, don't stop me if you've heard this before, the defensive line and it's ability to contain the run game.
If the Sooners can just keep Baylor's ground game within reason, I think they win this game. What I'm not sure about is whether Oklahoma can do that. I thought they were better against Iowa State but like I talked about last week the Cyclones were a straight forward scenario. Baylor is going throw more variation and try to do things to confuse Oklahoma's scheme.
The Sooners can run well laterally in this game, I believe that and in the end I just think their ability to be a bit more consistently diverse offensively is going to provide just enough room to pull away. And I want to tell you I came into this expecting to pick Baylor, I just kind of talked myself out of the pick.
Predictions:
1) Oklahoma gets a pair of interceptions from the secondary.
2) Marvin Mims goes over 150 yards.
3) Key Lawrence will be a key to the game.
Oklahoma 34
Baylor 24
