Have to cram a lot in with the game on Thursday. Big game for Austin Novosad as he faces Austin Westlake this week. Isaiah Robinson did return. Both of them received their U.S. Army All-American Jerseys

Commitment Chart

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Dave Aranda said NT Apu Ika, who was helped off the field against Oklahoma State, is ready to play at WV. Khalil Keith (knee) is practicing. Status for the game is positive. RB Taye McWilliams (concussion) still a couple of weeks away from returning.

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Here is the two deep chart. Obviously there’s a little bit of an inconsistency with Taye McWilliams listed as the starting RB and he’s out. Just letting you know.

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Presser
Opening Statement

Dave Aranda
It was a good bye week for us. We had some time off and then some practice time. We had two really good days. I thought the energy was good. The coaches were able to get on the road Friday and see some schools and see some games. It was a little bit different week with this being a Saturday really being a Monday for us. We had game week prep, and this is how it panned out for us. I fully respect and have a lot of appreciation for Coach Brown and I know the environment we’re getting into is a tough one, and it will take our best efforts, so we’re really focused on that. I’m excited for the opportunity.

(What specific areas did you work on)
Underneath all the schemes and techniques, I think there is a level of immaturity or just youth that we’re really working on growing. With the vets, there’s some complacency that we’re working on getting rid of and waking up from. So I think the week was good in those respects and getting everybody on the same page in terms of where we’re at and what it takes to go where we want to go. I think it was a good week for that.

(Is offensive line what you wanted it to be)
It’s probably mixed. It’s a good question. There are pieces around the offensive line that are different that affect some of the outcomes of the offensive line’s work. But I think if you were to extract their play and just kind of how violence is there and how much effort is there, how much energy is there, I think those are things we can improve on and we must to get to where we want to go.

(Looking for first win at WVU)
I think intentional practice. I think all of our improvement can really stem from really being intentional in our work in our days, and knowing why I’m in this meeting, why I’m in this individual period, why I’m in this team period, and what I want to get better at, and what specifically I’m working on. To be here now is an important mindset and just get caught up in the routine of week one, week two, week three, and also just getting caught up in what happened in the last game and what could possibly happen in the next game. Just stay way focused in the moment and where improvement is at. I think it’s been a big push by all of us to be way intentional with our time. I think that’s No 1. Two would be play with an edge, I think we’ve already hinted at that. At the line of scrimmage we can improve. The edge is not after the snap. It’s not before the snap. It’s having a really violent start followed by a real violent finish. I think our line of scrimmage can improve with a better edge if we practice that way.

(JT Daniels)
Really strong arm. There’s a command that when you watch it on tape it really jumps off the screen. There’s a poise that he has. He can throw deep down field or across the field and be on the money with it. I think his arm strength is elite. The offense has grown around him. There’s elements of tempo there, there’s a change of pace back, a viable tough back, and they’ve got a fair amount of receivers that go in and out. It’s a talented offense with him at the helm, and they will always be a threat to put up a lot of points.

(Injuries) Apu will be ready to play, he’s been practicing these past couple of days. Taye’s return is still a couple of weeks out, he’s having a harder time with it than maybe some of our others. We’re hoping to get him back soon. Khalil will practice today, and it will be good to have.

(Is defense hungry) It’s a good question. I feel us as coaches , we’re trying to do that right now. There’s an expectation, and when it’s not met, hey there should be something you feel in your gut. This is how you use it. Just because you use it during the week doesn’t mean it’s given to you on a game day. It’s up to us teach that.

(Coaching self-evaluation) I feel like I do that. I think it’s always better to have other people tell you if you’re doing it or not, because I think the blind spots are real. For me, the complacency part is hard. I don’t know, if you were to be a coach and you were to say my team is complacent, it sounds like a way negative thing. And I think, despite all the best efforts of all of it, and I think bigger picture we need to find better efforts, but I think talking about what’s real is way important. And I think there’s an element of kind of a waking up. Here’s the jersey number, here’s the play, here’s all of it. I know that you’re better than this, I know that there’s an edge to you, and getting that back. So, I think that’s been a big, big focus. When I look at me, I just see that with the staff. I think this came up the other day. But, I think whether it’s the youth of the team or kind of the complacency in all of that, as a coach, to use all that and use it when we’re not hitting the mark either way, or we’re not growing the way we think we should. Or, we’re thinking we’ve arrived when we haven’t done anything. It’s using those moments to teach and not to weaponize, because I think then you’re in a thing and you create another thing. I think there’s both sides of it, because I think players are going to want to see, ‘Here’s my perspective. Oh, there’s a whole other perspective. OK.’ And that whole thing is easier to admit when it’s being taught to you by someone that you trust, and knows that they care about you more as a person than a player. But then, I think for the coach, it’s like all the anxiety and all the other things. ‘You’re not the only that feels that, dude.’ Players feel that, too. So, it’s not just about putting it off, it’s about using it for good. The best criticism of the bad is the practice of the better. And I think it takes some intentionality to do that. We’re trying our best.

(Tough to see Josh Fleeks enter the transfer portal)
Yeah, I’m a big fan of Josh, and I want the best for him. You just see his growth. I remember, probably one of my first days in 2020, one of my first one-on-one meetings was with Josh. And just to see just how close he is to finishing off academically and just all the work that he’s put into it, and all the work that everyone here at Baylor has put into him, I think if you had your choice, you’d rather have all of it end here. But, I can understand and I see his view, and I wish him the best and want him to be able to finish with a degree, and I want him to be able to have the opportunities that he wants.

(Career day for Blake, what did you see from him during the bye week)
Very business-like. I think very into the details and into the energy of the team. I think as we go, from one week to the next, there is a growth in him and a more willingness and probably readiness to say what he feels. And I think that’s way important for us. So, I think that is becoming right now.

(Going into a bye week coming off a loss and needing a break or wanting to go into it with momentum)
I think when you go in off of a loss, you really have to kind of sit in it. And I think it really makes you see kind of the parts and the places and the things that you would otherwise choose not to see. So, I think that’s all good. I think using it for the good is the other big issue. So, I think one, taking the time to be in the moment and really see the ugly things and see the things that need fixing, which is true everywhere, not just for us. But, to really hone in on that, and then to correct it, to teach it and to do it in a way that holds the integrity with the people you’re working with and builds them up as opposed to tearing them down. That’s a whole other (thing). So, that’s been us the last couple days. So, I’m proud of how we’ve approached it.

(On Christian making plays the last couple weeks, is he kind of coming)
Yeah, I think so. I just had a talk with him today. I’m excited to see his energy and his confidence. I think that’s probably something that has been missing in our back end is just the confidence to do that. We have a red-zone lockout drill, and there’s a scoring system, and it’s (offense) versus (defense). If the O scores, it’s these points; if the defense keeps them out, it’s these points. A field goal is this points for the offense, this points for the defense. So, you try to get to a certain number and who wins. So, this was Thursday, we’re practicing, and Christian is out there and makes a big play. The ball is on like the 2 or something, and the offense is trying to go in, I think it’s second down. And Christian makes a big play on the far end, away from the defense. The defense is kind of dead on that side. And he kind of gets them up, and all of a sudden, they’re just way loud and energetic and all that. And I think that’s exactly what we need. So, I think the ability to inspire and do all of it the right way, and not making stuff personal in terms of motivating guys and all that, but in terms of still being yourself, though, I think it’s way key for him. But, excited about his play. There’s been a great improvement. Excited for what’s next for him.


