By John Werner

Tribune-Herald staff writer

When Oklahoma vaulted to No. 1 this week, coach Bob Stoops barely blinked an eye.

Whether the Sooners are No. 1 or No. 20, they’re one of the biggest targets in college football because of their national championship-heavy tradition.

“We generally have a pretty good-sized bull’s-eye regardless,” Stoops said. “I’m not going to sit here and act like it’s a horrible thing (being No. 1), but we aren’t jumping up and down about it either.”

For Baylor, a win over the Sooners in today’s Big 12 opener would be a historic moment. The Bears have gone 0-10-1 all-time against No. 1 teams and have never beaten the Sooners in 17 previous meetings.

Rather than cowering to the powerful Sooners, the Bears are anxious for the 11:40 a.m. kickoff at Floyd Casey Stadium.

“Everybody wants to be No. 1 or play the No. 1 team,” Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin said. “You want to play the best of the best. We’re going to try to take advantage of it.”

The Sooners have dominated their first four opponents by a combined score of 199-52. Sophomore quarterback Sam Bradford has been brilliant, completing 72.2 percent of his passes for 1,293 yards and 16 touchdowns. He’s spread the wealth around as Manuel Johnson, Juaquin Iglesias and Jermaine Gresham have caught four touchdown passes apiece.

Running back DeMarco Murray is one of the best in the Big 12 with 335 yards rushing and three scores. But the group that makes it all go is a veteran offensive line that’s arguably the best in Big 12 history. Guard Duke Robinson, tackle Phil Loadholt and center Jon Cooper were all preseason all-Big 12 choices.

They’ll be a huge challenge for a Baylor defensive line that’s still trying to build depth and has had trouble stopping teams in key situations. But Baylor coach Art Briles believes his big men will hold up in the trenches.

“We really believe in our people up front on both sides of the football, and without a doubt they feel the same about theirs,” Briles said. “We have guys that will get after it, and they do, too. It will be a good matchup throughout the day.”

With Griffin’s versatility at quarterback, the Bears have had little trouble moving the ball in their 2-2 start.

The freshman from Copperas Cove has completed 60.2 percent of his passes for 756 yards and seven touchdowns and hasn’t thrown an interception. He also leads the Bears with 334 yards rushing and five touchdowns.

“Robert Griffin is a great quarterback,” Oklahoma defensive back Dominique Franks said. “We’ll have our hands full because he has a great arm and can throw the ball really well. We just have to keep them from having the big plays and stay focused on our jobs as a defense.”

With Jay Finley adding another backfield threat, Baylor’s offensive production has been almost equally divided with 896 yards rushing and 823 passing. But they haven’t faced a defense as good as Oklahoma’s, which leads the Big 12 by allowing 253 yards a game.

“The main thing you have to do is be productive with the football, especially when you’re in games with good competition,” Briles said. “We’ve got to run the football and keep doing it. You can fast-tempo, make things happen in a hurry and hopefully get points, or you can grind it and milk the clock a little and work the game. We will do whatever we need to do to win the ballgame.”

Though the Bears have shown tremendous improvement since a season-opening 41-13 loss to then-No. 23 Wake Forest, Briles knows his team will be judged on its performance in the Big 12.

“We are smart enough to understand that we will be judged by these next eight games and not the first four,” Briles said. “We’re in the Big 12, and we live in Texas. We recruit down here, and we’re going to be judged down here.”

jwerner@wacotrib.com

757-5716

—— BAYLOR vs. #1 OKLAHOMA ——

Kickoff: 11:40 a.m., Floyd Casey Stadium

TV: 11:30 a.m., Fox Sports Net

Radio: 11:10 a.m., KRZI-AM (1660)

Records: Baylor 2-2, Oklahoma 4-0

Series: OU leads, 17-0 (8-0 in Waco)

Last meeting: OU, 52-21 (’07, in Norman)

Betting line: Oklahoma by 241/2 Weather: 80 degrees and sunny with 14 mph wind from southwest