Get ready for points. No. 4 Baylor will travel to West Virginia in a matchup between two of the highest-flying offenses in the country Saturday.
How to watch Baylor vs. West Virginia: Game guide, TV schedule, streaming, odds
Expect a shootout, but can the Mountaineers put a wrench in the Bears’ playoff hopes?
The Bears are coming off a dramatic 61-58 victory over TCU -- their first game against a ranked opponent all season and their first home game in over a month. Baylor will have to go back on the road for this one, and the Mountaineers will likely pose the second-toughest test they’ve seen this season. Every other victory has come by at least three touchdowns, including road wins over Texas and Iowa State.
West Virginia may have the most impressive pair of losses in the country -- a 10-point neutral-site loss to Alabama and a 12-point home loss to Oklahoma. The Mountaineers don’t have an impressive win quite yet (a three-point win at Maryland is as close as they come), but have won back-to-back conference games against Kansas and Texas Tech.
How to watch, listen, and stream
Game time: Noon ET
TV: FOX Sports 1
Online streaming: Fox Sports Go
Our sites on these teams
The numbers
Rankings and records: Baylor is ranked No. 4 in both the AP and Coaches polls. West Virginia is not ranked in either poll. The Bears are 6-0, standing on top of the Big 12 with a 3-0 conference record. The Mountaineers are 4-2, fifth in the Big 12 with a 2-1 record in conference play. The all-time series between the two schools is tied 1-1.
Vegas: Baylor opened as a 9.5-point favorite. The line is now 8.
Weather forecast: High of 54 with a chance of rain.
Two things at stake
It’s unclear whether Baylor can suffer a loss and still make the playoff, but with three ranked opponents remaining on the schedule, losing to an unranked team wouldn’t help the Bears’ chances.
West Virginia has nearly pulled off an upset against two Top-5 teams this season. The Mountaineers get a third (and likely final) chance on Saturday.
One big matchup
West Virginia passing offense vs. Baylor secondary. One of the biggest reasons for the Mountaineers' turnaround this season has been the play of Clint Trickett, West Virginia's first consistent quarterback since Geno Smith left for the NFL. The Florida State transfer has already thrown for 2,203 yards this season (367.2 per game), averaging 8.7 yards per attempt with 12 touchdowns against four interceptions. He's been aided by the excellent play of senior wide receiver Kevin White, who leads the nation with 888 receiving yards (107 more than second place Vince Mayle of Washington State).
Baylor's offense gets most of the attention, but they've done a very good job of locking down opposing pass attacks this season. Opposing teams have averaged just 5.6 yards per attempt against them, with five touchdowns against five interceptions. Defensive end Shawn Oakman (five sacks, four quarterback hurries) and safety Orion Stewart (three interceptions, 33 tackles) are a big part of this, and could pose problems for the Mountaineer offense.
Further reading
For more on Baylor, head to Our Daily Bears. For full coverage of West Virginia, check out The Smoking Musket.
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