Baylor’s place in the Big 12 preseason media poll says plenty about how the conference sees the Bears heading into the year: seventh in a 16-team league, behind Arizona, Houston, Kansas, Tech, Iowa State and BYU.
That slot comes after Baylor was already pegged tenth in the coaches poll just a couple of weeks ago, another sign that Scott Drew’s team is not getting the kind of national respect its roster suggests it deserves.
The funny thing is, the Bears have already put together a pretty loud argument in the exhibitions. Baylor beat Florida and Illinois, two teams that made the Final Four in 2026 and are projected No. 1 and No. 3 in the country, respectively. Exhibition results only tell you so much, but those wins still matter when they come against rosters with that kind of pedigree.
And that’s the bigger picture here: Baylor looks loaded. The Bears should be in the conversation as one of the country’s top teams every season, but this group feels especially promising. It just hasn’t been treated that way yet.
The Big 12, meanwhile, looks crowded with NCAA Tournament teams. Baylor missed March Madness last season, but eight league teams still made it in. The conference appears even stronger now, and there’s a real chance nine or ten Big 12 teams get into the dance this season.
Arizona, Houston, Kansas and Iowa State are all sitting near the top of the national conversation and are expected to make the tournament. Texas Tech and BYU are also among the teams with very high hopes. Then there are the dark horses - West Virginia, TCU and Cincinnati - all of whom believe they’re being slotted too low and are eager to prove it on the floor.
Baylor fits into that group, but with a twist. The Bears haven’t missed back-to-back NCAA tournaments since 2007, and this roster is described as one of the most exciting and deepest in recent memory.
So while the poll puts Baylor seventh, that number may do the Bears a favor. They don’t have to carry the burden of a top ranking.
They can play loose. And if they’re looking for motivation, there’s plenty of it built right into the preseason numbers.
In Other News...
Baylor Just Delivered The Kind Of Win Fans Have Been Waiting For
Baylor finally got the kind of response game its fans have been waiting for, and it came with a jolt of urgency. Playing under interim coach Joe Klanderman after the firing of Dave Aranda, the Bears rolled past UCF 41-9 and never let the Knights settle in after their emotional double-overtime win against BYU the week before.
UCF spent the afternoon fighting uphill on both sides of the ball, and the offense never found a rhythm. Quarterback Keyone Jenkins left with an ankle injury, the Knights were sacked a season-high seven times, and Baylor kept control from start to finish in a result that gave this team a much-needed lift as the season moves on. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor Finally Looked Like The Team Fans Expected All Season
Baylor finally put together the kind of complete performance it has been chasing all season, rolling past UCF 41-9 and showing the balance and urgency that had been missing at times in a 5-3 start. With four games left and tougher opponents still ahead, the Bears needed more than just a win. They needed evidence that the version fans expected in September was still in there somewhere.
Joe Klanderman handled head-coaching duties in the game while continuing to call the defense, and DJ Lagway gave the offense a clear lift by throwing for 319 yards and four touchdowns after working back from an ankle injury. Even with the breakout showing, Baylor still has cleanup work to do, especially with penalties continuing to pop up, and the next stretch will say plenty about whether this was a one-week surge or the start of something steadier. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor Showed Fans Exactly Why This Team Feels Different
Dave Arandas first game as Baylors head coach offered an immediate glimpse of what this team could become, and the 41-9 win over UCF gave fans plenty to latch onto. DJ Lagway was sharp from the start, hitting 16 passes for 319 yards and four touchdowns without an interception, while the ground game and defense both looked more complete than they had in recent memory.
The win also felt broader than one standout performance, because different position groups kept showing up in ways Baylor has been waiting to see. The defensive line piled up seven sacks, special teams held up its end, and the overall effort had the kind of balance that can make a team feel different even before the schedule gets tougher. [Read more 🡒]