Baylor Volleyball Swept By TCU

If Clemson wins, it keeps the Tar Heels out for sure. Oklahoma State already took down TCU and out of consideration.

Not so fast. The committee’s over-arching duty is to select the four best teams regardless. You’re not going to see as much uncertainty this time around. Given what they showed against TCU and their scheduling advantage, they’re my slight favorite. The Cowboys are second in the Big 12 with just 23.8 points allowed per game – and that’s after back-to-back games against high-flying Texas Tech and TCU. While teams like Notre Dame and Alabama play tougher schedules, Baylor’s none conference included the likes of Lamar and SMU; not exactly world beaters. LSU fans’ eyeballs will be trained on Starkville, where they hope Dak Prescott and Mississippi State can knock off Alabama and put LSU back in the SEC West driver’s seat.

Baylor’s defense is an experienced group of guys, and features nine returning starters from last season’s team.

One unique aspect of that game, though, and the biggest thing that coach Mike Gundy still remembers from the experience, is that it occurred just one day after Oklahoma State’s women’s basketball coach Kurt Budke and assistant Miranda Serna were killed in a plane crash, stunning the OSU community.

Chatmon: The Sooners’ offensive line will be the key.

Baylor cornerback Ryan Reid should have a mountain’s worth of motivation to get him going for Saturday’s game against No. 12 Oklahoma.

DON’T POKE THE POKES: Oklahoma State’s success this season has been as much a product of its defense as its explosive offense.

Considering the Bears don’t have many losses over the past few seasons, there is no recipe, but there have been some close calls to examine the formula to stop the nation’s premier offense.

The number of unbeaten teams in the conference dropped from three to two last week after Oklahoma State’s thrashing of Texas Christian, but neither Baylor nor the Cowboys moved into one of those coveted top-four spots. And let’s not forget, Jarrett Stidham will be making just his second career start.

Once again, this will be no easy task for the Sooners, but they definitely don’t lack confidence that they can get the job done. Instead of Wildcat QB Joe Hubener running, it’ll be Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon coming off of four straight big-time running days. Their only title since was sharing one with Kansas State in 2012. To have a chance, the Sooners have got to win that matchup decisively. This weekend, there’s really only one: Oklahoma against Baylor. Baylor’s turnover margin (+11) ranks among the top 10 nationally, and Stidham has yet to throw a pick. Baker Mayfield has a ridiculous 28-4 TD-to-INT ratio.

In other words, a lot can and probably will change. The Spartans will need Stanford to take that game.

Welcome to playing defense in the Big 12, where it’s all kinds of stupid, all the time.

After Saturday’s prime-time showdown, the Sooners will host No. 13 TCU and travel to No. 5 Oklahoma State. Baylor will need both to be on point against Oklahoma to stay unblemished.

As the reigning national champs, the Buckeyes knew before the season started that an undefeated record would net them a chance to repeat. TCU still has an 11-game home winning streak…. “If we win out, that says enough”.

Oklahoma wide receiver Sterling Shepard (3) catches a pass ahead of Iowa State defensive end Seth Nerness (7) during the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game in Norman, Okla., on Saturday, November 7, 2015.