It turns out a quarterback change didn’t solve all of OU’s problems.

When freshman phenom Caleb Williams led the Oklahoma Sooners to a thrilling comeback win over the Texas Longhorns in the Red River Rivalry, it appeared at first blush that OU had fixed the offensive issues that plagued the team in the first half of the year. The fans calling for quarterback Spencer Rattler’s benching were vindicated: OU head coach Lincoln Riley had been holding his team back by not making the change behind center sooner.

We learned in the Sooners’ 27-14 loss to Baylor over the weekend that Riley had the right idea about taking things slow with Williams. (Shocking that someone who actually saw all of OU’s practices might have a better idea of what was best for the team than fans and commentators.)

Baylor head coach Dave Aranda and defensive coordinator Ron Roberts crafted a defensive game plan that flustered Williams from the jump. The Bears made little secret of the fact that they wouldn’t let the freshman QB run wild, penning him inside the pocket on drop backs and disguising blitzes. In fact, the second play of the game – an apparent QB draw that Baylor blew up for a six-years loss – signaled Williams would be in for a rough day.

Meanwhile, Williams struggled to execute the intermediate passing game, missing badly on a handful of throws to open targets. He looked shaky when the Bears took him off his first read. And, of course, his two interceptions resulted from horrendous decisions, including a lackadaisical effort to throw the ball away.

None of this means Riley needs to go back to Rattler behind center. The coach didn’t make a mistake when he inserted Williams into the Texas game. However, the move did trade one set of risks and limitations for others. Williams fortifies the OU ground game and can use his mobility to make plays Rattler can’t. On the other hand, the Sooners have to live with some youthful mistakes and trim the playbook to accommodate Williams’ short tenure in Norman.

Williams remains a fantastic QB prospect who has saved the team multiple times this year, and having him in the lineup undoubtedly raises the team’s ceiling. He should have a decorated career as a Sooner. Against the Bears, he made a handful of rookie mistakes against a defense run by one of the best defensive strategists in college football. It simply serves as a reminder that Williams is learning on the job in a situation with no grace period to acclimate.

Other notes from the Baylor game:

*Offensive line play around college football seems to be going through a fallow period, so the Sooners aren’t alone in this boat. Still, this current unit isn’t living up to OU-level expectations.

*I’ve made my complaints known about Riley’s drive management in field-goal range. I think it caught up with the Sooners yesterday.

OU’s first attempt came in the first quarter. On third down with four yards to go from the Baylor 34 yard line, Riley could have treated the situation as four-down territory. That would probably entail running on third down in hopes of either making the first down or setting up an easier conversion on fourth down. Instead, Williams threw an incompletion on a 10-yard route to tight end Brayden Willis. Kicker Gabe Brkic missed the ensuing 51-yard field goal. Brkic later missed a 40-yard try in the second quarter after the Williams threw an incompletion to Drake Stoops on third-and-two from the Baylor 23.

Once again: Riley having a kicker he trusts is as much curse as blessing.

*Baylor bludgeoned the Sooners with field position all day. On average OU started its possessions at its own 23. Baylor started at its own 35 on average. Six of the Bears’ 11 possessions started at their own 35 or better, including two in OU territory. OU’s best starting field position was its own 33.

*One of Baylor’s favorable starts came after Brkic booted a kickoff out of bounds, giving the Bears the ball at their own 35. It was one of a number of egregious penalties OU picked up. Notably, a taunting penalty given to nose tackle Perrion Winfrey in the third quarter turned third-and-seven on the OU 34 into a Baylor first down that eventually ended in points for the Bears.

*The OU defense appeared to clean up a number of issues during the bye week. Notably, the Sooners piled up 11 tackles for loss on 68 total offensive plays for the Bears. The dam eventually burst because OU’s offense couldn’t stay on the field, but can’t complain about the overall effort.

*Why isn’t Billy Bowman playing at nickel?

Not even Spencer Rattler could rescue the Crimson & Cream in crunch time.

On a brisk Saturday afternoon on the Brazos, the No. 8 Oklahoma Sooners were bested by the No. 13 Baylor Bears (8-2, 5-2) by a score of 27-14. With the loss, OU’s 17-game winning streak comes to an end, and it falls to 9-1 on the season, 6-1 in Big 12 play.

