No. 12 Baylor at No. 15 Oklahoma (-5) 12 pm Fox Sports 1
Daniel: Oklahoma has indeed pulled an Oklahoma this year. There’s a lot of talent on that roster and the Sooners should be in the playoff conversation, but that crazy loss to KSU a couple weeks ago ended those chances. The KSU loss also put them way behind the eight ball in the Big 12 race, though they’re still mathematically alive. Baylor, on the other hand, remains very much alive for every goal the Bears have and this is the final major hurdle it has before the massive showdown with KSU the final week of the season. Baylor has more to play for and Oklahoma hasn’t been a great closer this year. Winner: Baylor 42-35
Houston: This is a tough game to pick. Road teams have seemed to struggle all season long in the Big 12, so it’s hard not to give a slight edge to the Sooners in this game. But this Baylor team knows how to put up points in a hurry and will certainly challenge a Sooner defense that has been hit or miss all season long. I think Bryce Petty and company are catching a break that this game is at 11AM local time, as the crowd won’t be as ‘fueled’ as they normally would be for a later game. I think this game turns into a shootout, but I think Baylor makes more big plays and pulls it out late. Winner: Baylor 44-38
Reed: The Sooners aren’t as bad as some are making them out to be, but they’re definitely underachieving. They were supposed to represent the Big 12 in the CFP this season – though they have two losses, they’re 7 points from an unblemished record. This is a massive game for both teams. The winner will still have a shot at a playoff berth (and folks said the CFP would devalue the regular season) while the loser will have effectively underachieved for the year. Could Stoops be headed for Florida or Michigan if criticism picks up in Norman? With another loss, we might find out – but I don’t think that happens this weekend. The numbers say to pick Baylor, but the Sooners still have a ton to play for and should pick up the W at home. Winner: Sooners 38-31
Ryan: Art Briles is college football’s first molecular gastronomist. He’s taken traditional football ingredients like quarterbacks and wide receivers and running backs and used a big metaphorical immersion blender and created something new and exciting. I’ve been trying for years to get a reservation at Art’s new place, but they’re booked solid. So, like a petulant child (read: food critic), I’ve been dissecting the menu looking for flaws.
The only one I’ve found is that when you combine these simple, rustic ingredients with these modern techniques, you have a tendency to overcomplicate things because there’s so many moving parts. Baylor traditionally puts out exquisite football food, but occasionally they put out a bad dish. Unfortunately, that dish is almost always served on the road in the state of Oklahoma. As a matter of fact, Art Briles has NEVER won a road game against either Oklahoma or Oklahoma State.
This seems like exactly the kind of game where Baylor loses their bearing, so I’ll take OU big and leave it at that before I let this football/food thing get any weirder. Winner: Oklahoma 41-24
