Baylor Stays Perfect With Triple OT Win at TCU; National Title Odds Now +6600
By Chris Amberley in College Football
Updated: January 6, 2023 at 3:06 am ESTPublished:
- #12 Baylor Bears’ National Championship odds have been shortened to +6600
- Baylor is fresh off a triple overtime victory at TCU
- The Bears are the lone undefeated team in the Big 12 (9-0, 6-0 Big 12)
#12 Baylor is still undefeated (9-0, 6-0 Big 12) after narrowly escaping a road date at TCU with a triple overtime win. The victory keeps the Bears a game ahead of #9 Oklahoma in the Big 12, but if their last two games are any indication, it’s unlikely that they’re a serious National Title contender.
2020 CFP National Championship Odds
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Ohio State Buckeyes | +200 |
| LSU Tigers | +250 |
| Clemson Tigers | +300 |
| Georgia Bulldogs | +900 |
| Alabama Crimson Tide | +1000 |
| Oklahoma Sooners | +1600 |
| Oregon Ducks | +2500 |
| Utah Utes | +4000 |
| Minnesota Golden Gophers | +5000 |
| Baylor Bears | +6600 |
| Penn State Nittany Lions | +10000 |
Odds taken on Nov. 10
Their National Championship odds have been shortened to +6600, but that’s still behind plenty of teams including the aforementioned Sooners. Baylor and Oklahoma will square off this Saturday in Waco, Texas, and the Bears will need to improve their offensive efficiency if they have any chance of keeping their perfect season alive.
Offensively Challenged
A week after scoring 17 points against West Virginia, Baylor’s offensive looked anemic again versus the Horned Frogs for most of regulation. They were held scoreless in the first half and needed a 51-yard field goal in the final minute just to force overtime.
A 51-yard field goal to get to overtime?
Baylor did just that.
(Via @CFBONFOX)pic.twitter.com/3G9dO0lHop
— PFF College (@PFF_College) November 9, 2019
Baylor managed just 204 yards of offense in regulation and have now come from behind to win four conference games this year. They’ve been held scoreless in the first quarter in four of six Big 12 contests, and are only still undefeated because of their dominant defense.
Shut Down D
The Bears rank first in the Big 12 in points allowed, rushing yards allowed and fourth in passing yards allowed. They held TCU scoreless in the second half and picked off Max Duggan in triple OT to seal the game.
THE BAYLOR BEARS ARE 9-0!!!! In the 3OT, Grayland Arnold intercepted the ball in the end zone to capture the 29-23 win over TCU!!! @BUFootball pic.twitter.com/NeGUchYg2A
— Abby Loring (@abbyloring) November 9, 2019
They limited the Horned Frogs to 308 yards on offense, while recording three turnovers and three sacks. With the offense struggling, the defense will need to excel if they want to keep their Title hopes alive. One loss will almost certainly crush any shot at the College Football Playoff, and the defense will face by far its stiffest test when Oklahoma comes to town.
The Sooners rank first in the conference in passing yards, total yards and points per game, and hung 66 points on the Bears in 2018.
Reality Will Hit Baylor Hard in Week 12
Baylor is a nice story but they’re about to get hit with a cold dose of reality on Saturday. No one has been able to slow down Oklahoma all season and there’s no reason to think the Bears will be able to despite their strong defensive play.
Baylor looked strong in OT yesterday. But to beat Oklahoma they will need to actually put up some offensive numbers in regulation.
— Matt Cote (@mattjcote) November 10, 2019
Baylor is 3-24 all-time versus the Sooners and they just don’t have the firepower to keep pace with the four-time defending Big 12 champs. Avoid the urge to back the Bears due to their perfect record and seek value elsewhere on the board.
Sports Writer
As SBD's resident Swiss Army Knife, Chris covers virtually every sport including NFL, PGA, NBA, MLB, NCAAB, NCAAF and the Olympics. A true grinder, he'd rather pick off small edges in the player props market than swing for the fences with a 5-leg parlay.