QB Caleb Williams did not pass the test of his first hostile environment in a true road game in Waco. On the day, the true freshman completed 10 of 19 passes for 146 yards and two interceptions. He also added 17 rushing yards and a touchdown on 10 carries. Spencer Rattler came in to spell CW in the second half, but even he had trouble against the Bears’ stifling defense with a 4-of-6 showing for 36 passing yards.

In the first half, Oklahoma struggled to get much of anything going offensively. Williams and company were routinely met by Baylor defenders in the backfield and along the line of scrimmage, and there were a number of drops from receivers that kept the Sooners from extending possessions. To make matters worse, Gabe Brkic missed a pair of field goal attempts (51 and 40 yards). The one positive came after a scoreless first quarter. Williams found RB Eric Gray for a 15-yard third down reception before running it into the end zone himself for a two-yard touchdown run.

Following the halftime break, it was much of the same story for the Sooners on offense, ultimately leading to a QB change from Williams to Rattler. Meanwhile, Alex Grinch’s defense could hardly force a stop to save its life. Besides a forced fumble by LB Brian Asamoah and recovery by EDGE Nik Bonitto, Oklahoma could not prevent Baylor from running the ball at will. In the end, BU outrushed OU to the tune of 296 to 78.

The close games finally caught up to OU in Waco. For most of this season, Lincoln Riley’s team played with fire, but they were able to overcome each test by showing up and making plays late. A lot went wrong in this one, and there is plenty of blame to go around from top to bottom. Looking forward, it would seem like the College Football Playoff may be just out of reach, but a trip to the Big 12 Championship Game is still squarely ahead with two contests left on the schedule.

Up next, Oklahoma returns to Norman to host Iowa State in the Sooners’ final home game of the season. In the last meeting, OU defeated the Cyclones inside AT&T Stadium for the 2020 Big 12 Championship. Kick-off is set for 11 a.m. CT on FOX.

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Head on down to the comments section to give us your thoughts on the game and everything else throughout the day!

With the Oklahoma Sooners set to make another late-season run at the College Football Playoff, Dave Aranda’s well-coached Baylor Bears stand in the way. Will a healthy OU truly hit its stride down the stretch? *Toby Rowland voice* WE’RE ABOUT TO FIND OUT!

Head on down to the comments section to give us your thoughts on the game and everything else throughout the day!

Time & TV: Saturday, Nov. 13 at 11 a.m. CT on FOX

Commentary: Gus Johnson, Joel Klatt and Jenny Taft

Streaming: FOXSports

Line: Oklahoma -4 (as of Saturday at 10 a.m. CT)

O/U: 63

Gambling Picks

Oklahoma (-4) at Baylor

Michigan (-2) at Penn State

Kansas State (-6) vs. West Virginia

Tennessee (+20) vs. Georgia

Purdue (+20.5) at Ohio State

Iowa State (-10.5) at Texas Tech

Ole Miss (-2.5) vs. Texas A&M

Kansas (+31) at Texas

Shehan Jeyarajah of CBS Sports drops by to talk about the Baylor Bears ahead of Saturday’s matchup with the Sooners.

As the Oklahoma Sooners get set to commence another Championship November run, Shehan Jeyarajah of CBS Sports is here to break down OU’s opponent — the Baylor Bears.

Gerry Bohanan isn’t a name that is mentioned very often on the national level, but what should OU fans know about his game?

Bohanon hasn’t been spectacular, but he’s been ruthlessly efficient and effective at running Baylor’s wide zone system. While he had an uncharacteristic turnover-heavy game against TCU a week ago, he’s still completing 65% of his passes, averaging 8.8 yards per throw and has a 3-to-1 TD-to-INT ratio. He also can be a weapon in the run game. I’d expect Baylor to utilize plenty of bootlegs and designed runs, especially after seeing the way Jason Bean moved the chains against OU’s defense.

Speaking of Bohanan, which of his targets should OU fans familiarize themselves with heading into Saturday?

