Baylor @ Oklahoma State preview
Boone Pickens Stadium
Last Meeting ( Dec 1, 2012 ) Oklahoma State 34, Baylor 41
Fueled by an offense that is on a historic pace, No. 4 Baylor has easily overcome every obstacle in its way en route to its best start ever. The Bears can go a long way in solidifying their first outright conference championship since 1980 on Saturday when they hit the road to meet ninth-ranked Oklahoma State. Not only has Baylor won a school-record 13 straight games, but it is also averaging 61 points and 685 yards – both of which are on pace to shatter FBS marks.
The Bears – who haven’t won in Stillwater since 1939 – moved into sole possession of first place in the Big 12 thanks to the Cowboys’ 38-13 win over Texas last weekend that ended the Longhorns’ unbeaten run in conference play. Oklahoma State has won six straight since opening league play with a surprising loss at West Virginia. The Cowboys’ defense has allowed a conference-low 14 touchdowns in seven Big 12 games and is tied with Florida State for the most interceptions (19) in FBS.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, ABC. LINE: Baylor -10.
ABOUT BAYLOR (9-0, 6-0 Big 12): Despite the absences of their top two running backs on the depth chart (Lache Seastrunk and Glasco Martin) as well as their second-leading receiver (Tevin Reese), the Bears still amassed 63 points and 675 total yards in last Saturday’s 63-34 win over Texas Tech. Baylor, which is averaging 300.3 yards rushing and 384.4 yards passing, could become the first FBS team ever to average over 300 yards in both categories. The Bears are eyeing three straight road wins in league play for the first time in school history.
ABOUT OKLAHOMA STATE (9-1, 6-1): One week after collecting the Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week award for his 100-yard kickoff return touchdown versus Kansas, Cowboys cornerback Justin Gilbert took home the league’s defensive award after intercepting two passes and returning one for another score against Texas. Gilbert is the conference’s all-time leader in kickoff return touchdowns with six and needs one more to tie the NCAA career record. The Cowboys have scored at least 20 points in 49 straight games – the second-longest streak in Division I history.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Oklahoma State and Baylor are two of five teams that rank in the top 15 nationally in both scoring offense and scoring defense.
2. The Cowboys have won 10 straight home games in this series.
3. The Bears’ 551 points through nine games are more than they scored in 66 of their last 68 full seasons.
PREDICTION: Baylor 48, Oklahoma State 31