Can Oklahoma football keep playoff hopes alive vs. Oklahoma State?

The two Oklahoma schools meet once again in the annual Bedlam showdown on Saturday afternoon. Oklahoma State and Oklahoma football duel once again.

Last year, Bedlam was one of the highest-scoring games of the season. The 62-52 win by the Sooners ensured their trip to the College Football Playoff and sealed the Heisman for Baker Mayfield. Now, Oklahoma is back in the playoff discussion and their new starting quarterback is a Heisman contender whose stats pop even more than the record-setting numbers of the man he replaced.

Kyler Murray has been both a far better runner and a more efficient passer than his predecessor. Through nine games, Murray is ahead of last year’s Heisman winner in all but the raw compiling stats:

• Mayfield (through nine games in 2017): 195-of-272 (71.7%), 3226 yards, 28 touchdowns, 5 interceptions, 201.6 rating; 62 carries, 181 yards, 5 rushing touchdowns
• Murray (through nine games in 2018): 154-of-218 (70.6%), 2689 yards, 31 touchdowns, 5 interceptions, 216.6 rating; 82 carries, 574 yards, 7 rushing touchdowns

Murray’s contribution has been critical for Oklahoma’s success in 2018. He is a prime reason why the Sooners are the front-runner in the Big 12 this year.

Their rival, Oklahoma State, comes to Norman still looking for their sixth win of the season. The series has been lopsided in favor of the Sooners through most of the 21st century, and the Pokes have won just twice in Bedlam since 2003. This year the Cowboys opened 4-1 before losing three of their past four heading into the rivalry series.

Oklahoma State boasts a stout front seven. The Cowboys lead the nation in sacks with 33 through their first nine games, and they also rank 11th in the FBS in total tackles for loss. But they still give up nearly 30 points per game, and it is the work of offensive stars like Taylor Cornelius, Justice Hill, and Tylan Wallace that has allowed Oklahoma State to remain in contests.

Will this game turn into another high-scoring shootout like the 62-52 Sooners victory last year? Here’s how you can watch Saturday’s Bedlam game between Oklahoma and Oklahoma State:

Date: Saturday, Nov. 10
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Location: Norman, Okla.
Venue: Memorial Stadium
TV: ABC
Live Stream: WatchESPN | FuboTV

Keys to Victory

Oklahoma needs to avoid losing the turnover battle on Saturday. The Sooners have been one of the 10 best teams at protecting the football, but their ineptitude at generating turnovers actually has Lincoln Riley’s team entering the last quarter of the regular season with a negative aggregate turnover margin. Winning the turnover battle will be key against the Cowboys.

Oklahoma State, if they are to pull off the upset, must refrain from shooting themselves in the foot. The Cowboys rank outside the top 100 in penalties and penalty yards. Cutting their season averages in half would go a long way toward keeping things close. Hill needs to have a huge game on the ground to ensure that the Oklahoma defense stays honest.

Betting Odds

Odds courtesy of oddsshark.com

Point Spread: Oklahoma -21
Over/Under: 79.5

Prediction

After last year’s 114-point combined score, the fact that the over/under line is set below 80 is presumptuous about Oklahoma’s ability to keep the Cowboys in check. Both teams are going to have big offensive days, leading to a tighter game than the three-touchdown spread would assume. These two rivals will go way over the total points.

Final Score: Oklahoma 55, Oklahoma State 49