There are three guys to know especially. Tyquan Thornton is the deep threat — he averages 17.2 yards per carry and amazingly leads the Big 12 in receiving yards. R.J. Sneed is the underneath guy. Sneed is dangerous from the slot and is one of the better chain-movers in the conference. Tight end Ben Sims has really emerged in this system. He has 21 catches and has really become a mismatch in this system that really emphasizes versatile tight ends. Having this mix of talents — along with running back Trestan Ebner, who originally arrived at Baylor as a receiver — gives Baylor options at every level.

Another name that doesn’t get enough national attention is that of LB-turned-RB Abram Smith. Do you think he’s made a strong enough case for First-Team All-Big 12 consideration?

What a year it’s been for running backs in the Big 12, right? It would be crazy to think that either Breece Hall or Bijan Robinson might not make the first team, but I’d definitely argue Abram Smith (and Kennedy Brooks, Jaylen Warren or Deuce Vaughn) has a case against them. While Bijan and Breece have outgained Smith to this point, Smith leads all rushers with at least 50 carries with 7.3 yards per carry. With his linebacker background, he’s a physical runner who fits perfectly into the wide zone offense. Hall and Robinson might be more singular talents, but I’d argue no running back in the Big 12 has been more valuable than Smith.

Defensively, Baylor had been solid all year up until last week. Was it just an off week for the group, or did TCU expose a weakness?

A little bit of both. Baylor is elite at stopping the run, especially because of their dynamic linebackers. I expect them to have plenty of success slowing down Kennedy Brooks and trying to keep Caleb Williams in the pocket. That said, TCU proved that if the pass rushers don’t get home, there are holes to be had in the Baylor secondary. I expect Baylor will try and play more zone than it did last week and dare Williams to throw into the crevices with consistency. But the more Oklahoma can force Jalen Pitre to play coverage, the easier it will be to find some offensive consistency.

What about Dave Aranda has impressed you most in his short time in Waco?

I think more than anything, I’ve been impressed with Aranda’s willingness to reassess. It would have been easy — incredibly easy — to write the Covid year off as a fluke and run it back. Instead, he challenged his own conceptions about the Big 12 and about his plan and brought in a completely new offensive philosophy. We’re seeing the results, and I expect wide zone running is a strategy we’ll see even more heading forward in the conference. So many coaches shuffle or double down without fundamentally rethinking the way they look at football. The fact that Aranda hasn’t done that is why he’s being rumored for some of the best jobs in America.

What’s your go-to Big O at George’s?

Believe it or not, I’m not a huge George’s guy! Cricket’s was more the bar I went to. But if you’re looking for great eats in Waco, check out Guess Family BBQ or Helberg Barbecue. Both just ended up on the Texas Monthly list of top 50 barbecue spots in Waco, and I can attest they are worth the trip.

How do you see this one playing out?

This is a truly 50-50 matchup. I ended up picking Baylor outright on CBS Sports and I think I might go the opposite way here. We haven’t seen Oklahoma play against a good defense since switching to Caleb Williams, but we also haven’t seen Baylor’s offensive line play against next-level defensive line talents. I expect Baylor will try to limit possessions and redirect Oklahoma’s pass rushers to keep Oklahoma’s offense off the field. But if the holes we saw in Baylor’s secondary are a long-term concern, Caleb might be able to hit on enough big plays to put the game away. Either way, expect it stick within the 5.5-point spread.

It’s been seven years since the Sooners were defeated in the month of November, but the Bears were the last team to do it.

Fresh off a sorely needed bye week, the No. 8 Oklahoma Sooners (9-0, 6-0) are on the road to Waco, Texas where the No. 13 Baylor Bears (7-2, 4-2) await for what’s expected to be one of the marquee matchups of the weekend. For both teams, Big 12 Championship Game implications are on the line, and for Lincoln Riley’s unbeaten OU squad, a win would keep them in the hunt for a spot in the College Football Playoff.

Perhaps just as impressive as its ongoing 17-game winning streak, Oklahoma is currently riding an active streak of 23 consecutive victories in the month of November dating back to the 2014 season. Some folks call it a tradition. ‘Round these parts, we call it ‘Championship November’.

