The rematch is here, and it has all the postseason implications on the line. Oklahoma and Baylor play in the Big 12 Championship Saturday.
The rematch is here, and it has all the postseason implications on the line.
No. 6 Oklahoma (11-1, 8-1 Big 12) and No. 7 Baylor (11-1, 8-1) will meet inside AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, to play for a Big 12 Championship, with the the winner likely heading to the College Football Playoff.
The two Big 12 foes got the help they needed out west Friday night as Oregon took down No. 5 ranked Utah 37-15 in the PAC-12 Championship Game—eliminating the Utes from contention.
The last time these two faced off, the Sooners used the program’s biggest comeback in school history to fend off Matt Rhule and Baylor 34-31 in Waco, Texas. This rematch has become the biggest Big 12 Championship in over decade.
Here is everything you need to know about the Big 12 Championship between Oklahoma and Baylor.
WHERE: Arlington, Texas
WHEN: 11 a.m. CT
HOW TO WATCH: ABC
HOW TO LISTEN: Sooner Sports Radio Network—KOKC AM 1520 and KRXO 107.7 FM in OKC, KMOD FM 97.5 and KTBZ AM 1430 in Tulsa (click here for more options if not in either of those markets)
Dallas Cowboys’ owner Jerry Jones will play host to what it is believed a win-or-go-home Big 12 Championship.
The stage is set.
Dallas Cowboys’ owner Jerry Jones will play host to what it is believed a win-or-go-home Big 12 Championship game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
No. 6 Oklahoma (11-1, 8-1 Big 12) and No, 7 Baylor (11-1, 8-1) were benefitted by an Oregon 37-15 win over No. 5 Utah in the PAC-12 Championship game Friday night.
The Sooners overcame a program-setting 28-3 comeback win over the Bears on Nov. 16, eventually winning 34-31 on the road in Waco, Texas.
In 2007, No. 1 Missouri missed out on a national championship appearance at the hands of Sam Bradford and No. 9 ranked Oklahoma with 38-17 upset win. In 2019, the Sooners and Bears will likely play for a chance to go to the College Football Playoff.
No. 2 LSU and No. 4 Georgia meet up in the SEC Championship game. An LSU win puts the winner of the Big 12 Championship in the College Football Playoff. A Georgia win ends all hopes for the Big 12 conference.
The 2019 Big 12 Championship will be the fifth top-10 matchup in the game’s history. The first came coming in 1998 between Kansas State and Texas, then Kansas State and Oklahoma and 2000, and Colorado and Texas in 2003.
The Sooners and Bears will kickoff at 11 a.m. CT from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on ABC.
There is a lot to come with winning your conference. A lot of bonuses are on the line for head coaches, including Lincoln Riley.
There is a lot to come with winning your conference championship.
It gives you momentum into the bowl season or a chance at the College Football Playoff. It may help sway recruits to a school on early National Signing Day on Dec. 18.
Already accruing $75,000 worth of bonuses for being bowl eligible and making the Big 12 Championship game, Riley could triple that number by the weekend’s end.
With a win, Oklahoma’s head coach is guaranteed a $50,000 bonus. If LSU beats Georgia, Riley would earn another $50,000 for finishing at least fifth in the College Football Playoff rankings. If Utah loses to Oregon or the College Football Playoff committee chooses Oklahoma over Utah with both winning their respective conference championships, he would earn another $125,000 for making the College Football Playoff semifinal.
Later down the road, Riley could make another $175,000 for winning a College Football Playoff semifinal. For a national championship win, another $400,000 bonus would await Oklahoma’s head coach.
If Oklahoma beats Baylor, but does not make the College Football Playoff, Riley would only receive $75,000 for making a New Year’s Six bowl, and then another $100,000 if Oklahoma won that bowl.
No. 6 Oklahoma and No. 7 Baylor kickoff from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, at 11 a.m. CT (TV on FOX).