(Do you think there's more pressure coming into these big fall games subsequently after that loss; Trying to get back to Jerry World)
No, I appreciate that. I would say no. And I think probably what makes up some of the question – and I can understand the question – and I think it's probably good that we're talking about this here, is that I think that is part of the issue for me where it's, I have to do a better job of dealing with what's real and working to build up a team and whether it's the youth that ‘Hey, we've got to be able to get through a drill or a team period or practice or day just being where we need to be, doing what we need to be doing. And no pointing fingers, complaining, any of these other things.’ And then some of the older vets … last year doesn't have anything to do with this year. What is on tape this year is real. What's in your mind from last year, some previous other thing – right now is not real, right? And so, you want to see real stuff, put it on tape. And so, I think those are kind of the mindsets and I would say all of that is right in front of us and is real. And I think the expectations and all these other things can kind of cloud that picture. I don't know if I'm making sense. And so, I think it's very much an issue of kind of where we're looking and how we're taking in information. And so, we're hopeful that we can kind of stay [on] the path.

(What do you see from WVU defense)
Really active defensive lineman. Physical, they move them around. I think they are multiple. And so they'll get in different fronts with their linebackers, similar to Oklahoma State to a degree. I think they play a lot of quarters coverage. So, their safeties are involved in the run as well. And then they'll pressure, so they'll bring different patterns and blitzes and things to get negative plays. And so I think it's a matter of, if you're working combos in the run game, it's difficult because this linebacker could plug this front, this three technique could slant, right? This secondary guy could rush off the edge. And so it's if and or buts, right, in terms of rules. And so, to make it to where you’re real simple and can run off the ball and can take the incoming and push it the other way, I think is way key. And it's a challenge with them. They do a great job with it.

(What do you see confidence wise from the secondary?)
I think they’re growing, and I think sometimes when you're learning the position and all the details of it, I think sometimes your focus can be, “I just want to get my day right. I want to get this play right. I want to get – this check is coming up today. I want to get this right. I want to get this man coverage right.” And we're so worried about the internal, which I think is good. But then there's almost a lack of – whether it's giving energy or it's any type of praise to the outside and so it's kind of a self, almost like a siloed thing. I was probably that way when I first started in this job, I was like that. So, I think for anyone that's new as you're learning, that's generally the thing. “I'm just worried about messing me up.” But then as you grow, I think there's a broader perspective and you can see all the connections and you could see how you play a part in a bigger hole. And then at that point, the energy can now move out, as it should. And I think Christian’s at that spot, we got a few of the younger guys that are not there yet.

(On Monaray’s speed)
I think he jumps off the screen. People have to gameplan [for] him. And so there's mismatches that you'll try to find by formation, and by down and distance and things, where you try to be able to get that speed on maybe something that's not as fast. But then I think the other piece too, is that defensively, there'll be some form of history and some trail of evidence of, “Hey, when we've dealt with something like this before we've done this, we've doubled it, we've clouded it. We've tried to reroute it. We've .. whatever it is.” And so then you use that and then build around it to attack the other outer pieces. And so, it's a really good starting point to use to try [to] score some points.

(On Reese NIL deal, role for WVU)
Yeah. Excited for him. I think a lot of stuff is happening for him fast and it’s all stuff that's earned. And he's got such a great smile about him and genuineness and really there's almost an innocence there. You probably would not like that word. But you can't help but root for him. He's got two great parents at home. Keeps him grounded. And yeah, I think it's cool that there's some opportunities coming his way.

Then I think, our ability to run the ball, fall forward on offense is something that can use a lot of improvement from the last game that we had. I thought similarly to one of the very first questions was the O-line and kind of where it's at. I think the end result of it is, are we moving the pile forward, right? Or are we stagnant or are we moving back? And so, we want to be able to move it forward. And when we're at our best, that's the case. And so, I think he definitely plays a part in that. But I think as a collective whole, that's the goal for this one, is to improve the physicality and the finish in the run game.

By Kevin Lonnquist
Publisher
The Bears travel to a place – Milan Puskar Stadium – where they have never won. Since joining the Big 12 in 2012, Baylor has made five trips to Morgantown, WV.

But Baylor also catches a team in West Virginia that is struggling. The Mountaineers are coming off a brutal 38-20 loss a Texas in which they were never in that game.

Now, a look at the Mountaineers including a Q&A with Keenan Cummings of our West Virginia Rivals affiliate, WVSportsDotCom.

Opponent:
Head Coach: Neal Brown (19-21, 4th season at West Virginia, 54-37 8th season overall)
2022 Record: 2-3; lost to Pittsburgh, 38-31, lost to Kansas, 55-42 (OT), d. Towson, 65-7, d. Virginia Tech, 33-10, lost to Texas, 38-20
Record vs. Baylor: West Virginia leads 6-4
Returning Starters: 7 offense, 4 defense
Key Returners: WR Bryce Ford-Wheaton, OL Zach Frazier, DL Dante Stills, DB Charles Woods
Common Denominator: Five of the 10 meetings have been decided by one score.
Offensive Formation: One-back
Defensive Formation: 4-2-5

About West Virginia on Offense: Georgia QB transfer JT Daniels has been exactly what this offense has needed. He’s thrown for 1,209 yards along with eight TD tosses and completed 64 percent of his attempts. Daniels has developed a nice chemistry with Ford-Wheaton with 35 connections for 412 yards and four scores. Sam James (305 yards, 2 TD) has been steady throughout his career and been a steady No. 2. The running game looks a little different with leading rusher CJ Donaldson (389 yards) out with a concussion. But both Tony Mathis Jr. (296) and Justin Johnson (197) have been steady.

About West Virginia on Defense: On paper, the Mountaineers have been solid overall allowing just 100 rushing yards and 230 passing yards per game. They also have 11 sacks led by all-Big 12 defensive lineman Dante Stills 2.5. But what this unit doesn’t do well is create turnovers and get off the field. The Mountaineers have created just three and opponents are converting at 43 percent on that important down. Linebacker Lee Kpogba leads the team with 31 tackles.

About West Virginia on Special Teams: PK Casey Legg has been perfect this year…literally. He's made all 19 PATs and is 8-8 on field goals. But he hasn’t attempted anything from beyond 40 yards. Oliver Straw is the punter and just been OK at 39.9 yards per effort. Reese Smith is the primary punt returner. Jeremiah Aaron is the primary kick returner. The Mountaineers don’t have a return for a touchdown but surrendered a KOR TD against Towson.

Bottom Line: The Mountaineers aren’t flashy. That might their problem. They aren’t an explosive team. While they had some hard luck in the first two games against Pitt and Kansas, they were not competitive against Texas. How they come out and play this one against Baylor could determine where they want this season to.

Q&A with Keenan Cummings

1. Obviously, it's a pretty tough start for the Mountaineers and the speculation over Neal Brown's status is there. To what extent has that been a distraction or not one for this team?
KC: It’s not a distraction yet. There is no doubt that did the first time under Brown’s tenure there are certainly some noticeable grumbles from the fan base. The Mountaineers are 2-3 and could easily be 4-1 but many of the same issues that have plagued this team over the past four years have cropped up. This is a golden opportunity at home for West Virginia and while it wouldn’t erase the start it surely would help matters.

2. Has JT Daniels been as advertised at QB for the Mountaineers or how would you describe his season to this point?
KC: Daniels has played well. He has certainly been an upgrade over what the program has had the past few years when it comes to simply throwing the football and understanding how to get the offense in the right position. He has not stretched the field as much as some would like but he has been accurate and not turned the ball over for the most part. He has a lot of ability and the offensive line has kept him up right.

3. Losing RB CJ Donaldson really hurts the running game I would imagine. What's the plan for the running game in this one against the Bears?
KC: West Virginia has used three running backs all season so it should basically become a two man committee with Donaldson out of the fold. Tony Mathis and Justin Johnson will see plenty of work and while both have some impressive performances neither are the physical load that Donaldson can be. It will be a ding to the run game, but how much is going to depend on what the offense is able to do against that Baylor defensive front.

4. Looks like Dante Stills is having another great season. But it doesn't look like this team doesn't force any turnovers. What has the defensive play been like to this point?
KC: Exactly how you describe it. They have had moments but the team just hasn’t shown the ability to force turnovers or make big plays. They are very strong up front but the back end has been a major question mark for a lot of different reasons. There’s a lot of new faces there and they’ve struggle with simple things such as alignment and assignment. The Mountaineers have tried a lot of different bodies back there and the play must improve.

