Don’t underestimate what No. 10 Baylor did against No. 16 Oklahoma in a 48-14 blowout Saturday.
Baylor (8-1, 5-1) won in Norman for the first time in school history. The Bears still control their own destiny in the Big 12, and have a head-to-head win against TCU in hand and a home matchup against Kansas State on Dec. 6.
That's all media guide material, but here's what you need to know. The Horned Frogs and Wildcats have more playoff mojo — for now. Baylor might just end up being the school the Big 12 is forced to pump up the first week of December.
The Bears' style is unmistakable. The Bears entered the weekend as the only team in the FBS averaging more than 50 points per game. They have a self-made Twitter brand (#AmericasTopOffense).
It's convenient and easy to attack the substance behind it. How can you allow 58 points in a game? Explain that clunker of a two-touchdown loss at West Virginia on Oct. 18. Look at that nonconference schedule (SMU, Northwestern State, Buffalo).
You want substance? Baylor showed enough of that against the Sooners.
— Art Briles opted to go for it on fourth-and-1 down 14-3 on the wrong side of the 50 early in the second quarter. The Bears got it and 38 unanswered points followed.
— The Bears took a control of the game with the opening drive of the third quarter, in which Bryce Petty hit 9-of-9 passes before a five-yard run by Corey Coleman. The drive behind that in the second quarter, however, was more impressive. That 16-play, 80-yard, 4:40 march set the tone for the second half. Petty hit 7-of-10 passes for 54 yards, and none of the catches totaled more than 12 yards. So in those two game-changing drives, Petty was 16-of-19 for 124 yards. It’s more than just vertical shots.
— Baylor wide receivers control a game the same way a power run-game does. Coleman (15 catches, 224 yards) and Antwan Goodley (9 catches, 92 yards) are known commodities, but Jay Lee (5 catches, 43 yards) and KD Cannon (2 catches, 17 yards) are every bit as dangerous. Baylor is the new "Wide Receiver U." Look to Josh Gordon, Kendall Wright and Terrence Williams as proof. All four of the Bears’ current receivers might join them in the NFL soon. In some ways, that’s more intimidating than I-form football, especially for defensive coordinators.
— About that run game; Baylor still needs work there on both sides. Oklahoma (6-3, 3-3) still rushed for 172 yards and 5.2 yard per carry. The Sooners also lost by 34 points at home. The Bears rushed for just 2.9 yards per carry but had 52 rush attempts. Baylor also got a fourth-and-1 stop inside the 10 yard line in the third quarter when Trevor Knight was forced out of the pocket by Bryce Hager and threw an incomplete pass.
— Baylor beat the perennial Big 12 boss for the third time in four years. The combined score of the last two wins is 89-26. The Sooners had a 20-0 record all-time against the Bears before that. That’s a more substantial long-term statement than anything TCU or Kansas State do Saturday night.
— It comes down to whether or not Baylor will be forgiven for the loss to West Virginia. Spread offenses are like a fast-break offense or an ace pitcher. Make whatever cross-sport analogy you want. Sometimes they have an off night. Oregon did. Ohio State did. Auburn did, too. Yet Baylor improved to 17-3 in November or later since 2011 with Saturday’s win, including a 12-2 mark in November. Isn’t that when you’re supposed to be remembered?
The Bears have style. The Bears have substance, too. Will it add up to a late-season run to the College Football Playoff?
Don't be afraid to buy in.
