2009 College Football Predictions: Baylor Bears
This is a continuation of our series on our exclusive 2009 college football predictions. Follow all of our 2009 college football predictions here (team by team) or here (by conference).
Baylor Bears
2008 Record: (4-8, 2-6)
Coach: Art Briles (4-8 at Baylor, 38-36 overall)
Off. Coordinator: Randy Clements (2nd year) and Phillip Montgomery (2nd year)
Def. Coordinator: Brian Norwood (2nd year)
Returning Starters: 18 (8 offense, 8 defense, kicker, punter)
Ret. Starting Quarterback: Yes (Robert Griffin)
Offense: Art Briles’ spread option attack needed a quarterback to perfect it and they found one in Robert Griffin. The true freshman passed for 2,091 yards and 15 TDs, while running for 843 yards and 13 scores in 2008. Griffin is a track star with blazing speed and an accurate arm. That’s perfect for this offense. Griffin also has supporting talent returning in junior Jay Finley, who ran for 965 yards and seven scores in 2008. Sophomore WR Kendall Wright caught 50 passes for 649 yards and five TDs as a freshman and leads a strong group of three returning wideouts. The offensive line returns a great one in senior center J.D. Walton (6-3, 305), but the key will be replacing All-American LT Jason Smith, who moves on to the NFL.
Defense: The Baylor Bears return eight starters from a defense that allowed 29.3ppg and 393.2 yards per game overall. They do feature two top players in the conference in senior LB Joe Pawelek (6-2, 240) and senior FS Jordan Lake (6-2, 210). Pawelek led the Bears with 128 tackles and also intercepted six passes from the middle linebacker spot. Up front, they feature two sophomore defensive ends in Tracy Robertson (6-4, 260) and Zac Sutton (6-7, 260) who are talented but raw. Lake averaged 8.1 tackles per game and intercepted three passes. The rest of the secondary is somewhat suspect as they lose both starting corners and this is what separates them from the rest of the Big 12.
Outlook: The Bears have made some major strides on offense, but their defense is still an issue, especially against such a tough league. They open at Wake Forest and face Uconn, Northwetern State and Kent State at home. After that, it’s the likes of Oklahoma, Missouri, Texas A&M, Oklahoma State and Texas. If they can win two on the road, they have a shot at earning a minor bowl bid.
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