It's crunch time for the No. 7 Baylor Bears. They need to win out to remain in contention for the College Football Playoff, and with the finish line in sight, every game is crucial. They play host to the Oklahoma State Cowboys on Saturday night in Waco, and on top of everything, they will also want revenge.
How to watch Oklahoma State vs. Baylor: Game guide, TV/streaming, odds
The Bears will be heavy favorites when the Cowboys come to Waco on Saturday.
Last year, Baylor came to Stillwater ranked third in the country, and the Cowboys absolutely demolished them 49-17 on a miserable, freezing cold night. Oklahoma State has taken a significant step back in 2014, and the Bears are in perfect position hand a similar beatdown to their neighbors to the north.
The Cowboys will likely go on without Daxx Garman, who is still suffering from a concussion. That means true freshman Mason Rudolph will likely see his first college start on the road against the Baylor pass rush. Attempting to keep up with Baylor's explosive offense is a tall order for the most experienced quarterbacks, so it's safe to say this is far from ideal for Oklahoma State.
How to watch, listen, and stream
Game time: 7:30 p.m. ET
TV: FOX (Gus Johnson, Charles Davis, and Molly McGrath)
Radio: Oklahoma State | Baylor
Online streaming: Fox Sports Go
The numbers
Rankings and records: Baylor enters the game ranked seventh in the College Football Playoff rankings, and is 8-1 (5-1 Big 12). Oklahoma State is 5-5 (3-4 Big 12) and unranked. The Cowboys lead the all-time series 19-13.
Vegas: The Bears are anywhere from a 28-point to 29.5-point favorite, depending on which sports book you use. The over/under is set at 67.5, per OddsShark.
Weather forecast: Thunderstorms likely with a high of 67.
Two things at stake
Baylor’s Playoff chances. The Bears are in the stretch run of their season, and while there’s been a good deal of discontent from the fanbase over their position in the College Football Playoff chase, the team controls its own destiny. If they win out, they will go 11-1 and win the Big 12 conference title by virtue of their win over TCU. Oklahoma State has lost four in a row and there could be temptation to look ahead to Kansas State, but every game is vitally important for the Baylor at this point. They can’t afford to slip up.
Oklahoma State’s chance to salvage their season. The wheels have fallen off the Cowboys’ season over the past month. A 5-1 start has now turned into a 5-5 record and a losing Big 12 record. Their schedule was horrendously back-loaded with good teams, to be sure, but Oklahoma State looks like they got hit by a train. They’re only averaging 10 points a game over their four game losing streak, but a huge upset over Baylor would go a long way towards taking the bad taste out of fans’ mouths.
One big matchup
Oklahoma State's secondary vs. Bryce Petty and the Baylor offense. So, at this point, everyone is familiar with Baylor's lethal passing attack. What may not be familiar to some fans is just how bad Oklahoma State's passing defense has been this year. They are giving up an average of 7.8 yards per attempt, which is 109th in the country. This is a brutal mismatch on paper, and unless the Pokes can give a Herculean effort on Saturday, it doesn't look good for them.
Further reading
For more on Baylor, check out Our Daily Bears. For more on Oklahoma State, head over to Cowboys Ride For Free.
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