Oklahoma hosts Big 12 foe Kansas in a matchup of two teams trending in opposite directions.
If there were any Big 12 conference game fans could afford to miss this week, this is the one. Oklahoma and Kansas could not be further apart on the state of each program. The Jayhawks have won only one conference game while the Sooners are competing for a spot in the championship game and College Football Playoff with a Heisman candidate at quarterback.
It is dark times in Lawrence. After the Jayhawks won their third game of the season against TCU, their first conference win since 2016, the team folded at home against Iowa State 27-3. After the loss, athletic director Jeff Long announced head coach David Beaty would not return next season. The search has already begun and surprisingly Les Miles has emerged as one of the prime candidates.
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The play on the field backs Long’s decision. At 3-7 with just one Big 12 win, the Jayhawks are once again on their way to finishing last in the standings. The team played Kansas State close in the Sunflower Showdown last week, but blew the lead and fell 21-17.
Quarterback Peyton Bender has shown improvement this season, but the brightest star on offense has been freshman running back Pooka Williams Jr. With 770 yards, Williams is fourth in the Big 12 in rushing yards. Another surprise this year has been the Jayhawks’ improvement on defense. Led by linebacker Joe Dineen Jr., Kansas is first in the conference in turnover margin and first in interceptions with 13.
Since their early October loss to Texas, Oklahoma has hit the gas the second half of this season. The Sooners have won four straight games led by dynamic quarterback Kyler Murray. With 3,038 passing yards and 32 touchdowns with only five interceptions, Murray is well on his way to being a finalist for the Heisman Trophy.
At 9-1 and 6-1 in conference play, Lincoln Riley has Oklahoma in a prime place for the second year in a row to win the Big 12 Championship. Fortunately, the team catches a break this week with struggling Kansas before facing their biggest challenge of the season next week. Oklahoma meets with West Virginia next week in a game that could have implications for the Big 12 title.
This game will be nationally televised on FOX and can be streamed on FOX Sports Go and the FOX Sports Go app.
How to watch and bet Kansas-Oklahoma
- Date: Saturday, Nov. 17
- Start time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Norman, OK
- Stadium: Memorial Stadium
- Spread: Oklahoma -36.5
- TV info: FOX
- Stream: FOX Sports Go, fuboTV
Prediction: Oklahoma wins and covers the spread.