5. Anyone on this team that has come out of nowhere to be a major contributor?
KC: Donaldson would be the pick but he will obviously miss the game. He is a true freshman that was recruited as a tight end and is the leading rusher for the Mountaineers.

6. What do the Mountaineers have to do to pick up this win on Thursday and is this a make-or-break for Brown?
KC: West Virginia has to be able to run the football and stop the run. When they’ve done that this season they’ve generally had success, but they can’t allow Baylor to big play them either. The Mountaineers gave up 11 big passing plays against Texas and several of those had no defender even close to the play. I’m not going to say this is a back breaker if Brown can’t win this game due to a $20 million buyout but the groans are only going to continue to get louder.

Current Big 12 Standings. Still no common opponents. Oklahoma and Iowa State are, for all practical purposes, out of it. They're both three games behind Kansas State and have a loss to them. KSU would have to end at 5-4 and they both go undefeated to move ahead of them. To get the second slot is mathematically possible, but practically, both those teams look dead in the water.
Oklahoma went from ranked 9th in the first week AP poll to looking like Rice against Texas. That 49-0 murder was not as close as the score indicates. If it had been a six man game, they would have invoked the mercy rule. The second half could have been played with a running clock.
It was the worst loss in Oklahoma history. It took them over an hour to show up for the post game presser. The losing team usually goes first to allow the winning team time for the trophy presentation.
The other three Big 12 games this weekend included two that went to the wire, and Texas Tech put up a good fight against Oklahoma State.
Baylor's the only team to score more than 14 points against Iowa State, so their defense has been pretty good. However, the Cyclones have only scored one touchdown in the last two games.
There's not a super team in the conference. Oklahoma State has looked solid.
Kansas State and Texas Tech are off this week. Baylor plays Thursday. TCU goes into their second straight showdown week against an undefeated team, taking on Oklahoma State. The frogs are a 3.5 favorite at home.
Kansas visits Oklahoma. Is this a mirage, or could Kansas blow out Oklahoma at home?
You can't win a conference championship in October, but you can lose one.



With Baylor off this week, here are some highlights from Nebraska-Rutgers.



Outside of the B12, Alabama dropped to third in the polls. They're coming off of a tougher than expected game against A&M, and are going to Tennessee. Neyland Stadium seats 102,000 people and is sold out. Bryce Young was out against A&M. The Tide is still a 7 1/2 point favorite, but this could be a game to watch.

Houston scored four touchdowns in the 4th quarter to edge out Memphis, 33-32. They scored two touchdowns in the final 1:17, which included recovering an onside kick.

I saw something at the Crawford-Marlin game that was a first for me. If you aren't aware, Texas is having a hard time getting referees for high school football games, and Marlin already had to move their game with Mart from Friday to Thursday and play in Mart, even though the game was scheduled to be played in Marlin, because they couldn't get a referee crew. Anyway, Crawford went up three scores. Marlin scored and went for two. The receiver dropped the ball in the end zone. The rest happened across the field, but the Marlin superintendent came out on the field and started arguing with the referee. There wasn't anybody from Crawford within 20 yards (I cover Crawford) so, I wasn't worried about it. Next, a flag hits the ground. Then, another flag hits the turf. Then, the referees hat hits the turf. Then, the referee points and they kicked the Marlin superintendent out of the stadium. Marlin had to kick off from their own five yard line. They kicked it out of bounds, and had to kick off from their 2 1/2, It got returned for a touchdown. I see now why Marlin has trouble getting referee crews.

Superintendents can't act like that.

Kevin's been remarkably restrained with the Vikings winning and Green Bay losing today. I don't think he's ready to buy a Kirk Cousins jersey, yet, but he has to be happy with the season so far.

By Kevin Lonnquist
Publisher
Each week, Big 12 coaches have their weekly meetings with the media at their press conferences during the college football season. Baylor head coach Dave Aranda’s comments have already been posted. Rankings are from the AP Poll. Here are some highlights elsewhere in the league. Quotes and notes are taken from those pressers if not specified elsewhere. All games are Saturday unless otherwise noted.

Neal Brown, West Virginia – The Mountaineers (2-3, 0-2) play host to Baylor: The Mountaineers will be missing several for the game against the Bears. Along with RB C.J. Donaldson (concussion), defensive back Charles Woods (knee) is out for “at least a week” Brown said. Tight end Mike O’Laughlin appears to have a knee injury and may be a gametime decision. Donaldson is this team’s leading rusher at 389 yards and 6.9 yards per carry. O’Laughlin is the leading pass catcher among tight ends.

Lance Leipold, Kansas – The No. 19 Jayhawks (5-0, 2-0) play at Oklahoma: The status of starting QB Jalon Daniels is up in the air for Saturday. He injured his shoulder Saturday against TCU in the 38-31. "It's a shoulder it’s still under evaluation. I'm sure the next whatever 48 hours will help us to go from there." Backup Jason Bean threw for 262 yards and two touchdowns. "Very, very impressed but again, not surprised. Because you're here all the time and we've talked about how well he's played. So that's exactly what I told him right before we went back out. I said you've played well, you've prepared well, you've handled the situation extremely well. Now go out and play. I didn’t see his numbers yet. But yeah, I thought he did a nice job."

Brent Venables, Oklahoma – The Sooners (3-2, 0-3): The Sooners play host to Kansas: While QB Dillon Gabriel is still in the concussion protocol and his status for Kansas is unclear, Venables assessed the historic 49-0 rout to Texas. "I think you hit it on the head. When you are a competitor and you are used to success, whether it is this game or any game, there is a standard of performance that you are used to fighting and competing for every day. When you come up short as a coach or team, it is incredibly disappointing as you would expect. Shocked? Nothing shocks me. This game will punish you when you don't do all kinds of different things."

Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State – The No. 8 Cowboys (5-0, 2-0) play at TCU: Gundy assessed facing TCU’s explosive offense. “Well, this team’s good on offense. I mean, they’re throwing the deep ball really well. The quarterback has come into this own in the last three or four weeks. He’s experienced now, I think this is what, his third year maybe? He’s been around a while. Playing well. You know, they’re averaging 6.6 (yards per) rush. The running backs are averaging over eight yards a carry and then he’s throwing the deep ball really well. And he can run. I don’t know that we have maybe one or two guys on the field on defense that can catch him.

Chris Klieman, Kansas State – The No. 17 Wildcats (5-1, 3-0) have a bye: The Wildcats have won Big 12 games by scoring 41 and 10 points. Klieman is good with either. "It's fun to be able to have these team wins. Whether it's your offense, one week, defense, one week, a special teams play. And those kids care for each other and love each other in that locker room. And it's fun to be around those guys because it's a special group and they know that they have a chance to have a special season with the expectations that we have but we also know how hard it is. This could have come down and could have lost it same as the week before. It's just that's the way the Big 12 is right now."

Matt Campbell, Iowa State – The Cyclones (3-3, 0-3) play at Texas: Trying to find the right way to play is something that is escaping this team. “More inconsistency, I mean, of the whole operation,’’ Campbell said. “You’ve got some false starts in critical moments. Just young players that are playing inconsistently at times, and when all those things come together they create an inconsistent offense and that is what we are seeing. You still see some ‘A’ players making ‘A’ plays, but we are not as consistent as we need to be to win football games right now.”

Joey McGuire, Texas Tech – The Red Raiders (3-3, 1-2) have a bye: The QB situation for Oct. 22 against West Virginia is a bit clouded. Behren Morton played most of the game. Donovan Smith has had some success. Tyler Shough appears to be ready to return. "Well, I hope we get to play all three of them against West Virginia," McGuire said. "We've played all three quarterbacks this year. There's only been one game that we haven't played two quarterbacks."