The last game between Oklahoma and Baylor featured 75 points, 6 forced turnovers, and the largest comeback win in Oklahoma history. Here are the three biggest storylines for their rematch, which has even more on the line.
The last game between Oklahoma and Baylor featured 65 points scored, six forced turnovers, and the largest comeback win in Oklahoma history. Here are the three biggest storylines for their rematch, which has even more on the line.
The Playoff Race
Undoubtedly the biggest storyline for both teams, is can they win in big enough fashion to launch themselves over No. 5 Utah into the College Football Playoffs? The Utes face off against Oregon on Friday, so come 11 a.m. Saturday, both Oklahoma and Baylor will have a fairly good idea of how handedly they’ll need to win to advance to the playoffs. For the Sooners, it could mean just getting out of Arlington with the win. For the Bears however, they might need to make a statement.
A Tale of Two Halves
The last matchup between the two Big 12 titans needed a 24-point comeback win from the Sooners. This time, Oklahoma will likely not be able to overcome a 24-10 halftime score. For Baylor, it means keeping their foot on the gas pedal for four continuous quarters, instead of just the first two.
The Turnover Battle
Oklahoma and Baylor’s game in November featured six turnovers in total, four from Sooner’s quarterback Jalen Hurts and one pivotal fumble and interception from the Bears. It’s no secret ball security will be a huge factor in the game. Oklahoma had a perfect game against Oklahoma State last week, and the Bear’s Charlie Brewer had one interception against Kansas. Whoever forces more turnovers, could be your Big 12 Champion.
One of Oklahoma’s rising star defensive lineman was unexpectedly out for Bedlam on Saturday. He is questionable for the Baylor game.
NORMAN, Okla. — One of Oklahoma’s rising star defensive lineman was unexpectedly out against Oklahoma State in Bedlam on Saturday.
Redshirt freshman defensive lineman Jalen Redmond was absent from the Sooners’ warmups prior to the game. Oklahoma football did not make an announcement at the time on his absence.
Head coach Lincoln Riley announced on Monday that Redmond is “questionable” for the Sooners’ Big 12 Championship Game against Baylor.
“Medically, the only thing, Jalen Redmond didn’t travel with us the other night,” he said at his weekly press conference. “It’s a medical decision, totally unrelated to what he went through previously. So he is questionable for this week. That’s it.”
The rising defensive lineman made his second career start against TCU the week prior to Oklahoma State. Behind him is JUCO transfer LaRon Stokes, who has been a solid piece to Oklahoma’s defensive puzzle this season.
It is sure to be a game-time decision for Redmond.
Oklahoma and Baylor will kickoff the Big 12 Championship at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, at 11 a.m CT on FOX.
The rematch is here. Oklahoma and Baylor will clash for the Big 12 Championship. Here is what Lincoln Riley said about the rematch.
NORMAN, Okla. — The rematch is here.
No. 6 Oklahoma (11-1, 8-1 Big 12) and No. 8 Baylor (11-1, 8-1) are set for a clash in the Big 12 Championship at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
The Sooners needed a historic comeback less than a month ago to down the Bears 34-31. Oklahoma was down 28-3 early in the second-quarter and then 31-10 at half. The 25-point deficit was the largest deficit an Oklahoma team has ever overcome and win a football game.
Quarterback Jalen Hurts turned it on in the second-half and the defense stiffened up to shutout Baylor in the second-half.
Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley met with the media on Monday to preview the Big 12 Championship game. Here is what he said about the rematch with Baylor.
Media: What turned the defense around after halftime in the first game?
Lincoln Riley: “I don’t know that there’s some eureka moment. We’ve certainly caused turnovers since the second half that game and been pretty consistent with that. That’s certainly been big. I think we keep getting a little bit better each week. It’s a constant climb, every year, even if your system’s four or five years old, it’s always a constant climb, and especially in the first year of a system. Totally new coaches, scheme, everything. It takes time. And if you’re coaching it the right way and if your players are responding the right way, then it should get better. Our guys have bought in and we certainly look a lot different than we did even early in the season when we played well, too. So we’re getting better and we’ve adapted to ways that people have attacked us and young guys have continued to grow and evolve, and I give our staff a lot of credit.”
