Embarrassment and Uncertainty Abound as Baylor Travels to Arizona
BY Craig Smoak | 365 Sports
It’s been a hell of a couple of weeks for the Baylor fandom, on and off the field. And unfortunately, the most recent on-field result — a slaughtering by Utah at home — only magnified both old and new problems the program now faces.
Here’s what’s on my mind with two weeks to play and a trip to Arizona on the horizon.
Josh Cameron: I’m going to miss watching him in green and gold. He’s experienced some great successes, but we all hoped his career would end on a higher note than a team that may not even make the postseason. Nevertheless, it’s not because of Cameron, who had an incredible performance against the Utes. 13 catches in one game is absurd; add in 165 yards and two touchdowns, and on a forgettable night for the team, it was a memorable night for the senior standout from Cedar Park.
The Mack Situation: Clearly, there was a lot more going on behind the scenes than most realized, including myself. The Trigg situation was an awful look, but it seemed like something the involved parties could overcome. That is, until more layers were peeled back and revealed by another Outkick report detailing anonymous complaints about Rhoades, his behavior towards employees, and ultimately an HR investigation involving something scandalous but lacking in public details. Something scandalous enough to see him abruptly step away not only from his Baylor AD gig but also from the CFP chair to tend to his personal life. We’re playing a much different ballgame than I initially realized. I wish Mack the best, but if you were looking for a sign that a fresh start is needed, you got it, even if the timing is tricky. Rather than run from it, the powers that be need to embrace it and launch the new, improved and energized era of Baylor Athletics with a calculated swiftness. Don’t rush into any bad decision, but don’t sit on your hands either. Time is not on your side now or in the future.
No Fun: In the past couple of seasons, maybe longer, I’ve felt my desire to cover this team and to be entrenched in the day-to-day fading rapidly. The winning always makes things more fun, but in general, it’s just not a fun program to cover. A lot of that starts at the top, and if anything, a program already sorely lacking in entertainment value has only become more reclusive over the past couple of years.
The Utah Loss: That was embarrassing, and if not for a couple of quarters of students riding a viral trend to entertain the crowd and pump up the team, it could have been even worse. At least someone had a pulse and was able to rally those around them into showing some fight and spirit. Unfortunately, it wasn’t anyone on staff or on the sidelines, but instead a bunch of bros in the upper deck. Shoutout to Oklahoma State for the inspiration, and all those fellas on Saturday night who lit the flame that grew furiously into one of the most entertaining — albeit brief — environments McLane has seen in a long time. Lord knows everyone needed some levity, given how that game was trending and ultimately finished. But in true Aranda-era fashion, this team knew how to douse that fire right quick, too.
Dave Aranda: Some would have never hired him in the first place. I trusted Mack Rhoades, with far more evidence at his fingertips, to make the right call and in 2021, that looked to be the case. Four years later, 2-3 seasons longer than some would have liked, this was the year to hush the doubters and get back on track. But they’re no better than last season, and in some ways, they’re worse. They never beat anyone they shouldn’t, much less compete half the time against the better teams. Players aren’t developing to the degree you’d want to see, and the head coach’s own specialty is by far this team’s Achilles heel. If it wasn’t evident before, it’s obvious now: this thing is not going in the right direction, and there’s really no reason, from offseason master plans to hitting the lottery in the portal, to believe it’s capable of changing for the better under this current regime. This program needs a reset.
The Defense: Completely unacceptable. Byrd Ficklin and company will be telling their future generations about that fun night of rushing in Waco for a long time to come.
Sawyer Robertson: This has not been the year I dreamed of for Robertson. On Saturday, he was wildly inaccurate and just never seemed to find a groove, which has been a familiar refrain far too often. That’s typically the case for QBs facing Utah’s defense, but it was a performance that, while gaudy from a yardage perspective, cost the Bears some points. He was a guy getting a good amount of preseason hype in draft circles, though, as with Baylor’s season expectations, that stock has suffered as well.
Arizona Wildcats: Saturday marks the Bears’ first-ever trip to Tucson and the second matchup between these two teams. The first and only other was a 20-15 Baylor win in the 1992 Sun Bowl. The Wildcats have an above-average college QB in Noah Fifita and a solid defense. They are playing better than Baylor, and although their coach started on a hotter seat than Aranda entering this season, Brent Brennan is far more secure at this point, thanks to a recent win streak that has put them in the postseason with seven wins and still with the possibility of 2-3 more, including as home favorites against the Bears on Saturday. All Big 12 games are winnable unless we’re talking Texas Tech hosting Oklahoma State or something, but I don’t think much separates these two. The key difference is the attitude surrounding both at the moment. The Wildcats play hard and give you some reason to believe, whereas right now, there’s just no reason to believe in Baylor.
Arizona Prediction:
Arizona 24, Baylor 23
The Wildcats are riding a wave of positivity, look like they have some identity, and are at home. Despite their flaws, I think Baylor is capable of winning this game and booking a trip to the postseason, but give me the ‘Cats based on objective evidence, not hope.