BAYLOR VS. OKLAHOMA
Series history: Oklahoma leads 22-3. Key players: BU — QB Seth Russell, RB Terence Williams, WR Ishmael Zamora; OU — QB Baker Mayfield, RB Dimitri Flowers, DE D.J. Ward. Who has the edge: Offense — Even. The Sooners rank ahead of Baylor in total yards (third at 558) and points (seventh at 44.1) per game. They managed only 34 points and 477 yards last week against Iowa State, but that was without suspended RB Joe Mixon and injured RB Samaje Perine. Flowers stepped in admirably, supplying 115 rushing yards and one receiving TD.
Defense — Even. The Bears allow only 25 points per game, compared with the Sooners’ 31.6, which is tied for 91st in the FBS. The Bears surrendered 688 yards and 62 points in last week’s 62-22 loss to TCU, their second straight setback after a 6-0 start.
Special teams — Oklahoma. The Sooners have two TDs on special teams; Baylor has none. OU also is slightly better on field goals this season, making one more (nine) in the same 13 attempts. Bears kickers Chris Callahan and Drew Galitz missed three field goals against Kansas.
Notable: The Sooners won the first 20 meetings with Baylor, going all the way back to their first meeting in 1901, but the Bears have turned the tables of late, winning three of the past five matchups. Baylor’s first win was 45-38 in 2011. It won again in 2013 and 2014, but the Sooners prevailed 44-34 last year in Waco.
About Baylor: The Bears (6-2, 3-2) are reeling following back-to-back losses to Texas (35-34) and TCU, and the distractions are mounting. Baylor fans lined up to buy #CAB T-shirts in support of former coach Art Briles, who lost his job over the ongoing sexual assault scandal, before the TCU game, sparking outrage across social media. About Oklahoma: The Sooners (7-2, 6-0) have won six straight games since a rocky start, with losses to Houston and Ohio State, leaving them as the lone undefeated team in Big 12 play, ahead of Oklahoma State (7-2, 5-1) and West Virginia (7-1, 4-1).