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Oklahoma kicks off Big 12 play at Baylor

Oct 4, 2008 - 10:06 AM (1) Oklahoma (4-0) at Baylor (2-2), 12:30 pm EDT

WACO, Texas (Ticker) -- Oklahoma enters the Big 12 Conference portion of its schedule at the top of the polls.

Sam Bradford and the top-ranked Sooners have to avoid looking ahead when they visit Baylor on Saturday in the Big 12 Conference opener for both teams.

Oklahoma (4-0, 0-0 Big 12 South) has looked dominant so far this season, defeating each of its first four opponent by at least 25 points.

But the Sooners have to keep their focus on the Bears (2-2, 0-0), with the Red River Rivalry against Texas looming the following week.

At this point last year, Oklahoma failed to keep its focus. The Sooners, who were ranked third in the nation and had defeated each opponent by at least 38 points, stumbled to a 27-24 loss to Colorado.

Bradford is emerging as a Heisman Trophy candidate, passing for 1,293 yards and 16 touchdowns with two interceptions. But the sophomore had similar statistics through the first four games last season and was dreadful in the Big 12 opener against the Buffaloes.

In that stunning upset loss at Colorado, Bradford completed just 8-of-19 passes for 112 yards and one score with two interceptions.

Bradford rebounded with an impressive performance against the Longhorns the next week, but - no longer a freshman - the Oklahoma faithful will not be so forgiving of a poor performance and a loss this year.

Baylor is not planning on rolling over for the mighty Sooners, either.

Dual-threat freshman Robert Griffin has the ability to create a lot of problems for a defense, and he doesn't make the mistakes that usually plague young quarterbacks.

Griffin has passed for 756 yards and seven touchdowns with no interceptions this season, while rushing for 334 yards and five scores.

The 18-year-old Griffin did everything he could in a 31-28 loss to Connecticut on September 19, passing for three TDs and rushing for another.