With Saturday’s 45-38 victory over the Pittsburgh Panthers, the Oklahoma State Cowboys (2-1) have proven that their offense is as good as any of their Big 12 rivals.
Senior quarterback Mason Rudolph broke his school’s single-game passing record that day, throwing for a staggering 540 yards to go with a couple of touchdowns and no picks. His favorite target in James Washington hasn’t lost a step from his 1,000-yard campaign last year either, as Washington hauled in nine catches for a whopping 296 yards and both of Rudolph’s passing TDs.
However, surrendering 38 points to Pitt has got to be a concern, especially with explosive Baylor on tap. In particular, Oklahoma State’s secondary is extremely porous, already having allowed four passing plays of 50 or more yards to their opposition – second most in all of Division I.
To make matters worse, the Cowboys have lost three of their last four contests against the Bears (2-2 ATS). If the team doesn’t fix its defense, all of its offensive prowess may be put to waste in trying to outgun Baylor’s own explosive offense.
Another week, another blowout victory for the Baylor Bears (3-0). This past Saturday, the Rice Owls felt the wrath of the boys from Waco, with the Bears winning 38-10 on the strength of their equally-potent passing and running games.
Seth Russell had another great day in the air against Rice, throwing for 337 yards along with three touchdowns and connecting with junior wideout KD Cannon nine times for 213 receiving yards and two of Russell’s three passing TDs in the game.
But unlike Oklahoma State, Baylor has an imposing ground attack to lean on as well. The team rushed for a combined 296 yards versus the Owls, with electric back JaMychal Hasty (fitting last name!) leading all rushers with 105 yards at a staggering 7.5 yards-per-carry clip.
Given how more well-rounded the Bears offense is, it’s hard to imagine how the Cowboys can keep up with them in a shootout on Saturday, regardless of how the former’s defense performs or the weak level of competition that the Bears have faced so far this season.
Throw in the fact that Baylor has lost just four games in McLane Stadium since their 2014 campaign (albeit with a 7-10 record against the spread during that stretch), and we might be in for another rout in favor of the home team.
Writer’s Prediction
Baylor (-9.5) wins the barn-burner of a divisional showdown, 46-34.
