Baylor’s 2-2 Start and Predicting a Strange Trip to Stillwater 

By CRAIG SMOAK | 365 Sports 

The Bears are .500 and now head to Stillwater as the first team to take on the Cowboys following Mike Gundy’s dismissal. 

It’s a curious and potentially dangerous spot to be in.

Here are a few of my thoughts as the Bears prepare to head north of the Red River. 

• BIG HOME WIN DROUGHT: Just a couple of weeks ago, the most bothersome stat revolved around the Bears’ inability to beat a ranked team, which ended with the SMU win. But in light of this past weekend, the most bothersome stat is now the rocky record of losses in big home game opportunities. A drought that grew longer with the loss to the Sun Devils. These aren’t made-up grievances intended to punish or constantly move the goalposts. Not in my case, at least. Instead, it’s just an observation on a problematic pattern. 

• RUN, SAWYER, RUN: Sawyeeer Robertson appears to have the same ailment as Avery Johnson in Manhattan, much to the bewilderment and frustration of Bears and Wildcats fans alike. Why isn’t the talented running quarterback running anymore? That’s what we all want to know. For the sake of Baylor Football, this team is much better when Robertson is a running threat. If he can’t handle that and they’re keeping it coy for health-related reasons, I understand to some degree. But as things stand currently, it’s a puzzling issue.

• TURNOVERS: Let’s state the obvious. Hold on to the football and you win that game. Simple as that. I don’t know what was in the water on Saturday night, but two of the team’s best players directly handed the opponent short fields and points on three separate occasions that contributed to the final outcome. Hopefully, lessons were learned or applied. The only way OSU should have any chance in this game would be if Baylor gives them multiple turnovers and easy points.

• LONG WAY TO GO: It’s easy to get your dauber down at 2-2, much like last season’s rocky start. But I didn’t think the Bears did anything other than make a bunch of critical mistakes last week.  I don’t believe they are a bad team or deficient team by any stretch, and I don’t see a game that isn’t winnable the rest of the way. I do see several losses, though, if you repeatedly shoot yourself in the foot. This team should be back above .500 after this weekend, and from there on out it’ll be a dogfight each week. They’re not mathematically eliminated from anything just yet. 

• TYQUAN THORNTON: The former Bears speedster made it back-to-back games with a receiving touchdown as a Kansas City Chief during Sunday’s win over the Giants. I did not see this in my crystal ball, but here we are, and Thornton is making the most of his opportunity and is set up for success, so long as he stays on the good side of health and Patrick Mahomes. 

• GOODBYE (FOR NOW), GUNDY: Mike Gundy served as passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Bears in 1996, had an NCAA record broken by RGIII while playing Baylor in 2008, and had some sweet victories and heartbreaking back-and-forth results with the Bears over two decades. However you felt about the guy, “I’m a Man, I’m 40” will outlive us all. And Gundy will always have a place in my memories of the old Big 12 I grew up watching, alongside Bill Snyder, Stoops vs. Mack and Leach’s Air Raid, for starters. Consider me intrigued by what he does next. But I’m most interested in what OSU does next. Hello, Mr. Robinson? 

• HORNET’S NEST: In light of Mike Gundy’s firing, the Bears will be walking into one of the more interesting and rejuvenated environments in college football this weekend. They’ll also be dealing with the curveball of facing interim head coach Doug Meacham as opposed to the familiar decades-long final boss in Stillwater. The Cowboys can’t change their roster in the next few days, but they will undoubtedly have every pot, pan and trick in the book ready to try and upend the more-talented and steady Bears. The Pokes will have a highly supportive and raucous home crowd, inspired to root for this downtrodden team in this throwaway year, where anything positive is a bonus thanks to zero expectations and an interim status. Win or lose, they’re now excited about the prospects of setting the table for their next head coach. Winning is icing on the cake for the remainder of the season. 

• MUST WIN: This is a must-win given the current circumstances on both sides. There is no alternative justifiable outcome, barring a comet hitting Earth. The Bears should roll so long as they enter Saturday’s contest focused and ready for the unique situation they’re walking into. These Cowboys don’t stand to win many games, but if they’re going to, Baylor is a great candidate. 

• PREDICTION: Baylor 35, Oklahoma State 17 – The Bears have no business losing to this Cowboys team. Lots of Big 12 games are tossups, but not this one. Go in there and kick their tails like a stronger, bigger team does. Play with your food and risk unlocking some strong CFB spirit that inspires the home team and crowd.