The Oklahoma Sooners set their sights on an 10-0 start when they face the Baylor Bears this Saturday. Can the red-hot Caleb Williams keep the momentum going in this pivotal Oklahoma vs Baylor showdown? Here's a preview of this Big 12 matchup.
Oklahoma Sooners installed as -5.5 favorites
The Oklahoma Sooners headed into their bye week feeling good about themselves after they crushed the Texas Tech Red Raiders at home in Week 9. The Sooners pulled off a 52-21 win over the Red Raiders to improve their record to 9-0. They head into Week 11 still ranked No. 4 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll but only No. 8 in the College Football Playoff rankings.
Caleb Williams once again stole the show for Oklahoma, throwing for 402 yards and six touchdowns in the win against Texas Tech. Williams tied Landry Jones and Kyler Murray for the second-most touchdown passes in a game in school history.
Since taking over as Oklahoma's quarterback midway through the second quarter against the Texas Longhorns, Williams has completed 72 of 98 passes (73.5%) for 1,087 yards with 14 touchdowns and just one interception. Williams, who has started for the Sooners in their last three games, also has three rushing touchdowns of at least 40 yards.
Williams got some help from Marvin Mims and Mario Williams, who wreaked havoc through the air in Week 9. Mims had four receptions for 135 yards and a couple of touchdowns, and Williams caught five passes for 100 yards and a score to help Oklahoma extend its nation-leading winning streak to 17 games.
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Baylor Bears enter Week 11 as +5.5 underdogs
Baylor's College Football Playoff hopes were dealt a major blow on Saturday when it suffered a gut-wrenching 30-28 loss to the TCU Horned Frogs. The Bears had no answer for Chandler Morris, who threw for 461 yards and a couple of touchdowns in his first start for the Horned Frogs.
It was a disappointing defeat for the Bears, who had their three-game winning streak snapped. They will look to get their season back on track when they face the still unbeaten Oklahoma Sooners. The last time these two teams met in Waco back in 2019, they served a thriller with Oklahoma pulling off a stunning 34-31 come-from-behind win over Baylor after trailing 28-3 at one stage.
One guy who needs to step up for Baylor this weekend is Abram Smith. He has been unstoppable on the ground for the Bears, racking up 1,055 yards and 11 rushing touchdowns this season. He is third in the nation and the leader in the Big 12 in terms of yards per carry with an average of 7.3.
The Bears as a unit lead the Big 12 in rushing offense, averaging 230.9 yards per game this campaign. They have scored 24 touchdowns on the ground this season. The Bears will be tested, though, by an Oklahoma side that allowed just 104 rushing yards in Week 9.
Writer's Prediction
Oklahoma wins and covers the spread.
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