In the Big 12 championship game on Saturday, both No. 5 Oklahoma State and No. 9 Baylor will be attempting to win their first conference title game victory. With a win, the Cowboys, who haven’t won a conference championship since 2011, will have a good chance of making the College Football Playoff.
Despite a shaky 27-24 victory over Texas Tech to close the regular season, Baylor had won its previous two games by a combined 23 points over Oklahoma and Kansas State. Abram Smith, the Bears’ star running back, has led the team to one of the best offenses in college football.
For the first time since 2014, the Big 12 Conference will have a new champion after Oklahoma State and Baylor beat Oklahoma in November. As a result of the victory, the Cowboys reclaimed Bedlam for the first time since 2014.
Need to know: Oklahoma State vs. Baylor
Looking for a new era of the Big 12? This is as fresh as it gets. Bears and Cowboys defenses rank first and second in the conference in terms of points allowed, and they also rank first and second in terms of rushing attempts, respectively. It took 58 minutes for a team to score 20 points in the last meeting between these two rivals. The upcoming matchup on Saturday is expected to be even more ferocious. There are several All-American candidates among the linebackers and safeties at their respective schools.
The five finalists for the Broyles Award have been announced, and both teams have a member on the list. A year after taking Baylor from 118th to 26th in total offense, Jeff Grimes was named the Bears’ offensive coordinator and Oklahoma State’s defensive coordinator Jim Knowles was named the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator. Among the other nominees are Michigan OC Josh Gattis, Georgia DC Dan Lanning, and Wake Forest OC Warren Ruggiero. This game features some of the nation’s top coaches.
Related: How to watch West Virginia vs. Baylor: TV channel, live stream information, kickoff time
When it comes to the playoffs, a win for Oklahoma State would almost certainly guarantee a spot in the top four. If the Cowboys win, they’ll be one of the few teams to have three top-15 victories this season, having beaten the No. 9 Bears and No. 14 Oklahoma. As a result of Oklahoma State’s 2011 NCAA tournament exit due to a controversial loss to Iowa State, the Cowboys haven’t returned since. For the future of the team, a playoff berth would be a huge accomplishment.
OSU vs. Baylor live stream instructions
Time: 12 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on December 4th, 2017
Arlington, Texas, home of the AT&T Stadium
On-air: ABC; online: fuboTV (Try for free)
Predictions and picks for the Oklahoma State-Baylor game
Jaylen Warren’s touchdown with two minutes left in the previous game between these teams pushed the lead to ten points. Now that the defensive staffs have a chance to reflect, the score could be even lower on the second try. Even though Oklahoma State wins the football game, the Bears have an excellent chance of squeaking by. Baylor (+5.5) is my pick to win the Big 12.
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