SHAKE IT OFF

BAYLOR LOOKS TO RECOVER FROM OKLAHOMA COLLAPSE AS TEXAS COMES CALLING

KEYS FOR TEXAS

Play with a lead: Texas wants to run the football and control the tempo. The Longhorns can’t do that by constantly allowing other teams quick starts and early leads. Kansas State built a 14-0 lead in the first quarter. Iowa State was up 10-0 until the last drive of the first half. Texas’ offense and defense need to win early and allow this team to play with confidence instead of chasing the game for 60 minutes.

Let it rip: Quarterback Sam Ehlinger is the team’s best player. No one disputes that. It’s time for the Texas coaching staff to throw its complete trust behind the Westlake grad. Texas took the ball out of his hands too many times against Iowa State, and it cost the Longhorns in the fourth quarter. Baylor will load the box to stop the run game early.

KEYS FOR BAYLOR

Forget about Oklahoma:

Human nature suggests this Baylor team will carry the hurt and disappointment from the Oklahoma loss into the game against Texas. The Bears must feel like a real chance slipped through their fingertips at home. The job for Matt Rhule and the leaders on the team is to reset the focus on the contest against Texas. The Bears will get its rematch against Oklahoma if they take care of business for the next two weeks.

Keep attacking: Baylor built its lead against Oklahoma by letting it loose and attacking the Oklahoma defense. The Bears played conservatively with a big lead and could never get anything going offensively in the final two quarters. Lesson learned.

PREDICTION

Baylor 42, Texas 38:

Baylor opened the week as a five-point favorite at home against Texas. The best version of the Longhorns is capable of going to Waco and coming back to Austin with a win, but we’ve yet to see a consistent version of Texas for four quarters. Baylor can erase the memory of the Oklahoma loss with a win over Texas. I expect a back-andforth affair, and that favors Baylor in the fourth quarter because its defense is better.

Baylor quarterback Charlie Brewer [RAY CARLIN/ THE ASSOCIATED PRESS]