Sonny Dykes, TCU – The No. 13 Horned Frogs (5-0, 2-0) play host to Oklahoma State: Wide receiver Quinton Johnston is having an All-Big 12 season. He caught 14 passes for 206 including the game winner against Kansas. "We had a plan from the end of the last game until now and that was to play fast," Johnston said. "As receivers, we've got to get the ball and get as many yards up the field. I wouldn't say that was the best of our ability, but we did enough to win.
"It's all a mindset. If you love football, you're going to go get it every single day."

Steve Sarkisian, Texas – The No. 22 Longhorns (4-2, 2-1) play host to Iowa State: While the 49-0 rout of Oklahoma felt great, the Longhorns know they will face a better defense in Iowa State. One that shut them down last year in Ames, 30-7 and is playing very well despite the 0-3 league record. But there is some confidence with the offense now that Quinn Ewers has returned. “From a team perspective, I think our players have a little better understanding of what we're trying to do and why we're trying to do what we're doing,” Sarkisian said. “Ultimately, I think it's lending itself to a little better execution, but those two things tied together, hopefully, we perform better than we did a year ago, and we need to. These guys are a very good defensive football team.''

By Kevin Lonnquist
Publisher
Baylor center Jacob Gall, linebacker Bryson Jackson and running back Qualan Jones met with the media to discuss Thursday night's game at West Virginia.

Jacob Gall
(The mindset, going back on the road, hostile environment) Obviously, a good team, really good environment there. We know how loud it’s going to be. We practice for that kind of stuff. Thursday night, there’s going to be a little different stimulus that way, too, just schedule-wise. But, I think the guys are refreshed from the smaller bye week. We’re definitely refreshed and ready to go, ready to finish the season.

(What was the message coming out of the Okie State game) Yeah, I don’t think we played bad, and I don’t think anybody would say we played bad. I think the difference between a good team and a bad team is probably five to 10 plays, and that was kind of the difference for us. And when you play a good team like that, you’ve got to be on your stuff for those five to 10 plays that you know are going to be a hard down.

(Is the preparation for Morgantown similar to what you saw at Provo) Yeah, going to Provo was great preparation for this game and for the rest of the season, because we know all the hostile, away environments we’re going to be in. And I think that’s got to be one of the best in the nation with how crazy those fans were and how loud that place was and that being their first game of the season. And I think it’s only going to make us better. It’s going to make us more prepared and more clean with things like that.

(Do differently than what you did at BYU) I think just getting better and just focusing on some of the little details, things like that. Something that can kind of jump out on you in Game 2 that we have jump out at us in Game 6.

(In the self-evaluation, what stood out to you about the offense or OL) Yeah, there’s just little things that we look at and we want to fix and just re-emphasize, just straining on every single play, effort, and then just dialing in on more details that we really don’t have time to get into on a regular weekly basis. So, in the bye week, we’re able to look at more little things like little steps, little giveaways, things like that. So, we really focus on those things a lot.

(Staying in the routine with a Thursday game) The coaches do a really good job of keeping the schedule pretty strict in how we do things. We didn’t change one thing. Like today could be a Tuesday, and it’s got to be exactly the same, really don’t change anything. I’ve been around the block a couple times, so I know. But, I think guys are definitely focused with this schedule kind of being the same. So, I think it helps a lot.

(What do you see in West Virginia) They play hard, they’re a good team. I think we can see over the past couple weeks, there are no bad teams in this league, everybody’s good. I think top to bottom, this is the best league in the country. They’re a really good team, they play well at home. And I think we’ve got to be ready for that.

(On WVU DT Dante Stills) He’s a great player. He’s certainly one of the best in the league, probably one of the best in the country.

(Evaluation of the offensive line) I like where we’re at. I don’t think there’s anything glaring, any huge problems. There are just little details that we can fix. And I think that comes with a little bit of time. We weren’t a perfect team to start last year, and we’re obviously not perfect getting started this year. So, I think it’s just nailing those details down and getting better each week and kind of figuring ourselves out.

(On getting the running backs to fall forward) A lot of that is not just the running backs. That’s the offensive line’s job. If we get a defensive lineman on his heels and we’re pushing them back, it’s a lot harder for them to push our running backs back or tackling them backwards, or any linebacker and things like that. So, I think just doing our part as an offensive line is really going to help those running backs really figure that out, too.

(On Christian Morgan) Yeah, Christian’s a high-energy guy, plays hard. I think just his confidence and everything out on the field and really kind of, I guess, owning his part in the defense. I think he’s just a great energy for the defense.


Bryson Jackson
(Message going into this week, another tough game on the road) For us, I think this is just an opportunity to just get better as a program and as a unit. We want to use this week and these past couple of weeks as a stepping stone for us to take. We definitely needed that from the start, and I think just kind of refining ourselves and getting back to who we really are, are pretty much our main focus for this game coming up.

(You had to sit with the loss, but was this good to take a break and evaluate where you need to improve) Yes, of course. For the things that have showed up early in the season, has given us an opportunity to pretty much get on early. I think facing adversity, it’s a perfect time, especially when it happens early. So, you have time to kind of evaluate and self-reflect and figure out what road and what steps we’re going to take to become the team that we actually want to be and the ones that we set out to be for the season. So, the bye week and the early adversity, those are the big things for our unit and our team, especially with the maturity that we have. We’ve got a lot of young guys and we’ve got a lot of older guys that have been through it. So, we want to get everybody on the same page and we get our focus and our intentionality as far as when it comes to playing in games and the big games.

(Anything on defense that you didn’t notice until you had a chance to sit back and reflect on things this week) As far as defensively, as a unit, we just want to become a fast and violent team. And I think showing that throughout the game, from the first quarter, second quarter, third quarter and fourth quarter, those things are hard. So, you’ve got to learn how to play with your brothers. For us as a unit, we’ve got a lot of things like communication that we’ve got to focus on and a lot of different defenses and stuff that we’ve got to focus on. It’s very important that we establish the violence that we’ve been showing in the spring and showing in fall camp, and those are the things that who we really are. So, just sitting back and reevaluating who we are, I think we had an opportunity to go out there and practice this week, and we established our speed and our intentionality as far as defensive play.

(Five Big 12 teams are in the top 25, what’s your thoughts on how competitive the league has been) Oh yeah, I think it’s competitive from the start. We knew that coming into the season. Everybody knows that. But for us, we have to pretty much battle ourselves each game. So, I think that’s kind of our main focus. And we are sticking to that. Who we are as a unit is more important than what’s out in front of us. So, we’ve got to make sure that we have our stuff held together. And we’ve got to make sure that we get better and not beat ourselves in games. So, it’s very competitive. But if we do what we’ve to do as a unit and as a team offensively and defensively, and play complementary football, we’ll be able to beat anybody that we face each week.

(On WV QB JT Daniels) He’s a patient quarterback, so he’s able to see the offense and get the ball to his key players. I think he’s really good at that and sitting in the pocket and making great decisions. So, pretty excited to go up against him and get ready for that battle. I feel like he’s an intelligent player and just as far as his passing, and we’re going to get after him.

(Do y’all take it personally when a team scores over 30 points?)
Oh, yes, we take it personally if somebody even scores a touchdown on us. So, the focus is pretty much, we want to win the running game. We want to win the passing game, and we don't want nobody getting any yards on us. So, for us, if the [opposing] team gets over 80 yards running, that's something that we got to figure out within ourselves because that's something that we want to stop and we don't want anybody to get any positive yards on us as far as the run game and the passing game.

(On Christian Morgan)
He brings energy, he brings edge. He's very intelligent. So he's had a lot of experience. And I think that he's a great leader in that sense. So, as far as our secondary, we need that maturity, we need that experience. So he definitely brings that X factor to it. And he gets better every day. So, from the bye week and to where we're at now, this week going into the game, I think that he's made significant improvements on himself and in areas that he feels like he needs to get better at. So that's gonna be a big thing heading into this game. And we've seen a lot of great plays out of him, so we're hoping to get as much as we can throughout the season.

