Jim Barnes’ college forecast: Baylor can end Oklahoma’s unbeaten run

The record looks right, but Oklahoma hasn’t quite been itself this season.

The Sooners are 9-0, but struggled mightily in wins over Tulane (40-35), Nebraska (23-16), West Virginia (16-13), Kansas State (37-31), Texas (55-48) and even lowly Kansas (35-23).

The College Football Playoff committee has noticed, ranking the Sooners No. 8, behind five teams that have lost games.

Oklahoma will surely climb into the top four by the end of the season if it keeps winning, but the Sooners face a murderous stretch, starting with Saturday’s game at Baylor.

After the Bears, Oklahoma hosts Iowa State, then plays at rival Oklahoma State before a potential Big 12 championship game.

The Sooners will not make it through those games unscathed, and there’s a good chance they won’t escape Baylor.

The Bears’ conference title hopes took a big hit with last week’s 30-28 loss to Texas Christian, but they should be laser-focused for Oklahoma.

The Bears have been strong at home, upsetting Iowa State, defeating Texas and beating up Brigham Young and West Virginia.

Take the Bears +5½, but you might not need the points.

Four other plays for Saturday:

— Texas -31: Coach Steve Sarkisian’s first season in Austin has turned into a near-disaster, with four straight losses to fall to 4-5. Luckily for him, Kansas is the cure for what ails the Longhorns. The Jayhawks have lost eight straight in hapless fashion, save for the near-miss against Oklahoma. This is a perfect spot for Texas against an overmatched opponent.

— Kentucky-Vanderbilt U52½: A promising season for Kentucky has gone awry with three straight losses after a 6-0 start. The Wildcats should get back on track this week with a focus on defense after giving up 30 to Georgia, 31 to Mississippi State and 45 to Tennessee. Kentucky also might be a solid play -21, but the under looks more attractive.

— New Mexico State +51½: This won’t be a fun bet to sweat, but Alabama typically doesn’t go all out against overmatched lower-tier foes such as the Aggies. Hope for a lot of run plays and a running clock, with the Crimson Tide satisfied with something like a 45-3 win.

— Arkansas -2½: A “this line doesn’t look right” play, with the Razorbacks favored on the road over a Louisiana State team that just took Alabama to the limit in a 20-14 loss. LSU gave its A-plus effort against the Crimson Tide, but I expect the Tigers to be worn out and flat.

— Last week: 4-1

— Season: 25-24-1

Contact Jim Barnes at jbarnes@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0277. Follow @JimBarnesLV on Twitter.