With Baylor sitting as a three-touchdown favorite heading into Stillwater, the narrative feels different this week. Instead of surviving or stealing one late, the Bears are being asked to show they can control a Big 12 game from start to finish. The outside voices know the stakes: this is Baylor’s chance to make a statement that they belong near the top of the conference race.
Baylor’s Chance to Prove Itself
This week feels less like a “measuring stick” and more like an opportunity for Baylor to show it belongs among the Big 12’s top tier. As SicEm365 pointed out, the Bears are favored by more than 20 points, but Devyn Bobby kept it grounded:
That kind of mentality matters. Baylor has had moments this season where focus slipped, but Saturday gives them the chance to flip the script with conviction.
An Oklahoma State in Transition
The headline across the league this week has been Oklahoma State moving on from longtime coach Mike Gundy. For the first time in 25 years, Baylor faces the Cowboys without him on the sideline, as Grayson Grundhoefer highlighted.
Brett McMurphy confirmed that Doug Meacham will serve as the interim head coach for the remainder of the season.
A new voice leading a program midseason can sometimes create a spark, but it can also leave a team scrambling.
And yet, Gundy himself wasn’t completely gone this week. He visited practice and reportedly told the players, “Stay the course, fight and beat Baylor’s ass.”
That gives this game extra juice. Baylor won’t just be facing an interim coach; it’ll be facing a team still playing with Gundy’s voice in its ear.
History and Context
The series itself has been tight. As Winsipedia showed, Baylor and Oklahoma State have traded wins in the past four matchups, including the unforgettable 2021 Big 12 Championship game.
Baylor hasn’t won in Stillwater since 2019, so this isn’t the kind of trip you can take lightly, no matter the spread.
Cliff Brunt added more perspective, recalling how quickly things turned for Oklahoma State after 2021, when it finished No. 7 in the country. That fall from contention underscores just how fast fortunes can flip in this conference.
Strength on the Line and at Receiver
Both teams have talent up front. According to Cam Mellor’s Big 12 O-line grades, Baylor sits fifth and OSU sixth.
This game could be won in the trenches, and Baylor’s line will be tested to keep Sawyer Robertson upright.
On the outside, Baylor’s depth has been a storyline all year. Stanbino captured it perfectly, posting stats showing five different Bears over 150 yards already.
When Michael Trigg, Kobe Prentice, Josh Cameron and others can all be reliable targets, it gives Robertson margin for error that OSU may not have.
Getting Healthy at the Right Time
It also appears that Baylor’s defense is nearing full strength. Dave Aranda stated that Cooper Lanz is expected to return, providing the Bears with their full defensive line for the first time this year.
That kind of reinforcement is exactly what a team needs heading into October.
Aranda’s message this week stayed simple: “We just worry about us and doing our job to the best of our ability we can.”
Baylor doesn’t want the noise around OSU to distract from its own execution.
Closing Thoughts
Even with all the storylines — the Gundy firing, interim leadership, history in Stillwater — this game is about Baylor’s response. Shehan Jeyarajah reminded fans on 365Sports not to panic after a few hiccups, noting the Bears “still have the pieces” to make a run.
If Baylor wants to be taken seriously in the Big 12 race, it cannot just squeak by. A statement win on the road, against a proud program in transition, is exactly what can reset the season and send a message to the rest of the league.
