The 21st-ranked Oklahoma Sooners welcome in the Kansas Jayhawks in Big 12 college football action on Saturday. The game is scheduled for a noon start time and it will be televised nationally on FOX Sports 1. Currently the odds for the game have Oklahoma as an overwhelming favorite to get the job done.
Oklahoma has had a poor season by their standards to this point, sporting a record of 7-3. All three of those losses have come in conference action to TCU, Kansas State and Baylor. Two of those games "should" have been wins for the Sooners, but both defense and special teams kept them from being able to win the game. Bob Stoops and the Sooners have moved on from that and should be able to win their next two games over Kansas and OK State, which would give them nine victories for the season.
Quarterback Trevor Knight got banged up in the loss to Baylor and could have been back for this game, but coach Stoops said earlier in the week that he would be out. That's probably for the best for the Sooners, who can easily win this game over the lowly Jayhawks without their best option at quarterback. Cody Thomas, the freshman, will be tabbed as the signal caller. He threw three picks last week but did have over 100 yards on the ground for Oklahoma, which picked up a win over Texas Tech. Last week was Thomas' first start (obviously) and it showed, but he did play better in the second half and having a full week of practice knowing he'll be the starter (again) has to be a positive for the youngster.
The Sooners have won the last nine games over Kansas, covering the number in six of those games. Oklahoma has a bye next week as well before having to take on the arch-rival Cowboys the following week. Stoops' club has been able to put up points all season, averaging nearly 39 per game. Samaje Perine has better than 1,000 yards on the ground and 14 touchdowns while Alex Ross is averaging 7.6 yards per carry this season.
Thomas will be able to get the football to Sterling Shepard if the junior wide receiver plays. Shepard has missed each of the last two games with an injury, but would have an immediate impact if he sees the field this weekend.
Kansas has won three games and played TCU really tough last week. How much will they be able to bring into this game against Oklahoma, though? The offense has been terrible most of the season, despite averaging 32 points the last two weeks. If they catch Oklahoma sleeping and play very well offensively, it's possible they can hang around.
But Oklahoma needs a good-feeling week and hammering Kansas fits that bill.
Free Pick: Oklahoma 51, Kansas 20
College Football Free Picks: Louisville vs Notre Dame Betting
What college football bettors need to know about betting Louisville Cardinals vs Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Saturday (11/22/14) - a free pick from Pregame.com's Dave Cokin with added insight from Ken Thomson.
$25 of picks FREE! No Obligation - No Credit Card Required - Becoming a member is Fast and Free!
Stay on top of the latest odds and line moves for Major League Baseball with our real-time odds from Las Vegas and offshore!