Oklahoma State @ Baylor preview
Floyd Casey Stadium
Last Meeting ( Oct 29, 2011 ) Baylor 24, Oklahoma State 59
It's a matchup of two of the nation's most balanced offenses when Baylor hosts Oklahoma State in the regular-season finale Saturday as both teams are among four FBS schools that average more than 300 passing yards and 200 rushing yards (Louisiana Tech and Texas A&M). The Bears have won two straight and three of four to gain bowl eligibility, and the offense has led the surge with 52 points each of the past two games. The Cowboys are coming off a 51-48 overtime loss to rival Oklahoma. Oklahoma State leads the all-time series 18-12, including a 6-5 edge in Waco. The Bears have lost 15 of the past 16 meetings and have not beaten the Cowboys since 2005. The Cowboys have scored at least 34 points in 13 consecutive meetings and racked up 114 points in the past two contests.
TV: 12 p.m. ET, FX. LINE: Oklahoma State -4
ABOUT OKLAHOMA STATE (7-4, 5-3 Big 12): The Cowboys have battled a revolving door at quarterback thanks to injuries to redshirt freshman J.W. Walsh and freshman Wes Lunt, but Clint Chelf has excelled since taking the reins. Chelf has completed 58.6 percent of his passes for 1,007 yards with nine touchdowns and two interceptions, both of which came off deflections. It helps having the Big 12's leading rusher in the backfield in junior Joseph Randle, who averages 110 rushing yards. Randle ran for 152 yards and four touchdowns in last year's 59-24 victory in Stillwater.
ABOUT BAYLOR (6-5, 3-5): The Bears' offense has kept rolling without Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III, as Baylor ranks second in the nation in total offense (575.5 yards), third in passing (358.5) and fifth in scoring (44.4). Quarterback Nick Florence leads the nation in total offense (389.6 yards) and ranks second in passing yards (347.7), and receiver Terrance Williams leads the nation with 1,693 receiving yards and has a chance to become the second 2,000-yard receiver in NCAA history. The ground game also has been a strength of late, with the Bears averaging 292.8 rushing yards over their past four games.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Oklahoma State averages 547.9 total yards and is trying to finish a third consecutive season averaging more than 500 yards of total offense. Before 2010, that feat had been accomplished only one time in school history - in 1988, when current coach Mike Gundy played quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Barry Sanders was in the backfield.
2. Baylor is trying to record its third consecutive seven-win season for the first time since 1949-51. The Bears already have hit the six-win plateau in three straight seasons for only the seventh time in history.
3. Bears K Aaron Jones has made 94 consecutive PATs dating to Nov. 5, 2011, and needs three more to match the school record of 97 set by Jarvis Van Dyke from 1993-95.
PREDICTION: Oklahoma State 49, Baylor 45