Baylor @ Oklahoma State preview

Baylor at Oklahoma State

Last Meeting ( Sep 24, 2016 ) Oklahoma State 24, Baylor 35

Two games into the Big 12 Conference season, TCU and Texas are 2-0 with six other teams sitting at 1-1. No. 14 Oklahoma State finds itself among that .500 cluster as it prepares to host winless Baylor in its homecoming game Saturday.

The Cowboys had a bye last weekend following their 41-34 win Sept. 30 at Texas Tech. The previous Saturday, Oklahoma State suffered its first loss, falling 44-31 at home to the now seventh-ranked Horned Frogs. “We don’t have a lot of margin for error right now,” Cowboys coach Mike Gundy said Monday at his weekly news conference. “Other teams get beat up, too, and that’s just a part of college football. The things that sway games in this league would be turnovers, special teams play, injuries and quarterback play.” Baylor, which also is coming off a bye, has struggled with just about all the above in falling to FCS-foe Liberty (17-10), Texas-San Antonio (17-10) and Duke (34-20), and Oklahoma (49-41) and Kansas State (33-20) to open Big 12 play.

TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, FS1. LINE: Oklahoma State -25.5

ABOUT BAYLOR (0-5, 0-2 Big 12): The reeling Bears are at least getting some needed reinforcements back this week, headlined by running back JaMychal Hasty and tight end Ish Wainwright, who are returning from multiple-week injury absences, and running back Terence Williams, who has been reinstated following a one-week suspension. Senior quarterback Anu Solomon, however, is still sidelined with a concussion and has been replaced by sophomore Zach Smith, who has started the last three games and has thrown for 1,033 yards, eight touchdowns and five interceptions. Linebacker Clay Johnston is averaging a team-best 8.6 tackles for a defense which ranks last in the conference against the run (234.2 yards allowed per game) and is second-worst in points allowed (36.2).

ABOUT OKLAHOMA STATE (4-1, 1-1): The Cowboys continue to ride quarterback Mason Rudolph, who has thrown for at least 300 yards in six straight games, leads the Big 12 in total offense (393.8 yards) and is pacing the nation in points responsible for (126). Rudolph has one of the nation’s deepest receiving corps, led by senior James Washington, who is averaging a Big 12-best 129.4 yards. Defensively, linebacker Justin Phillips has 21 total tackles and has returned two interceptions for TDs to pace a unit which is surrendering 26 points and 369.6 yards.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Oklahoma State has won 16 of the 21 Big 12 matchups between the teams, but Baylor has won three straight, including a 35-24 home victory last season.

2. The Cowboys are tied for second nationally with an average of 46.8 points per game while the Bears bring up the rear in the Big 12 at 27.2 points.

3. Both teams are on the negative side of the turnover ledger with Oklahoma State sitting at minus-1 and Baylor at minus-5.

PREDICTION: Oklahoma State 45, Baylor 31