Oklahoma 37, Baylor 27
Oklahoma enters its patented Championship November feeling good about itself after laying waste to Texas Tech, 52-21. The Sooners should be feeling fresh, too. After nine consecutive weeks to open the season without a bye week, Oklahoma finally had a weekend without a game last week.
OU has had several weeks here to reintegrate defensive lineman Jalen Redmond and safety Delarrin Turner-Yell ahead of this season-defining stretch. Oklahoma will have wide receiver Mike Woods back against the Bears, and they might see cornerback Woodi Washington’s return as well.
Defensively, OU is in for a test. Baylor boasts the nation’s No. 8 rushing offense. That rushing attack is spearheaded by senior running back Abram Smith, who has 144 carries for 1,055 yards this season. Fellow senior running back Trestan Ebner has rushed 101 times for 601 yards.
Bears quarterback Gerry Bohanon suddenly looks turnover-prone entering this game against Oklahoma. Bohanon didn’t throw an interception in Baylor’s first six games, but he has been intercepted five times over the Bears’ past three games, including twice last week against TCU.
Similar to past OU opponents, Baylor will look to shorten the game by leaning on its run game. It will have a fair amount of success doing that, too. Ultimately, Oklahoma quarterback Caleb Williams is the difference in this game. He’s the best player on the field and that will be apparent again on Saturday.
With the way Chandler Morris and TCU attacked Baylor’s defense, Williams’ second career road start looks a little less imposing. His ability to attack Baylor with both his feet and his arm and the cast of weapons around him is too much for the Bears.
It’ll be a lower-scoring output for the Sooners this week as the Bears look to carve into Oklahoma’s offensive possessions and chew up game clock, but Williams does enough to guide the Sooners into the winner’s circle.
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