The Baylor Bears are playing for their third win in the last four attempts against the rival Texas Longhorns Saturday afternoon in Austin. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET, with television coverage from ABC.
How to watch Baylor vs. Texas: Game time, TV schedule, online streaming, and more
The Bears continue their defense of the Big 12 title against the rival Longhorns on Saturday. Here’s how to see it.
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Baylor has resumed its position in the top 10 following three impressive non-conference performances and a comfortable win over Iowa State last weekend. The Bears have the nation’s highest-scoring offense, averaging 56 points and 641 yards per game so far this season. An opportunistic defense has forced six turnovers through four games and ranks sixth nationally in total defense. Saturday’s trip to Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium will be unquestionably the biggest test the Bears have faced so far this year, however.
That’s not to say that Texas is good, though. A string of dismissals by new head coach Charlie Strong has left the roster thin, and the Longhorns have struggled to cope. BYU pasted Texas 41-7 in the season’s second week, and the losing streak extended to two games in a nailbiter against UCLA the next week. In fact, Texas hasn’t been a double-digit home underdog in more than 30 years, but is a 16-point underdog this week.
How to watch, listen, and stream
Game time: Saturday, October 4, 3:30 p.m. ET
TV: ABC regional (coverage map)
Online streaming: WatchESPN
Our sites on these teams
The numbers
Rankings and records: Baylor, a preseason favorite in the Big 12, enters the weekend ranked No. 7 and undefeated at 4-0. The Bears won their Big 12 opener against Iowa State last weekend. Texas, on the other hand, is 2-2 and unranked. The Longhorns shut out Kansas in their conference debut.
Vegas: Baylor is a 16-point favorite on the road against Texas, with an over/under at 57.
Weather forecast: Sunny and clear, with kickoff temperatures around 80 degrees.
Two things at stake
Baylor needs a win to preserve its top-10 status and shot at the College Football Playoff. With a cushy non-conference schedule featuring SMU, Buffalo and Northwestern State, the Bears cannot afford a slip-up against an unranked opponent before their Nov. 8 matchup with Oklahoma.
Texas desperately needs to reassert its dominance over the state. In recent years, it’s undeniable that the Longhorns have been passed by rival Texas A&M and former doormat Baylor, with other programs like TCU also ranked higher. If Texas is going to rebound under Charlie Strong, it needs to start beating its in-state opponents with some frequency.
One big matchup
John Harris vs. Every Baylor fan ever: The Texas receiver poked the Bears this week when he reasserted Texas dominance:
Texas WR John Harris: "They're still Baylor. Just because they started playing better, that's good for them. We're still Texas."
— Mike Finger (@mikefinger) September 29, 2014 Baylor’s built its defensive reputation in large part on hitting receivers over the middle. Let’s just hope for Harris’ sake that he’s kept near the sideline Saturday.
Further reading
Burnt Orange Nation and Barking Carnival both cover Texas, while Our Daily Bears has Baylor.
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