Big 12 Championship preview and pick: #9 Baylor vs. #7 Oklahoma

The first big-conference title game Saturday morning is the Big 12 Championship in Arlington, Texas, where perennial conference power Oklahoma will take on Baylor in a rematch of one of the most memorable games of the 2019 season.

Oklahoma visited Waco in Week 12 and was a 10-point favorite. The Sooners looked like the Jekyll-and-Hyde team they so often are. They were crushed by Baylor in the first half, then outscored Baylor 24-0 in the second to win 34-31. Baylor covered, but the Bears lost their undefeated season when that 28-3 lead evaporated into the Waco night.

Oklahoma enters with an 11-1 record but is 5-7 against the spread, while Baylor is also 11-1, with a 8-4 record ATS. Unlike in the Week 12 matchup, this game will be played at a neutral site, AT&T Stadium.

#9 Baylor vs. #7 Oklahoma, Saturday, noon ET, ABC

The Sooners are under pressure

Baylor has little chance of making the College Football Playoff, even with a win Saturday. For Oklahoma, however, there are still plenty of national implications that come with a win. The pressure might be on for the Sooners, but this is a program that is familiar with high-intensity situations. With head coach Lincoln Riley and quarterback Jalen Hurts leading the way, that pressure should not cause any ill effects.

CeeDee Lamb is a big time difference maker

The Sooners started slow in the first matchup with Baylor, but they were without their star wide receiver, CeeDee Lamb. Lamb is back and healthy, and Oklahoma used the second half of the last game to remind everyone of the talent disparity that still exists between these two programs. Riley and his coaching staff very clearly made some halftime adjustments, and it will be hard for the Bears to start fresh at 0-0, when they remember they were overwhelmed at home the last time they saw this OU team.

Oklahoma’s offense, on a neutral field with ideal conditions, will undoubtedly have success. Baylor head coach Matt Rhule is a defensive mastermind and an excellent motivator, but this will be too much to overcome. Baylor looked great last week against lowly Kansas, but this is a major step back up in class against the Big 12's premier program. I expect Oklahoma to run the ball successfully and come up with enough big plays to cover the spread and keep their its playoff hopes alive.

Pick: Oklahoma -9

---

It's championship week in college football! Check out all the matchups at BetAmerica's sportsbook!