WACO, TX, Sporting Alert – If Baylor wants to secure a place into this year’s College Football Playoffs they must beat Oklahoma this weekend in the highlighted Big 12 matchup.
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The Bears are 8-0 on the season and are the No. 1 scoring team in college football this term, have been overlooked by the CFP selection committee because of the weight of their schedule.
This is why Saturday’s clash with the Sooners (8-1) at McLane Stadium in Waco, is so important for the Texas-based side. The entertaining side comes into this game with a healthy record at home as it owns the FBS’s best home win streak of 20 games and has not lost in Waco in three years.
So another victory for No. 6 Baylor would keep them in the running for a playoff spot, while making a sounding statement to the CFP selection committee, but a defeat is almost certain to push them out of the top 10.
No. 12 Oklahoma, despite losing to Texas earlier this season, is still perceived as the best team in the Big 12 conference and the men from Norman are confident that they can control the Bears’ high-scoring defense, which is putting up 57.0 points per game.
The Sooners are ranked second for points for per game, at 46.0, but are only allowing 18.1 against to Baylor’s 25.0.
The travelers are convinced that they can hand Baylor its first defeat of the season on Saturday, despite coming in as a 2.5-point underdog, according to Odd Shark, and Bob Stoops’ side plans continue using the running game to disturb the hosts defense.
The Focus will be on Baylor freshman quarterback Jarrett Stidham, who threw for 419 yards and three touchdowns against Kansas State in his first start for the injured Seth Russell – with head coach Art Briles stating that he will only get better.
Receiver Corey Coleman, a major Heisman Trophy candidate, is hoping for another headlining performance as he seeks to add to his 20 touchdowns thus far.
At the same time, Oklahoma has its own attack weapons, which is led by quarterback Baker Mayfield, who has passed for 2812 yards and 28 TDs on the term already.
Interesting stats to take note of heading into this game: since losing to Texas, Oklahoma has scored 232 points in four games and is averaging 58 points per game during that stretch.
Defensively, the Sooners only gave up 12.5 points per game during that four-game period.
You can expect the scoreboard to tick over in this battle, with the total at 76.
Meanwhile, No. 1 Clemson is a 29-point favourite to beat Syracuse and stay undefeated this season.
The Tigers (No. 1 AP and CFP Rankings) are 9-0 on the season and QB Deshaun Watson, who has thrown for 2233 yards and 21 TDs with an 80.4 QBR, is expected to guide his teammates to another win.
Clemson comes into this game on the back of a thrilling 23-13 win over Florida State last time out that earned them the ACC Atlantic Division title.
Fresh off their exciting win over LSU last weekend, No. 2 Alabama will matchup with No. 17 Mississippi State at Davis Wade Stadium, in Starkville, a game Nick Saban’s men, despite sitting second in the college football playoffs rankings, cannot afford to lose.
Defending champion and No. 3 Ohio State travels to face Illinois, with quarterback J.T. Barrett set to return to the starting lineup for Cardale Jones, who continues to fire hot and cold missiles on the field.
Elsewhere, No. 4 Notre Dame host Wake Forest, after losing to Alabama, No. 9 LSU take on Arkansas looking to bounce back in a tricky tie, while No. 7 Stanford, still hoping for a college football playoff spot, will entertain Oregon at Stanford Stadium in a Pac-12 matchup.
College Football TV Channels Listings
Week 11 Live ESPN3 and Online Streaming
Saturday, November 14
Pittsburgh at Duke 12:00 PM ESPNN, WatchESPN
Georgia at Auburn 12:00 PM CBS
No. 11 Florida at South Carolina 12:00 PM ESPN, WatchESPN
North Texas Tennessee 12:00 PM SECN, WatchESPN
No. 3 Ohio State at Illinois 12:00 PM ABC, WatchESPN
Kansas at No.15 TCU 12:00 PM FS1
Maryland at No. 13 Michigan State 12:00 PM ESPN2, WatchESPN
Purdue at No. 18 Northwestern 12:00 PM BTN
Akron at Miami (OH) 12:00 PM ESPN3, WatchESPN
NC State at No. 16 Florida State 12:30 PM ESPN3, WatchESPN
Virginia at Louisville 12:30 PM ESPN3, WatchESPN
Utah State at Air Force 2:00 PM ESPN3, WatchESPN
Massachusetts at Eastern Michigan 3:00 PM ESPN3, WatchESPN
Arkansas State at Louisiana Monroe 3:00 PM ESPN3, WatchESPN
Miami (FL) at No. 23 North Carolina 3:30 PM ESPNU, WatchESPN
Wake Forest at No. 4 Notre Dame 3:30 PM NBC
No. 1 Clemson at Syracuse 3:30 PM ABC, ESPN2, WatchESPN
No. 2 Alabama at No. 17 Mississippi State 3:30 PM CBS
No. 8 Oklahoma State at Iowa State 3:30 PM ESPN, WatchESPN
No. 14 Michigan at Indiana 3:30 PM ABC, ESPN2, WatchESPN
Georgia Southern at Troy 3:30 PM ESPN3, WatchESPN
SMU at No. 20 Navy 3:30 PM CBSSN
Georgia State at Texas State 4:00 PM ESPN3, WatchESPN
Kentucky at Vanderbilt 4:00 PM SECN, WatchESPN
Appalachian State at Idaho 5:00 PM ESPN3, WatchESPN
No. 22 Temple at South Florida 7:00 PM CBSSN
No. 21 Memphis at No. 24 Houston 7:00 PM ESPN2, WatchESPN
Arkansas at No. 9 LSU 7:15 PM ESPN, WatchESPN
Oregon at No. 7 Stanford 7:30 PM FOX
BYU at Missouri 7:30 PM SECN, WatchESPN
Tulsa at Cincinnati 7:30 PM ESPNN, WatchESPN
No. 12 Oklahoma at No. 6 Baylor 8:00 PM ABC, WatchESPN
Minnesota at No. 5 Iowa 8:00 PM BTN
No. 10 Utah at Arizona 10:00 PM FS1
Washington State at No. 19 UCLA 10:45 PM ESPN, WatchESPN