(Is the jackers and robbers mantra at the point it should be?)
The jackers and robbers is something that we want to make as our identity. So, I think that our main focus in these practices has been to pretty much get the ball out and take the ball away. Now, if you go into a game, if you're getting more turnovers than the team you're playing, then your percentage of winning is a lot more higher. So definitely, it's an important factor on our defense. And I think that going into this game is going to be the game for us to pretty much establish that this is something serious and we're focused and bought in to doing what we got to do to make sure we get the most turnovers throughout the season.

(Has the routine been shaken up a bit or is it a normal week?)
For the past couple of weeks, our focus was that we wanted to change up practice and just get a different scenery. I think in the season for everybody, it kind of gets – the same thing happens each week – the same routine and players sometimes fall into that trap of doing the same thing over and over again. And sometimes you might like energy or edge, as far as practice play and game play. So, we changed up a lot of our practice and moved things around. So, I think the guys were excited [about] handling that, and we handled it with perfect poise. So, for us, this is just going to be a game because we're going to a different environment. And the fact that we were able to prepare for it, just having the bye week in this week right here was very important and I think our team got a lot better.

(Did the Provo and Ames road trips help you prepare for this one?)
Yes, those two road games that we played with Iowa State and BYU, those were games that had tons of energy. So, I think that the way we handle it as far as traveling and having pretty much all the fans and players going against us, those are the things that help prepare us for any fight that we have coming up. But definitely just being able to feed off the energy. I think that's incredible for us as a unit that we were able to take that in and understand it for that. So, going into the next hostile environments that we have, we got to feed off their crowds' energy. And that can be fun, and if you fall into the trap of not feeding off the energy, then it can be a bad loss.

Qualan Jones
(Where do you fit in with the running backs?)
The place I fit in, in the running back room, is really – they look at me as like a protection back. So, I've been getting in on protections and stuff like that. And then, they try to mix it up to where we play teams, they see me come in, and they don’t want to be like, ‘Oh, he’s gonna pass or whatever.’ So, they try to stick a couple of runs in there. And so, basically like a protection back.

(How important is it to have multiple backs that can get it done?)
It’s very important because at tough times we’re going to have to look at it like, to be like a fourth-and-two, we trust him [Richard Reese], you know he’s going to be decisive, you know he’s going to get the first down. We got other backs, put in position to where like me, on your third down, need a big pass play or whatever, come in for protection, they throw me in. I get the protection down. And then we got the other backs to where like, they put us in good position to run the ball and stuff like that. Keep the chains moving.

(How are your bodies holding up?)
My body’s a little sore, but we stay in the training room. We get extra recovery. So, our bodies are pretty good.

(Falling forward, how do you feel about that attitude?)
Being in the running back room, we talk about always falling forward. We want to fall forward to stay ahead of the chains and we don't want to have loss of yards to where it puts us in a position to where we get confused on what we got to do or whatever. And just falling forward is what we need to do as running backs.

(On Taye McWilliams injuries)
It’s been very tough. Been with him, whatever like that. And you know, he's doing concussion stuff. Just been praying for him and can't wait to get him back in the [running back] room.

(What did you learn about playing on the road between Provo and Ames?)
The atmosphere was kind of crazy when we played there and whatever. And our coach has been telling us we have to bring energy. So, that's the big key thing that we [are] looking for to play in a hostile environment is just to bring energy and have everybody on the sideline encouraging the defense in tough times, encouraging the offense.

(What did you learn about yourself, what areas can the offense get better at?
Feel like we need to get better with the penalties and stuff like that. We don't want to have penalties to set us back. We talked about bringing energy. We need to bring energy, start fast, and play green.

(What do you see from WVU’s defense?)
I feel like they’re a competitive team. I feel like the up-four, the D-line, they’re very physical, so it's gonna be a competitive game all four quarters.

It must be because half the stories and threads on Rivals are about AOL and some problem they're having at the moment.

By Kevin Lonnquist
Publisher
Does Barry Manilow know that you rate his wardrobe?

Don’t mess with the bull, you’ll get the horns!

I wear the required uniform…Tights!

By now, you know what 80s movie these lines are connected to…1985’s The Breakfast Club.

Signature members of The Brat Pack – Emilio Esteves, Judd Nelson, Anthony Michael Hall, Ally Sheedy and Molly Ringwald – spent a Saturday in detention for whatever offense they committed in school. Through their introspection, they had a lot more in common than they thought.

And since this was a John Hughes Film, it followed the format of every John Hughes film. It was filmed in suburban Chicago.

But the reason the RJB sets up this week’s tour through the 80s is because of the closing theme, “Don’t you (Forget about me)” from Simple Minds is the memorable song from the film. You can’t think of one without the other.

The interesting thing about this piece is that several notable acts were offered the song and turned it down. That included Billy Idol.

Well, the Scottish band wound up delivering their signature song. It went to No. 1 in the United States.

As always, watch and listen or just listen to this week’s walk through the decade of excess.

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****
It was fun being a college football fan on Saturday just channel surfing from game to game to see what was going across the college football world.

However, going through the world of social media following the conclusion of a game, I had a mind to check in on the accounts of those teams who lost. Here’s what I learned.

1. ”Loyal” fans of fill in the blank number of years renounced their loyalty.

2. Their sorrow became a transitive property because their family cried similar tears since their teams lost for the first time in school history.

3. Something like a shoe or beer bottle or coffee table decoration was thrown at the television in anger thereby destroying it.

I laughed in amusement especially at the TV undeservedly getting the brunt of the frustration. I came to these conclusions.

1. These “loyal” fans are just Twitter bots or bored people in desperate need of attention and have no connection to that school. It’s probably a little bit of both. The more I surfed throughout the day, the more I read the same scripted tweet with insert school here.

2. If these really were loyal fans, for them to bail over one game is weak sauce. I’m an SMU alum. I went to Houston 95, SMU 21 in 1989 in the Astrodome.

3. I’m thinking that while we’re dealing with economic challenges, BestBuy, Wal-Mart or your favorite appliance stores were pretty busy on Sunday selling TVs. Anger helping the economic comeback.

****
OK, so now that we have that out of the way, here are my observations of where we are at with the Big 12.

>Oklahoma is terrible. It’s in total freefall. For the Sooners to be in the Big 12 basement is the most stunning development through the first six weeks of the season.

They weren’t even competitive against Texas in the Red River Shootout. When this team has the worst shutout loss in school history and pretty much gave up in the second half, Brent Venables might have more than he bargained for when he took this job.

With or without Dillon Gabriel (concussion) I really don’t know who the Sooners can beat in this league.

>Before we resuscitate Texas is Back talk, I will say that when you watch the Longhorns with Quinn Ewers at QB, they do look like a different team. They are more efficient. His release is quick. His arm is strong.

Now, Texas can be Texas, turn around and lay an egg at home Saturday against Iowa State and then everything shuts down after that. It’s a watch and see thing with them.

>I would say Iowa State is a really hard luck 0-3 Big 12 team. Cyclones have dropped all three of their league games by 11 points to Baylor, Kansas and Kansas State.

>TCU-Kansas was a great game. Really great game. Max Duggan is turning his career around and become more efficient and just a flat-out playmaker. I think you have to give more respect to the Jayhawks for the way they rallied.

They had two drives end deep in Horned Frog territory and lost their starting QB Jalon Daniels.

>Oklahoma State-Texas Tech very entertaining. While it was tied at 31, Tech QB Behren Morton’s INT late in the third quarter, gave the Cowboys the momentum they needed to pull out a 41-31 win. BTW, Morton is a great kid. He came to Baylor a couple of times during his recruiting time. I always liked talking to him.

Spencer Sanders wasn’t great but good enough to win the game.

The Cowboys have two interesting weeks coming up for them. They visit TCU Saturday then play host to Texas on Oct. 22. They could affirm themselves at the top or fall out of the running.