M: How much emphasis do you put on the first game?
LR: “This is a different game. Everything is different about this game. It’s not a road game for us, it’s not a home game for them. Championship games are different. They just feel different. Everything about them’s different. So our focus has just got to be on this one and how we can play our very best. We know we’re going to have to play well to beat Baylor. They’re a darned good football team. They played well, studying them up to our game, then obviously they’ve played extremely well after. So we realize the challenge it’s going to be and it’s going to be its own game for sure.”
M: Do you have to guard against overanalyzing the first game?
LR: “Everybody’s different. These games the last few years probably have helped us in that guys that have been in college, you don’t normally play the same opponent twice in the same year. Felt very different for TCU a couple of years ago. Very very different. Now it feels more regular. So I’m glad our team’s done well enough that it feels regular. I think it’s not a whole lot different than studying a team from the past. This or that. That’s kind of the back and forth you always go through as coaches. How much to analyze, how much to scheme, how much not to. That’s kind of the fun in it. But it is a little bit of a new dimension with the second game, and thankfully our staff has had a lot of good experience there.”
It was less than a month ago that No. 6 Oklahoma needed its biggest comeback in school history to take down No. 8 Baylor 34-31.
It was less than a month ago that No. 6 Oklahoma (10-1, 8-1) needed its biggest comeback in school history to take down No. 8 Baylor (10-1, 8-1) 34-31.
The Bears made the Sooners smallest betting favorites of the season at the time as 10.5-point favorites, and that fact has since been reset for the Big 12 Championship.
Oklahoma travels south on Interstate-35 to Arlington for a conference championship tilt and a rematch with Baylor and have opened up as 9.5-point favorites, according to BetMGM.
Matt Rhule and the Bears have gotten stronger the two games since, dominating both Texas (24-10, but was 24-3 before a late Texas touchdown) and Kansas (61-6). Baylor is a threat to Oklahoma’s College Football Playoff hopes with a disruptive, physical defense and a more often than not reliable offense.
“Want to get in on the action? Place your bet now at BetMGM.”
Oklahoma and Baylor will kickoff on Saturday at 11 a.m. CT on FOX.
*Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
From the top-3 teams to Baylor and Utah, here’s a guide to the CFP scenarios.
Although the College Football Playoff race this season seems a bit less complicated than previous seasons, it’s still challenging to keep track of which teams need to win or lose and when if your team is on the bubble.
Generally, regardless of which team you root for, you want the top-3 teams, Ohio State, LSU and Clemson, to win out because if they lose, depending on which team it’s to, they could still make the playoff and take the fourth spot. For example, if LSU loses to Georgia in the SEC championship game, both teams could get in, which is not ideal for everyone else. Though unlikely, the same could be true if Ohio State’s only loss is, say, to 12-1 Minnesota.
So ahead of the final regular-season games for the playoff hopefuls with conference championship matchups looming, here’s a guide to help you keep track of which teams to root for and against in the next couple weeks.
If you cheer for Ohio State, LSU or Clemson…
Nell Redmond-USA TODAY Sports
Obviously, this one is pretty simple. The top-3 teams are in total control, on 11-game win streaks going into Week 14 and have at least an 86 percent chance to make the playoff. All they have to do is keep winning, and they’re in the College Football Playoff. And realistically, Ohio State could lose to Michigan and LSU could lose to Texas A&M, and they likely would both still make it as one-loss conference champions.
With its strength of schedule, Clemson is probably the only team that cannot afford to lose either this weekend against South Carolina or in the ACC title game to have a shot at defending its national championship.
