No team has undergone more turmoil or disruptions the past offseason than the Baylor Bears. The sexual abuse scandal which rocked the Baptist university in Waco, Texas, forced former head coach Art Briles out of power. Briles was the man who carried Baylor to prominence and rescued the football program from misery, ineptitude and obscurity. Briles was both a master tactician and someone who demanded excellence. He gave Baylor a certain edge and swagger. He got his players to believe they were great. That is all gone now, and in a unique situation, Baylor knew it had to act quickly once Briles was pushed out. The program hired former Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe, but it did so on an interim basis. Grobe is a one-year placeholder before another coach is hired in December or January for the long haul. There are so many questions about this team, but many of them do not relate to a specific unit or position. Many of the big questions about Baylor are simply a matter of how the team responds to this hellacious offseason and all its humiliations.
Biggest Team Weakness
The team’s foremost weakness is the defensive front. Andrew Billings got so much work done in the middle for this team. When he was out last season, Baylor got repeatedly gashed. This was a defense in which the absences of a few key players had a dramatic effect on the unit’s overall performance. There were too many hinge point situations which – if they worsened – completely collapsed instead of moderately declining. Baylor has to find an adequate replacement for Billings this season, or it will live a harsh life in the Big 12. The Baylor Bears do not have that much of a margin on defense, and even though Big 12 teams generally like to pass the ball, the Bears will be vulnerable to the run and have to patch up that deficiency with great speed.
Biggest Team Strength
The Bears’ strength remains their passing game. Seth Russell was injured for much of last year, but he is back, and he looks great in fall camp. If he can stay healthy this season and remain the team’s starter, Baylor could win a lot of 52-45 ballgames. Its offense would be able to overcome what is likely to be a porous defense. Russell is the man who can make this season work against all odds. So many people are thinking Baylor Bears will falter, but if Russell stands tall, everything could work out. It’s the pillar upon which everything else rests. It’s not about the coaches, but the receivers in tandem with Russell. Offensive lineman Kyle Fuller will also knit together the offensive line and give Russell enough time to throw.
Schedule
The Big 12, as is widely known, plays a nine-game conference schedule in a 10-team league. This means that Baylor plays everyone in the conference. Baylor should be better than most, but it will have to play Oklahoma on the road. If the Bears lose that one, they’re probably not going to win the Big 12. We know how tough it is to win in Norman under normal circumstances and then we also have the appearance of Baylor on the decline and Oklahoma on the ascent. That’s going to be an issue for Baylor. However, they get most of their other tough games at home. Yes, they have to go to Texas and West Virginia, but those teams aren’t that tough right now. In terms of Oklahoma State, TCU, Kansas State and Texas Tech, all of those teams will be coming to Baylor, which means they should be favored in each contest.
Outlook
The Baylor Bears will win a lot of games, but Oklahoma does not figure to be one of them. This team won’t fall off the map, but it won’t do everything it hopes to do.
Projection: 2nd In Big 12