****
Now some national musings….
>No. 3 Alabama darn lucky to escape from Texas A&M, 24-20. I had to talk my Crimson Tide off the ledge late Saturday. JK but she was OMG, DAD!

But if you turn it over four times, you’re asking for it. For the year, the Crimson Tide is -7 in the turnover ratio. Very un-Saban like.

If you really watched this game, I understood what the Tide was trying to do with no Bryce Young at QB. Let a really good running game lead the way and allow the pup QB Jalen Milroe make safe throws to win the game.

I think Saban gambled holding out Young to get him ready for the third Saturday in October. It paid off with two yards to spare.

Alabama did that. But turnovers are the equalizer. They take care of the ball, they manhandle the Aggies. A&M couldn’t cross it’s 40 when the game was played straight up.

>Tennessee is very good. That was a major beatdown at LSU. The No. 6 Volunteers can win the SEC East. If they beat Alabama in Knoxville Saturday, they have a lot of confidence going into the remainder of the season.

Rocky Top plays at Georgia on Nov. 5.

>No. 2 Ohio State might be playing the best of anyone in the country. Buckeyes are just blowing out everyone they play. While they trailed in the opener against Notre Dame, they wound up winning by 11 (21-10). Since then, their margin of victories are 33, 56, 31, 39 and 29.

QB C.J. Stroud has to be considered the frontrunner for the Heisman Trophy. He’s been phenomenal thus far.

>The team that might be pretty good that no one wants to talk about that much? Take a look at No. 11 UCLA. While Lincoln Riley and USC are getting the lions share of the coverage, Chip Kelly’s Bruins just knocked off two ranked teams – Washington and Utah – at the Rose Bowl over the last two weeks.

Watch QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson (called DTR). He can sling it and is a playmaker. A Heisman dark horse.


****
Plenty of Baylor-West Virginia coverage coming up in advance to Thursday’s game in Morgantown. Again, there is no blitz on Friday.

****
now, a look at other Baylor sports…

>Baylor men's golf finished off a 23-under 841 on Tuesday to secure a third-place finish at the Trinity Forest Invitational.

Luke Dossey, Tyler Isenhart and Johnny Keefer shot 3-under 69's to lead BU to its best 54-hole stroke-play tournament since a second-place finish at the Arizona Intercollegiate in January of 2020.

The Bears will compete in the Big 12 Match Play Oct. 17-19 at the Golf Club at Houston Oaks in Hockley, Texas.

>Baylor women's tennis went a combined 4-2 over six matches during the final day of the H-E-B Invite, hosted at the Hurd Tennis Center on Sunday.

Baylor saw Paula Barañano and Brooke Thompson each claim singles wins, with Barañano posting a win over No. 96 Elza Tomase from Tennessee, 6-4, 3-6, 10-7. Thompson, a native of Oklahoma City, Okla., posted a win over Susanna Brass from Texas, 7-6, 2-6, 10-0

>The 17th-ranked Baylor volleyball squad took the match against West Virginia in straight sets in Morgantown on Saturday, winning 3-0. That followed a grueling 5-set victory over Oklahoma this past Wednesday the Ferrell Center.

The Bears (14-3, 4-1) had the Mountaineers (6-11, 0-5) from the beginning, though West Virginia made a strong push in the third set. BU won 25-12, 25-9, 25-23 over WVU in the WVU Coliseum.

Senior Kara McGhee had a double-double in the match, recording 10 blocks (three solo, seven assisted) and 10 kills. Both Lauren Harrison and McGhee each had 10 kills with one error each.

>Baylor soccer defeated Kansas, 3-2, Thursday night at Betty Lou Mays Field with a thrilling 90th minute goal. The Bears came back from a 2-1 deficit to topple Kansas.

However, the Lady Bears lost to Kansas State, 2-1, on Sunday at home. The Bears are now 3-7-2 on the season and 1-3-0 in conference play.

Baylor is on the road for the next two matches. They travel to Iowa State Thursday and then West Virginia on Sunday.



Let’s make it a great week!

Homecoming in the morning. FYI - I have some family coming into town for that weekend. I will not be there. However, Stephen will be there. But I have someone who will cover it the game for us. You won't miss a beat.

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He did indeed return to the lineup last week. That's good.
He will also be presented his All-American Jersey Monday Morning at 11:30 am

This is for the US Army All-American game Jan, 7, 2023 in San Antonio.

@jbhouse picked up his first weekly win of the season, with a respectable 7-3 score. @kentowens also went 7-3, and missed the point spread by two more points. @Nelson6 was the only one to pick TCU over OU.
As always, make sure I recorded everything for you correctly. This season has been so odd, each week is an adventure.



With Baylor taking the week off, we're moving the annual tilt between Texas and Oklahoma at the Cotton Bowl to be the point spread tiebreaker.
All games Saturday, October 8.
Rankings are based off previous polls. Will update this evening.

Big 12 Games
Texas (3-2, 1-1) vs Oklahoma (3-2, 0-2) at the Cotton Bowl
TCU (4-0, 1-0) @ Kansas (5-0, 2-0)
Texas Tech (3-2, 1-1) @ #9 Oklahoma State (4-0, 1-0)
#25 Kansas State (4-1, 2-0) @ Iowa State (3-2, 0-2)

Other Games
#8 Tennessee (4-0, 1-0) @ LSU (4-1, 2-0)
#20 Arkansas (3-2, 1-2) @ Mississippi State (4-1, 1-1)
#12 Utah (4-1, 2-0) @ UCLA (5-0, 2-0)
#19 BYU (4-1) vs Notre Dame (2-2) at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas
Nebraska (2-3, 1-1) @ Rutgers (3-2, 0-2)
#23 Florida State (4-1, 2-1) @ #10 NC State (4-1, 0-1)

It was pretty tight between the top 4 schools.

IRVING, Texas- Iowa State was voted as the preseason favorite for the 2022-23 Big 12 women's basketball regular season title by the Conference's head coaches. The Cyclones sit atop the Big 12 Preseason Poll for the first time since the 2000-01 season and the third time in program history.

The Cyclones edged out Texas, the winner of the 2022 Phillips 66 Big 12 Women's Basketball Championship, by just one point in the poll, as the teams each received four first-place votes. Oklahoma and 2022 Big 12 regular season champion Baylor each received one first-place vote. The Sooners ranked third in the poll, followed by Baylor in fourth. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team.

Kansas and Kansas State, who each snapped an NCAA Tournament drought in 2022, checked in at fifth and sixth place, respectively. Texas Tech was picked seventh, followed by West Virginia in eighth, Oklahoma State in ninth and TCU in 10th place.

The 2022-23 season begins on Monday, November 7 with seven Big 12 teams hosting non-conference games. Conference play begins on Saturday, December 31 with all 10 teams in action. Big 12 head coaches and select players will appear at the Big 12 Basketball Tipoff, presented by Old Trapper on Tuesday, October 18. The media event will be available on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ from Noon-5 p.m. CT. Commissioner Brett Yormark will lead off the interviews at noon.

2022-23 Big 12 Women's Basketball Preseason Poll

By Kevin Lonnquist
Publisher
Baylor headed to its bye week following a 36-25 loss at McLane Stadium to Oklahoma State. The Bears had their nine-game home winning streak snapped.

The Bears are 3-2 and 1-1 as they get 10 days before they travel to Morgantown, WV to face an embattled West Virginia squad.

So what was trending from a buying and selling mode? SicEmSports continues its new segment that began with the conference opener against Iowa State and runs through the rest of the season.

Buying: Monaray Baldwin
He’s a lot of fun with the ball in his hands as evidenced from the 70-yard catch and run for his second touchdown of the game. His Yards after Catch are pretty impressive. When he caught that TD pass he probably ran away from the defenders for the last 30 yards. Baldwin has big-play ability in him. He’s not ready to ascend to the throne of the alpha. Just has to keep grinding.

