Good teams and good coaches don’t usually let the same mistake beat them twice. That’s why this matchup feels like such a clean measuring stick for Coach Aranda and Baylor: they get Auburn again, and they get a chance to show they’re not the same team that came up short a year ago.
Even with that opportunity sitting right in front of them, it’s hard to look at Baylor and see a finished product. The Bears’ defense was one of the worst in the country last season, allowing 451.1 yards per game, and Joe Klanderman was brought in to help stop the bleeding. He’s got some encouraging pieces to work with, including Hosea Wheeler and Garrick Ponder, but this still looks like a unit that needs more time before it’s asked to handle a dual threat like Auburn quarterback Byrum Brown.
And Auburn won’t make things easy. “Death, taxes, and Auburn running the ball,” said former Auburn running back Damari Alston. Brown, Jeremiah Cobb and old friend Bryson Washington give the Tigers enough in the backfield to test an overhauled Baylor front over and over again.
Baylor has its own concerns up front, too. The offensive line has been a major point of stress all offseason because only one starter is back, and that kind of turnover can take a while to sort itself out. That could leave Lagway in some uncomfortable situations, even if he has the kind of legs and arm that can help him work through pressure.
Still, I’m not ready to write Baylor off. I think the Bears have improved from last season, even if I’m not fully convinced they’ve jumped far enough to separate themselves from Auburn. Vegas has the Tigers as 7.5-point favorites in the neutral-site game, but I have a hard time seeing Auburn winning by more than a touchdown unless DJ Lagway completely falls apart.
If anything, this feels like another tight one. I don’t expect either team to blow the doors off, and I’d be surprised if Auburn runs away with it.
The Bears will need help from their backs, and Dawson Pendergrass looks like the kind of player who can provide it. Coming off an injury and carrying plenty of motivation, he could be in line for a 100-yard game against the Tigers.
That sets up a finish that should come down to the fourth quarter, with the stars having to deliver as dusk settles over Mercedes Benz Stadium. And if Lagway is one of those stars, Baylor fans could be meeting a new favorite very quickly if he can put the past behind him and lead a game-winning drive.
In Other News...
Baylor Faces An Early Test That Could Define Dave Arandas Rebuild
The early part of Baylors season is already carrying a little extra weight, and the matchup with Auburn only sharpens that feeling. Both programs have spent the offseason reworking themselves from the inside out, with new coaching staffs, plenty of transfer movement and a clear sense that the first few weeks will reveal more than any summer projection ever could. For Baylor, the attention falls quickly on quarterback DJ Lagway, the Florida transfer whose debut will offer an immediate look at how the Bears offense is coming together.
Auburn brings its own new-look intrigue, with Byrum Brown returning at quarterback after his move from South Florida and Alex Golesh in place as head coach. Baylor has also spent the offseason trying to tighten up on defense under coordinator Joe Klanderman, which makes this more than just a season opener type of test. It is the kind of nonconference game that can tell a team whether it is merely reshaping its identity or actually ready to start building something around it. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor Faces An Early Chemistry Test With Auburn Up First
During Baylors Sept. 1 player availability session, linebacker Kyland Reed offered a look at the kinds of early-season adjustments that come with opening against a fresh opponent like Auburn. Facing a team unit that has not yet settled into its own rhythm can make Week 1 feel less like a routine opener and more like a test of communication, preparation and composure, especially for a Baylor group trying to set its tone early.
Reed also put a spotlight on the leadership side of things, noting the weight that comes with serving as a team captain. And with former Baylor teammate Bryson Washington now at Auburn after transferring this offseason, there is an added layer of familiarity to the matchup, one that gives the opener a personal edge even before the first snap. [Read more 🡒]
Dave Aranda Has One Thing Baylor Fans Need To See Early
Dave Aranda heads into another Baylor season with the temperature around his job still high after a 5-7 finish, and the noise only grows louder because the contract keeps him in place through 2029. For a fan base that has already started calling for a change, the question is less about long-term theory than whether the program can show real signs of life early and begin climbing back toward the level Baylor expects.
The opening stretch matters because it will shape how the rest of the year feels, both inside and outside the building. Analysts around the program are not talking about a sudden championship leap so much as steady improvement and a team that looks better organized, more competitive, and more durable from week to week. If Baylor can deliver that kind of early progress, it would do more than calm the criticism for a while - it would give Aranda something far more valuable than patience, which is proof the program is moving again. [Read more 🡒]