Back from bye, Bears face no shortage of challenges on and off the field
BY Craig Smoak | 365 Sports
Baylor Football is back on its home gridiron this week after its second and final bye.
And awaiting the Bears over this final three-game stretch are three teams currently ahead of them in the standings, all of whom have already punched a ticket to the postseason.
But before we get to this Saturday, there is one news item from last week to address first.
QUIET BYE WEEK? NOT SO FAST
Last week was your typical open slate, with not much news floating around and no game to preview. That was until Friday’s Outkick story, which detailed a clearly negative and somewhat controversial interaction between AD Mack Rhoades and TE Michael Trigg on the field before the Bears’ September 20th home contest vs. Arizona State. Tight ends coach Jarrett Anderson got involved to some degree, apparently in defense of his star pupil, Trigg. The whole story is still somewhat foggy, but the school looked into the matter and cleared Rhoades of any significant wrongdoing. Many are remaining quiet or sharing loose details, and ultimately, all involved appear to want to move on, including Trigg’s father, who was quoted in the article.
Whatever happened, it wasn’t serious enough to warrant a team implosion or any dismissals, and the nationwide audience quickly moved on. And perhaps that’s the most damning thing from a current Baylor perspective. Sure, a Friday news dump before a busy weekend played some role in turning over the news cycle and interest in the story. But the broader majority’s lack of caring mostly speaks to the Bears’ current irrelevance more than the story being a moldy nothing-burger. If the Bears were crushing teams and in the Big 12/CFP title picture, that story wouldn’t fade away in a matter of hours. So, losing may have its perks after all.
WATCH YOUR BACK, MACK
In no way, shape, or form am I excusing Mack Rhoades for his role in whatever occurred. It’s a bad look for him, especially given his current position as chair of the CFP committee. But despite that, Rhoades should look really closely at his inner circle and its extensions, because last week’s news drop, two months after the incident, felt like a calculated call coming from inside the house. Perhaps I’m wrong.
GOING BOWLING?
Utah is easily the Bears’ most formidable remaining opponent, but it’s a home game, although I’m not sure what kind of home atmosphere to expect at this point. A Top 15-caliber adversary on the banks of the Brazos on a Saturday night is the type of matchup you wish for as a fan. But it’s just not hitting the same way these days. The opportunities for win number six are dwindling, and it’s easy to see the Bears being underdogs in all three of their final contests.
ARANDA FUTURE
There’s a good shot Aranda is back next season, but there’s also an obvious path in which he is not. Failing to make a bowl game at this stage of his tenure, and with this roster, is not excusable. And as I’ve been repeating for the last few weeks, even having a conversation about bowl eligibility being in question is not something we should be doing, unless Sawyer Robertson had missed a significant number of games. Now, making a bowl isn’t a guaranteed ticket for Aranda’s return, but finishing 5-7 should guarantee he won’t. I don’t see how you could sell the vision for another offseason—now, beating Utah and winning out? That’s a different conversation, but much easier said than done.
UTAH GAME
They’re not the dominant force their fans portrayed them as when entering the Big 12 last year. You know, the team that was going to come into the league and immediately start running things? But they are pretty damn good this season, particularly their rushing offense and passing defense. Big picture, they’ll need some help to ensure a rematch with either Texas Tech or BYU in Arlington, but it’s still a possibility, so there’s no lack of motivation for them this weekend in Waco.
Devon Dampier is the type of QB who could give this ailing Baylor defense some fits and will be a much greater challenge than UCF two weeks ago. Hopefully, some of that stellar performance vs. the Knights gives this Bears defense a dose of much-needed confidence heading into this one. On the offensive side, Sawyer Robertson better have one of his sharper nights because the Utah defense is unrelenting, and they will be all over him from start to finish.
The Bears’ strong suit is passing, while the Utes’ defense thrives against the pass. And while there’s more room in the run game, that has not been Baylor’s strength at all this season. On the flip side, I don’t trust this Baylor defense against a dual-threat rushing attack, though if they can bow up and force Dampier to throw it around, that’s the formula for the upset.
PREDICTION: Utah 34, Baylor 20
The Bears have the better overall quarterback, offensive skill players and special teams, plus homefield. Will that be enough? I don’t believe so, unless Robertson and the offense have an unforeseen career night against one of the nation’s best defenses and there’s actually some carryover for the Baylor defense post-UCF. Based on what we have seen and know up to this point, Utah is the logical and easy call come Saturday.