Baylor QB Stidham out as second half starts

Oklahoma State and Iowa are both undefeated and making serious noise on the national stage.

If there’s anything to expect when Baylor and Oklahoma State take the field it should be points, lots and lots of points.

The college football playoff picture has begun to emerge over the last few weeks.

The Bears secured a 52-24 win over No. 2 Kansas State in 2012 at Floyd Casey Stadium. If they win both of those, you would not be able to deny them entry, likely booting out 9-1 Notre Dame first.

STILLWATER, Okla. – Baylor’s Art Briles has more folksy sayings than most of us have phone numbers saved in our cell phones.

Baylor suffered its first loss of the season at home to Oklahoma a week ago, but don’t put much of the blame on Stidham. These two teams together are averaging 98.4 points per game, Baylor has the edge at 54.8 but regardless these teams are used to putting points on the board. Baylor pulled to within 37-34 with just over 10 minutes left.

Oklahoma’s nonconference slate, which include a win at now-surging Tennessee and a home defeat of Tulsa, which should sew up a bowl bid in the tough American Athletic Conference next week, helps the Sooners’ argument.

For one night, it at least proved true for the Bears from Waco. The season ending clash with rival Auburn and a potential conference title game versus Florida will be hard obstacles, but Bama is up to the challenge. The 24-point deficit was Oklahoma State’s greatest of the season. The Cyclones led 31-21 going into the fourth, but the Cowboys would score 14 points in the fourth to escape with the four point win.

Fast Eddie is quite upset that SEC teams play only eight conference games while other conferences play nine. He is the nation’s active career sacks leader with 26.

With a rushing touchdown, Johnson gave the Bears a 45-28 lead. Gained an even 700 yards altogether. The third-string option, a total unknown with sublime athleticism, thrust onto the main stage. Freshman Jarrett Stidham is the new starter. He threw a pair of interceptions, but he also completed 59 percent of his passes for 257 yards and a pair of scores. He is probable with a back injury. They ran for 304 yards and passed for 396.

Johnson kept the offense moving, passing for 138 yards and running for 42.

Running back Ezekiel Elliott, a Heisman candidate, had 12 carries for 33 yards. In the receiving end, KD Cannon had 77 yards in five receptions while Jay Lee added 51 yards in three catches. Four defensive players are listed as questionable or out. Survival is the name of the game in College Football and the Bears are still very much alive. The OR loss is still too fresh, but wins over USC, UCLA and Washington State will be enough to easily move into the top ten. The Cowboys are #7 in scoring nationally. Baylor plays at Oklahoma State this week, and Oklahoma and Oklahoma State play each other next week. OSU has forced 35 sacks and allowed 23 this season. Opponents are 25/31 with 19 touchdowns.

If Baylor were Alabama and a bad thing happened – say, losing at home to three-loss Ole Miss – the final two games of the season at TCU and against Texas would be a formality to entering the big show. On just the second play of the drive, Mason Rudolph launched one to James Washington for a 39-yard touchdown to tie the game at 14 all. David Glidden has 45 catches for 714 yards and 3 touchdowns. First, at 7:30 p.m. on Fox, No. 6 Oklahoma State, unbeaten with a league mark of 7-0, will host tenth-ranked Baylor, who is 5-1. The under is 5-2-1 in this series recently.

Oklahoma State needs this win if they want to have any shot of getting into the College Football Playoff. MI State taking on Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio.

Baylor had lost in 11 consecutive games played in Stillwater.

“I don’t know what more we can do as a conference”, OU coach Bob Stoops said earlier this week.