However, for these three fan bases, you also want to probably want to root for Auburn to beat Alabama this weekend, which would hand the Crimson Tide their second loss and probably keep them out of the playoff for the first time. An Alabama loss wouldn’t help ensure Ohio State, LSU or Clemson contend for a title, but come on: Do you really want to have to deal with Alabama in the playoff?
[jwplayer SaUsBquR-q2aasYxh]
If you cheer for Georgia…
You want everyone else to lose and lose multiple times. The Bulldogs are 28.5-point favorites against Georgia Tech on Saturday, so that game really shouldn’t be an issue. But to make the playoff, they will likely have to upset LSU in the SEC championship game, which college football math suggests isn’t actually that outrageous of a goal. The Tigers currently have a 52.4 percent chance to beat Georgia, according to ESPN’s FPI, which makes this game basically a coin toss and probably a big reason why the Bulldogs currently have a 50 percent chance to make the playoff.
Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
But Georgia will also want a backup plan, however unlikely it may be. If it loses a close SEC championship game and finishes 11-2, it could possibly still make the playoff if the selection committee views it relatively favorably compared with potential two-loss conference champions around the country.
Bulldogs fans should root for Alabama to lose to Auburn and Minnesota to lose to Wisconsin, in addition to two-loss Big 12 and Pac-12 winners. Since it seems unlikely that Baylor will fall to Kansas this week, the best bet is for Oklahoma to lose to Oklahoma State for its second defeat of the season but then win the Big 12 championship game. And then in the Pac-12, you want two-loss Oregon to beat likely Utah in the title game. (If Utah loses to Colorado this weekend, USC will represent the Pac-12 South, which means the conference will have a two-loss champ either way.)
If you cheer for Alabama…
You want to beat Auburn, obviously, and then sit back and watch the college football world burn so your team’s 47 percent chance to make the playoff gets a boost. You need the top-3 teams to win out and maintain their positions, but you especially want LSU to beat Georgia in the SEC championship game.
From there, you’re cheering for Georgia’s backup plan. You want as many playoff contenders as possible, particularly the conference champions, to have a less favorable resume than the Crimson Tide. And, if the top-3 teams win out, Alabama probably will be up against Georgia, Oklahoma, Baylor and Utah for that final playoff spot. So two losses for everyone!
If you cheer for Utah…
And your team doesn’t beat Colorado, none of this matters. Utah lost to USC, currently second in the Pac-12 South, back in September. So another loss would put it in a tie with the Trojans, who would then win the tiebreaker. But Utah is a 28.5-point favorite over the Buffaloes, and if it does, it will advance to the Pac-12 championship game. Beat Oregon and win the conference, and it will look pretty good to the selection committee as a one-loss champ.
But for good measure, Utah fans should also root for Alabama to lose to Auburn and for a two-loss Big 12 winner, which would certainly help it in the eyes of the committee.
If you cheer for Oklahoma or Baylor…
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
You’ve got a one-loss team with a shot at the conference title. But first, Oklahoma needs to beat Oklahoma State, and Baylor needs to beat Kansas in Week 14. They could both lose and still play in the conference championship game, but they’d probably be eliminated from the playoff picture.
Both fan bases want their team to emerge as a one-loss Big 12 champion, and the best-case scenario would also include a decisive victory. But to all but ensure a playoff berth, fans should also root for Auburn over Alabama and a two-loss Pac-12 winner, which would likely Oregon.
If you cheer for Minnesota or Wisconsin…
You’re probably excited/very nervous about their Big Ten West matchup Saturday because the winner will play Ohio State in the conference title game. Wisconsin is a slim 3-point favorite in Minneapolis.
Now, both teams have ridiculously low chances to make the playoff with Wisconsin at just two percent and Minnesota at one percent. However, if the winner of Saturday’s game can ultimately upset Ohio State, it might be hard for the selection committee to deny it a playoff spot — especially if we’re talking about a one-loss Minnesota team. In that scenario, it seems like the Buckeyes would still get in if that’s their only loss, so the committee really couldn’t justify putting the Big Ten runner-up in without the champion.
