Baylor’s opener against Auburn had all the ingredients to pull eyes early in the college football season: a tight finish, a last-second call, a quarterback injury, and a defense that kept swinging. The payoff showed up beyond the scoreboard, too. The game is currently the 10th most viewed contest of the season, with 4.24 million watching Baylor take Auburn to the brink in Atlanta.
That number puts the Bears in a conversation with some of the sport’s biggest early draws. The Week 0 matchup between TCU and North Carolina - the seventh most viewed game - drew 4.91 million viewers as the Horned Frogs fell 15-10 in Dublin, Ireland. At the top of the list, Texas’ Week 2 comeback win over Ohio State sits alone with 13.99 million viewers.
For Baylor, the attention came from a game that felt like it could have gone either way. The Bears lost 17-16 to Auburn, but the ending was defined less by defeat than by the choice Dave Aranda made with 0:09 left in the fourth quarter. Instead of kicking the PAT and sending it to overtime, Baylor went for two, with the decision shaped in part by DJ Lagway’s ankle injury and concern for the quarterback’s long-term health.
Lagway’s debut as a Bear flashed real promise before the injury changed the shape of the night. He was limited as the game went on, but Baylor still found plenty to like on defense. The Bears recorded five quarterback sacks and three interceptions, and at times the unit was flat-out dominant.
Gavin Freeman was a major part of the offense, hauling in 12 catches for 154 yards.
Taken together, the game gave Baylor a national audience and a reminder of what the Bears can look like when the defense is rolling. If they start stacking wins, that viewership figure figures to climb with them.
In Other News...
Alabama Commit Just Changed The In-State Recruiting Conversation
Trent Seaborn has become one of the biggest talking points in Alabama recruiting, and not just because he is already committed to the Crimson Tide. The Thompson senior quarterback opened the season at No. 12 in AL.coms Best in Bama rankings, then surged all the way to No. 1 as his play and profile kept climbing. For Auburn fans watching the in-state board, it is another reminder of how quickly the recruiting conversation can shift when a high-profile quarterback starts separating himself from the pack.
The movement at the top also came with a bit of turbulence elsewhere, as former No. 1 Gunner Rivers slid to No. 3 after a right knee injury in the season opener altered the picture. The latest rankings brought in new names and updated several other top prospects, along with their college commitments, giving a fresh snapshot of where the states elite talent stands right now. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn Just Got A Big Defensive Boost Before Florida
Auburns first SEC mandatory injury report of the season brought a little more clarity heading into Saturday nights matchup with Florida, and the news should help the Tigers on the edge. DaShawn Womack and Chris Murray are both trending toward playing after missing previous games because of injury, giving Auburn a chance to get two important pass-rush pieces back for a game that kicks off at 6 p.m. Central at Jordan-Hare Stadium and airs on ESPN.
There is still some uncertainty elsewhere on the report, though, with offensive lineman Tai Buster ruled out and tight end Hunter Herring along with edge rusher Joe Phillips listed as questionable. For an Auburn team trying to build momentum in conference play, the possibility of adding pressure off the edge comes at a useful time, even if the final availability picture still has a few moving parts. [Read more 🡒]
Auburns SEC Opener Just Got More Personal Than Fans Expected
Floridas first Southeastern Conference game under new coach Jon Sumrall already had plenty of weight to it, and now it carries a little more edge for Auburn fans watching from a distance. Sumrall, an Alabama native and former Troy coach, comes into the matchup with a personal backdrop that stretches well beyond the standings, even as both teams arrive undefeated and with quarterbacks Aaron Philo and Byrum Brown drawing attention for their play.
For Auburn, there is the football part and then there is the family side of it, with Sumrall openly acknowledging ties to the school while making clear where his loyalty sits now. That makes the SEC opener feel less like a standard early conference test and more like a meeting layered with history, pride and a few extra storylines for Alex Goleshs team to manage once the game starts. [Read more 🡒]