Selling: Special Teams
Yes, you can easily point to the gaffes on the two Oklahoma State kickoff returns in the second half that either were a touchdown or led to a touchdown. You can also get after Gavin Holmes for some poor decisions in the punt return game. They were rough. But when your punter is not used in obvious punting situations (see the 4th and 2 at the Baylor 33 in the middle of the third quarter), that’s disappointing. Issac Power is such a weapon. Use him! A punt is not a bad thing.

Buying: Penalties
After the nightmare in Provo, this is going in the right direction. Baylor isn’t beating itself. The Bears were only flagged twice for 10 yards against Oklahoma State. It’s been trending really well the last three games. Baylor was 5-55 against Texas State – not terrible – followed by 3-30 at Iowa State – very good. If you get beat because the other team beats you, that’s fine. If self-inflicted wounds lead to a loss, then there’s a lot more going on.

Selling: Defensive backs play
But a little of this is on the defensive front, which really must consistently apply the heat on the opposing QB to give this group a chance. That front hasn’t been the force like we anticipated. That leads to an inexperienced group sitting on an island. Still, there must be ownership. It didn’t sound good when Dave Aranda said in his postgame presser: “It’s almost like quicksand, you feel. Wherever you step, you’re going to get sunk in. So, that may be where we’re at a little bit. I think our ability to, ‘Hey, dude, you’ve got all the tools, you’ve got all the ability.’ One thing doesn’t affect the other thing. Let’s take the emotion out, let’s focus on what we can do better.”

Buying: The bye week
There has to be some hope of the things that were addressed with presumably the offensive line related to the running game, getting the defensive line to have a little more umph in it as well as helping the corners produce some good results. Fundamentals. Attention to details. Those items had to matter this week. If it shows up against West Virginia, that’s a positive start. Then it needs to continue with a couple of extra days to prepare for homecoming against Kansas. Win or lose, if West Virginia is a continuation of what’s been going on for the first five games, then it’s probably what you should expect for the remainder of the season. A team's personality and playing traits are really difficult to flip in the middle of the season. But there can be tweaks to stop the leaks.


Report Card: Offensive Line
Thanks to Rivals’ relationship with Pro Football Focus, each week we’ll share with you how Baylor’s offensive line graded from the previous week. This one comes following Oklahoma State. We’ll break it down from run blocking, pass blocking and overall in that order.

Grant Miller: 85.9 run, 84.8 pass = 83.2 overall
Jacob Gall: 78.8 run, 81.3 pass = 82.9 overall
Mose Jeffery: 64.7 run, 75.7 pass = 66.5 overall
Gavin Byers: 55.5 run, 63.0 pass = 59.0 overall
Micah Mazzccua: 91.9 run, 61.9 pass = 84.7 overall
Connor Galvin: 42.0 run, 27.3 pass = 37.2 overall

By Kevin Lonnquist
Publisher

The Topper
On Thursday Reese’s announced an NIL deal with college football players who share the same last name. And indeed Baylor RB Richard Reese cashed in. (PS – I’m kinda jealous because that candy bar is my kryptonite).

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Note: There will be no blitz next Friday (Oct. 14) since Baylor is playing Thursday at West Virginia.

Baylor visitor reaction
Baylor had a banner Saturday for hosting recruits for its game at McLane Stadium against Oklahoma State. Although the Bears lost, it didn’t detract from how those who attended felt about their experience. No recruits are close to committing at this time.

Login to view embedded media “The visit was great! The energy on campus was amazing. I really enjoyed the pregame in the recruiting lounge and getting to talk to coaches. They were excited to have everyone down for the game. The warm up energy before the game by the players was definitely something to watch. I have been watching Conner Galvin for a few years and seeing him in action was awesome! It was all business, but they were enjoying what they were doing. Wish the game had ended with Baylor on top!!

Chase Garnet, Keller Central, RB, 2025
“It was good I had a lot of fun I loved the energy there from the team fans and the coaches. I would most definitely visit there again. I’m about to play in a game right now so I might not respond for a little.”

Login to view embedded media “I had a great time in Waco it was a very eventful experience. I came up there in the summer and camped and got around the coach’s a little and this trip gave me a better look on everything in Waco.’’
Note: Baylor is recruiting him as a cornerback

Dane Jones, Pearland Shadow Creek, WR, 2025
"My experience at Baylor was good. I got to talk to the coaches again. They didn’t play the game they wanted to but it was just little mistakes they made that they could’ve won if they didn’t make those mistakes."

Login to view embedded media “It was a good experience being back in Waco to see the game and talk to the coaches.”

Login to view embedded media “I had good time at Baylor. Great hospitality and friendly staff”

Login to view embedded media “It was my third time at Baylor. I attended the spring game last spring and a camp this summer. I was looking forward to seeing the game day atmosphere and it didn’t disappoint. The fans was awesome. The Baylor players had great energy on the sideline. They was live the whole game.”

Login to view embedded media “Definitely a great experience.’’

Caleb Hackleman, Texarkana Pleasant Grove, OL, 2024
"It was great, loved the hospitality and the relationships I have with the Coaches."

Ryan Hughes, Katy, OL, 2024
“It was really good, pretty similar to my first one this year but the atmosphere was stronger because it was such a big game.”

Will Hammond, Hutto, QB, 2024
“It was awesome! I got to walk around campus before the game and then sit down and eat with all of the other recruits pregame. Got to talk with Coach Bell at the table as well. He is very genuine. There were lots of fans and the game environment was special. We sat front row on the 50 just behind the players benches and I enjoyed seeing the players on the sidelines interacting with each other and the coaching staff.”

Login to view embedded media “I enjoyed myself at the game Saturday. The coaches jumped out first because I was there the day after being injured (AC Joint) and they we more concerned about me. So it meant a lot to me and my mom. The atmosphere there was crazy I loved that.

Login to view embedded media “Was good. Great talks with coaches and they got to meet my family.’’


SicEmSports Big 12 Power Rankings
Each week, SicEmSports unveils its looks at the league who in its view deserves to be ranked where. Agree or disagree, here’s how they look.
1. Oklahoma State – Spencer Sanders earns his Baylor redemption
2. Kansas State – Adrian Martinez with a new lease on life
3. TCU – Beating OU is one thing, humiliating OU is another
4. Kansas — If you bet money GameDay was coming to Lawrence, KS.
5. Baylor – Much to look at over the bye week
6. Texas – Quinn Ewers returns
7. Texas Tech – Tough consecutive road trips; first KSU, now OSU
8. Oklahoma – Defense is bad coupled with QB chaos
9. Iowa State – Lost first two Big 12 games by 10 points
10. West Virginia – Neal Brown’s status returns to focus


Big 12 Weekend
A look at the Big 12 schedule for the upcoming weekend. All games are Saturday unless otherwise listed. Rankings are from the coaches and AP polls. All times are central. TV is listed. All 10 teams are in action. Baylor and West Virginia have byes.

No. 17 TCU (4-0, 1-0) at No. 19 Kansas (5-0, 1-0); 11:00 a.m., Memorial Stadium, Lawrence, KS (FS1)
Series: TCU leads, 25-9-4
Notable: Another sellout crowd for the Jayhawks. With a win, they become bowl eligible and would be the first Big 12 team to do that. TCU playing with a ton of confidence following its dominating 55-24 over Oklahoma. QB Max Duggan has been efficient.

Texas (3-2, 1-1) vs. Oklahoma (3-2, 0-2); 11:00 a.m., Cotton Bowl, Dallas (ABC)
Series: Texas leads, 62-50-5
Notable: Texas QB situation is now in the hands of Quinn Ewers. Longhorns are trying to break a four-game losing streak to the Sooners. It’s really up in the air who will start at QB for Oklahoma after Dillon Gabriel’s concussion last week.

Texas Tech (3-2, 1-1) at No. 7 Oklahoma State (4-0, 1-0); 2:30 p.m., Boone Pickens Stadium, Stillwater, OK (FS1)
Series: Tied, 23-23-3
Notable: Cowboys QB Spencer Sanders leads the Big 12 in total offense per game (320.5), Red Raider QB Donovan Smith is second (313.6). Cowboys escaped in Lubbock in 2021, 23-20.