Winning the conference is really the only hope here. A loss at any point would be Minnesota’s second and Wisconsin’s third, and that won’t earn a playoff spot without some colossal chaos around the country — and even then, it might not be enough.
If you cheer for Penn State, Florida, Michigan or Oregon…
Oklahoma’s climb in the College Football Rankings continues. After the 28-24 win against TCU, the Sooners are now eyeing a Playoff bid.
Oklahoma’s climb in the College Football Rankings continues.
The College Football Playoff committee has released its Nov. 26 College Football Playoff Rankings, with the Sooners climbing up to No. 7.
Oklahoma is coming off a 28-24 win over TCU that saw the Sooners need to overcome three turnovers by the offense to add another win to their resume. Brendan ‘Bookie’ Radley-Hiles had a game-clinching interception with under two minutes to go in the game that highlighted a stellar night from defensive coordinator Alex Grinch’s defense.
Just two weeks ago, Oklahoma fell to No. 10. The Sooners rose to No. 9 last week and now find themselves right in the thick of things at No. 7.
Here is how the rest of the top-10 of the College Football Playoff Rankings rounded out:
Ohio State
LSU
Clemson
Georgia
Alabama
Utah
Oklahoma
Minnesota
Baylor
Penn State
Oklahoma’s opponent on Saturday, Oklahoma State, came into this week’s Rankings again at No. 21. Iowa State fell one spot to No. 23, who the Sooners beat 42-41 earlier in November. Baylor, who Oklahoma beat 34-31 two weeks ago and will face in the Big 12, climbed up to No. 9 from No. 14.
The No. 7 Sooners and the No. 21 Cowboys kickoff Bedlam at 7 p.m. CT.
The Texas Longhorns dropped another game against the Baylor Bears today, losing 24-10
Going into today’s matchup with Baylor, this was a chance to earn a little bit of redemption for the Longhorns. After an overall disappointing season, this was a chance for Texas to right the ship or show some progress. Instead, the Baylor Bears embarrassed the Longhorns. Though the score doesn’t imply a blowout, Texas was never in control and the lone touchdown on the day came in garbage time on a 4-yard Daniel Young run.
Nov 23, 2019; Waco, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Sam Ehlinger (11) eludes the tackle of Baylor Bears linebacker Terrel Bernard (26) during the second quarter at McLane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Quarterback Sam Ehlinger finished the game with 22/37 passing for 200 yards, no touchdowns, and one interception. He added 19 attempts on the ground for 79 yards in one of the worst performances of the year. Devin Duvernay picked up where he left off, catching 10 passes for 78 yards.
Texas played a sloppy game, reflected in the three unsportsmanlike penalties they accrued in the second half. Frustration is to be expected, but repeated offenses like that can call coaching into question.
AMES, IA – NOVEMBER 16: Head coach Tom Herman of the Texas Longhorns signals touchdown as a play is reviewed by officials in the first half of play against the Iowa State Cyclones at Jack Trice Stadium on November 16, 2019 in Ames, Iowa. (Photo by David Purdy/Getty Images)
The standout performer for the Longhorns was running back Keaontay Ingram, who finished the game with 7 rushes for 86 yards. Ingram came up with the best play of the game for Texas, and one of a very small handful of highlights. With 18 seconds before halftime, Texas was down 7-0 to the Baylor Bears and backed up to its own end zone. The Longhorns hand the ball off to Keaontay Ingram to run the clock down and head to the locker room, but Ingram takes it 68 yards into field goal range with 4 seconds on the clock. Check out the long run here:
After that long run put Texas in field goal range, Cameron Dicker hit the field goal to put points on the board and head into the locker room down 7-3:
Dicker, the kicker, probably cut it closer than he wanted but it's good. Herman pumped. Or, relieved? Baylor up 7-3 at the break. pic.twitter.com/RL9TWqg9zE