Date, Time & TV: Saturday, Nov. 13 at 11 a.m. CT on FOX

Line: Oklahoma -5.5 (as of Friday at 2 p.m. CT)

O/U: 62.5

OU-Baylor Game Primer

Our Daily Bears breaks down the matchup and makes a final prediction

Caleb Williams named a semifinalist for the Walter Camp POY and Davey O’Brien Awards

Allen Kenney looks at how Dave Aranda’s defensive scheme will test Oklahoma

Week 11 Gambling Picks from Allen & the Skinny

Major Storylines

Lincoln Riley vs. Dave Aranda, pt. III

For just the third time ever, the game’s greatest offensive mind is set to coach against one of the most respected defensive minds in the nation. The first meeting went down in the 2019 Peach Bowl CFP semifinal between Oklahoma and LSU. Of course, Dave Aranda coordinated LSU’s defense that season en route to a national championship after holding Lincoln Riley’s offense to just 28 points. A year later, the Sooners got the best of the Bears, but struggled once again to generate much of anything, offensively, in a 27-14 win.

Although the sample size is small, Aranda has quietly proven that he understands how to scheme against OU’s strengths and contain the typically powerful offense. Now, the circumstances are much different this time around, but if Riley wants to leave McLane Stadium with the win, his Sooners will have to turn things up against a vaunted BU defense that has yet to give up more than 30 points in a game this season.

Caleb Williams’ first hostile road game

Sure, Caleb Williams started against Kansas in Lawrence a few weeks ago, but you’ll be hard pressed to find anyone who would consider a crowd at KU as “hostile” other than the ones yelling inside Allen Fieldhouse.

With that in mind, this contest sets up as an especially significant test for both Williams and the Sooners. Even with an 11 a.m. local time kick-off, the stadium will be rocking with energy and excitement because the Crimson & Cream are in town and because of the top 15 aspect of the matchup. It will be interesting to see how Williams responds to a capacity crowd that’s actively cheering against him not one whose allegiance is split down the middle. Add the fact that this will likely be the toughest defense Oklahoma has played to date, and you’ve got a recipe for classic college football shenanigans.

Bears to watch out for

Offensively, Baylor boasts a legitimate three-headed monster with QB Gerry Bohanon, RB Abram Smith and WR Tyquan Thornton. If OU wants to limit the explosivity of BU’s attack, at least one of those playmakers must be contained. Defensively, keep an eye on do-it-all safety Jalen Pitre, LB Terrel Bernard and the mountainous DT Siaki Ika. Not only are each of those defenders talented enough to change the game on a single play, they’re all experienced enough to know how to adjust their strategy on the fly as the game wears on.

Do the Sooners have another gear?

Through nine games, Oklahoma has yet to put together a truly complete game on all sides of the ball (you can argue the Tech game was the closest), but going on the road to face a ranked opponent presents a massive opportunity to do just that. It won’t be easy by any stretch, but if the Sooners are as healthy as they have been all season (which they should be), and they truly play up to their capabilities from start to finish on offense, defense and special teams, then this group will be rewarded handsomely by the CFP committee in return. Personally, I believe this team has that championship gear, and I think we’ll finally see it in Waco.

Prediction

After taking last weekend off to rest and regroup, I see a disrespected Oklahoma team coming out of the gate strong and fast against solid Baylor club. Caleb Williams and his receiving corps will pick apart BU’s secondary, gradually opening things up for the Sooners’ ground game. When the Bears have the ball, I expect Aranda’s usual suspects to get theirs, but OU’s defense should be as healthy as it’s been this season, meaning they can play more aggressively between the 20s and force more than a few field goals or fourth down attempts in the red zone. I predict several big plays to be made for both squads, but the visitors will ultimately capitalize much more often on theirs.

Oklahoma 39, Baylor 22

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Selections this week include Ohio State-Purdue, Texas-Kansas, Michigan-Penn State and more.

Blatant Homerism host Allen Kenney and The Skinny return to give their favorite college football picks against the spread for week 11 of the season. Selections this week include Ohio State-Purdue, Texas-Kansas, Michigan-Penn State and more. They finish up breaking down the Oklahoma-Baylor matchup this weekend.

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