Baylor comes into Week 8 with plenty to sort out, and the biggest questions all point back to an offense that went from explosive to stuck in the mud in a hurry.
The Bears put up 55 points against Arizona State, then turned around and failed to score a touchdown against TCU. That swing says everything about where this group is right now.
The offensive line had trouble holding up, the receivers struggled to separate, and DJ Lagway was not consistently sharp with his throws. The result was a Baylor offense that looked nothing like the one that had just raised expectations a week earlier.
The ground game was supposed to be one of the areas to watch coming out of the Arizona State performance, but that optimism took a hit against TCU. The Bears averaged just 1.6 yards per carry, and that kind of production simply won’t cut it.
TCU’s defensive line is strong, but Baylor still has to be better there. Jake Spavital will have to draw up a cleaner plan against Kansas, and if pressure starts getting to Lagway, the quick game will need to show up.
There’s also the mental side of this one. Some teams bounce back from a rough loss, and some carry it with them.
After the Arizona State game and the bye week, there was plenty of buzz around this team, but Saturday will reveal whether Baylor can bring that same energy to the Kansas game. Body language matters, especially when a team is coming off a punch in the mouth.
If players are flat on the sideline after scores, kickoffs, or big plays, that can tell you plenty about where the mindset stands.
And then there’s the bigger pressure hanging over all of it. Dave Aranda is essentially coaching for his job at this point, and keeping the team locked in is part of that challenge. Baylor still has three ranked opponents left on the schedule, so the staff has to find a way to keep the group engaged and moving in the right direction.
If the offense is going to get back on track, Lagway needs more help. Gavin Freeman has been the main piece in this attack, but Baylor needs another reliable threat to emerge.
Louis Brown IV looks like the next best option after being targeted several times against TCU and finishing with 74 receiving yards. Jadon Porter is another name to keep in the mix after showing he can make big plays.
More production from those two would take some of the focus off Freeman and give Baylor a better chance to create downfield opportunities against Kansas.
In Other News...
Baylor's Guards Could Expose Illinois In A Way Fans Notice
Illinois has already shown some early cracks against dynamic perimeter scorers, and Baylors backcourt is the kind of group that can turn those issues into a bigger talking point. In exhibition play, Cincinnatis Tylen Riley piled up 31 points and 13 assists against the Illini, while Baylor guard Kayden Mingo went for 31 in an overtime win over Florida, a reminder of how much damage a confident, high-volume guard can do when the defense struggles to stay in front.
For Baylor, that creates an opening worth watching whenever these teams meet. The Bears do not need a perfect offensive night to stress Illinois if their guards can get downhill, create space and force the kind of reactions that have already given the Illini trouble. The bigger question is whether Illinois has the personnel to keep that from becoming a recurring problem once the games count. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor May Have A Maryland Opportunity Worth Watching Closely
Marylands coaching search has already created a situation worth monitoring from Waco, even before any player makes a move. Once the Terps hire a permanent head coach, their roster will get a 15-day window for players to enter the Transfer Portal, and Baylor is the kind of program that could be in the mix if some familiar names decide they want a fresh start.
Among the players tied to that possibility are Malik Washington, Zion Elee and Darrell Carey, each of whom could make sense for Baylor in different ways based on what the Bears need and what their current staff values. None of it is real until those decisions are made, but with no Maryland players in the portal yet, it is the sort of recruiting subplot Baylor fans will want to keep an eye on as the coaching dominoes keep falling. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor Heads To Kansas With Dave Aranda Under Real Pressure
The pressure around Dave Aranda has been building quickly after Baylors recent loss to TCU, and the Bears are now heading into a stretch that feels pivotal for the direction of the program. At 4-2 overall and 2-1 in the Big 12, Baylor is still very much in the mix, but the margin for error has narrowed enough that every week now carries a little more weight than the last.
Kansas is the immediate hurdle, and the conversation around Aranda has already moved beyond one game into what might come next if the Bears stumble again. Media speculation has even started to surface a potential replacement in Boise State coach Spencer Danielson, a reminder of how fast the spotlight can shift when a season starts to feel like a referendum on the head coach. [Read more 🡒]