The Bears return from their bye week with a 7-0 record, their best start since 2015 and one of the only nine undefeated programs in the FBS.

Despite being off, Baylor climbed two spots in the Associated Press Top 25 poll, rising up to No. 12.

More importantly, Oklahoma’s surprise defeat against Kansas State left the Bears in sole control of the Big 12, as the Sooners dropped to 7-1.

It is a remarkable turnaround for Baylor, who finished 1-11 two years ago as early as two years ago.

The Bears are in control of their destiny and would take a significant step towards one of the two Big 12 Championship Game spots with a win against West Virginia on Thursday night.

A year ago, the Mountaineers routed Baylor 58-14 at home, but while the latter has been on an upward curve since, the former have gone in the opposite direction.

A 3-1 start has turned into a 3-4 record on the back of consecutive defeats against Texas, Iowa State and Oklahoma, who outscored West Virginia by a combined 132-59 scoreline.

If the Mountaineers can’t halt the slide, they could be in danger of missing out on bowl eligibility for just the second time since 2001 and for the only the first time in six years.

Conversely, Baylor has all the momentum and the confidence of a side playing its best football.

In the Week 8 win against Oklahoma State, the Bears rushed for 224 yards and four scores, with JaMycal Hasty racking up 146 yards on the ground.

The senior running back has accumulated 270 yards over the last three games and is a key component of Baylor’s offense, which ranks third in the Big 12 in terms of points scored.

In his third season at Baylor, Matt Hule has designed an offense that is as efficient as it is balanced, thanks in no small part to Charlie Brewer.

While not eye-catching as some of his colleagues, the junior quarterback averages 287.3 yards per game in total offense and has thrown just interceptions all year.

Along with Hasty, Brewer could pose a major headache for the Mountaineers, whose scoring defense is the worst in the entire conference.

On the other side of the ball, the situation isn’t much rosier for the Mountaineers.

West Virginia averages a meagre 88.1 rushing yards per game this season and comes up against a defensive unit that has allowed a conference best 19.1 points per game so far.

As Kansas State’s upset win over Oklahoma proved there are no easy games in the Big 12, but it would still require a leap of faith to imagine Baylor may fall victim to some trickery on Halloween Night.

Here’s all you need to know ahead of Thursday.

When and where is the game?

Baylor hosts West Virginia at the McLane Stadium in Waco, Texas, on Thursday, October 31.

Kick-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET.

TV coverage

The game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN.

Live stream

Live stream will be available via WatchESPN, the ESPN app and ESPN’s digital platforms.

Series record

Thursday will be only the eighth meeting between the two programs, with Baylor winning twice and West Virginia prevailing on seven occasions.

The Mountaineers are on a three-game winning streak against the Bears and thrashed Baylor 58-14 at home a year ago.

Odds

According to Oddschecker, Baylor is an 18.5-point favorite and is 22/25 to cover the spread, while West Virginia is a 6/1 underdog.

The over/under line in terms of total points scored is set at 48.5.