No. 20 Kansas State (4-1, 2-0) at Iowa State (3-2, 2-0); 6:30 p.m., Jack Trice Stadium, Ames, IA
Series: Iowa State leads, 52-49-4
Notable: Wildcats QB Adrian Martinez is the fourth-leading rusher in the Big 12 (469 yards) and has not thrown an interception so far. Meanwhile KSU’s defense among the nation’s best with 9 INTs. The Cyclones are in desperate need of a win to climb out of the basement. They have the best scoring defense in the league at 14.4 ppg.

Been a tough year for injuries with this 2023 class. Tay'Shawn Wilson's season is over. Not 100 but if he isn't Carl Williams IV is out for a long time. The good news is Isaiah Robinson returns this week.

Performance Chart

By Kevin Lonnquist
Publisher
Each week, Big 12 coaches have their weekly meetings with the media at their press conferences during the college football season. Because of the bye, Baylor head coach Dave Aranda will not be available until Saturday. Rankings are from the AP Poll. Here are some highlights elsewhere in the league. Quotes and notes are taken from those pressers if not specified elsewhere. All games are Saturday unless otherwise noted.

Lance Leipold, Kansas – The No. 19 Jayhawks (5-0, 2-0) play host to TCU: With GameDay coming to Lawrence Saturday, everything is different. “Based on what everyone thought where this program was going to be this year, yeah (this start feels different),’’ Leipold said. “But you gotta finish the story. We’ve got seven games to go. We've only been here 16 months and focusing on how we can improve, but I'm so happy for them because we can see what it does in the community, the stands, togetherness and these are great things to build upon."

Brent Venables, Oklahoma – The Sooners (3-2, 0-2) play Texas at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas: QB Dillon Gabriel’s (concussion) situation is unknown for Saturday against Texas. OC Jeff Lebby addressed that and the possibility of Davis Beville starting. Beville finished Saturday at TCU. “With Davis moving forward, it’s our job as coaches to put guys in position for success regardless of who’s out there,” Lebby said. “We’ve talked a bunch about that as a unit and as a staff. Regardless of who’s playing, man, our expectation is to play well and play cleaner and play better.”

Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State – The No, 7 Cowboys (4-0, 1-0) play host to Texas Tech: Gundy gave his assessment on how his OL competed against Baylor’s defensive line. "We were good, not great. But we were certainly better than the (Big 12) Championship Game. And that's one thing I mentioned after the game, we talked about as as offensive staff after the game that that was our fault. That was my fault, that was the offensive staff's fault that we weren't better prepared for that. We had a plan, but we didn't give enough credit to how good they were up front. And so that was a mistake. And what we said was, 'Try not to let that happen again.' And we were better in this game against a good front. They're really difficult, in my opinion, to handle between the tackles. So, I was pleased with our improvement in that area."

Neal Brown, West Virginia – The Mountaineers (2-3, 0-2) have a bye: Brown’s program got some good news when freshman RB CJ Donaldson was cleared to return with the team following the 38-20 loss to Texas. Donaldson was carted off on a stretcher following a blow to the head. Meanwhile, the rumblings of Brown’s job status’ resurfaced after this blowout loss that wasn’t as close as the final indicated.

Chris Klieman, Kansas State – The No. 20 Wildcats (4-1, 2-0) play at Iowa State: All Big 12 defensive lineman Felix Anudike-Uzomah is off to a great start. He leads the conference in sacks (5.5), leads in solo TFL (7.0) and has forced two fumbles. "He's relentless right now,’’ Klieman said. “He is really relentless and it's fun to watch him go to work and I think he appreciated Khalid being out there with him because I think it took a little bit of heat off of him. When both those two kids are coming, sometimes we had them on opposite sides sometimes we had them on the same side, and those two together are pretty dang good.”

Matt Campbell, Iowa State – The Cyclones (3-2, 0-2) play host to Kansas State: A rough day for PK Jace Gilbert (1-4) cost ISU a chance to tie late or even win at KU. “You know, I hated that some of those things came down to some young guys. Obviously, the kicking needs to be better. We have great faith in Jace, and he had gotten off to a really great start, and you’ve got to keep moving forward. So, we’ll continue to grow from this.
“It sucks, that you’ve got to grow with a loss, where you learn your lessons in some of those areas. But, I love Jace so much and who he is, and I’ve got complete faith in his response.”

Joey McGuire, Texas Tech – The Red Raiders (3-2, 1-1) play at Oklahoma State: McGuire knows that QB Donovan Smith has felt the brunt of criticism. "I think the tough thing, I talked to Donovan Saturday night, I gave him a call, because he's down, man," McGuire said. "That kid wants to win and he's a great kid. He has very high character. I told him, 'there's no position that will get more praise unwarranted than the quarterback position and the head coach position and there will be no position that gets more criticism unwarranted than the starting quarterback. That's just the nature of the beast and you chose to play quarterback.

Sonny Dykes, TCU – The No. 18 Horned Frogs (4-0, 1-0) play at Kansas: Dykes put into perspective the resounding 55-24 thrashing of Oklahoma. “They are one of the blue bloods against college football. Anytime you have a chance to play against those guys, you are going to be excited about that and see it as an opportunity to make a name for yourself and take a step (as a program). I certainly think we did that today. We were not outclassed. ... Our guys felt like they belonged and really had a desire to want to play hard and show people what we were capable of.”

Steve Sarkisian, Texas – The Longhorns (3-2, 1-1) play Oklahoma in Dallas: Will Hudson Card get the start at the Cotton Bowl? Is Quinn Ewers ready to take back the job? Sarkisian wasn’t ready to make any kind of declaration. It may not be known until the first offensive series. "We got two good players. We'll get to a decision here at some point, but I won't be surprised if we don't need both these guys at some point in the season to help us win a championship."

The Bears are taking the week off, but we aren't. Kevin recorded this podcast while dodging traffic in the metroplex!
We take a look at where Baylor stands five games into the season, college coaches getting fired, Tre Johnson (Baylor basketball offer) and make a few picks.



Came in at 27:20

Listen to the podcast here

IRVING, Texas – The Baylor women’s basketball team received a pair of Preseason All-Big 12 Women’s Basketball Awards and landed two on the 2022-23 Preseason Team, the conference announced on Wednesday.

Conference coaches recognized senior transfer Aijha Blackwell as the Newcomer of the Year and Darianna Littlepage-Buggs as the Freshman of the Year.

Blackwell and Sarah Andrews landed spots on the Preseason All-Big 12 Team, while Ja’Mee Asberry an Dre’Una Edwards were honorable mention selections.

Blackwell’s selection as Preseason Newcomer of the Year marked the fourth-straight season that a Baylor Bear earned the honor, behind Te’a Cooper (2019-20), DiJonai Carrington (2020-21) and Jordan Lewis (2021-22). The transfer from Missouri earned All-SEC honors in each of her three seasons in the league and led the Tigers last season with 14.9 points and 13.1 rebounds per game, which was the highest single-season rebounding average in program history. She shot .487 from the floor and .306 from 3-point range in her junior campaign.

Littlepage-Buggs joins the likes of NaLyssa Smith, Lauren Cox, Brittney Griner and Odyssey Sims as the eighth all-time winner of the Preseason Freshman of the Year honor. The Edmond, Okla., native made her way to Waco as the Gatorade Athlete of the Year in Oklahoma and the No. 17 overall recruit in the 2022 class, according to ESPN Hoopgurlz. Littlepage-Buggs averaged 15.5 points, 12.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game at Classen High School last season.

Andrews earns a spot on the Preseason All-Big 12 Team after a breakout sophomore campaign where she averaged 11.1 points and 31.9 minutes per game and led the team with a .390 3-point percentage. The guard was named to the All-Big 12 Second Team in 2022.

It is the second-straight year for Asberry on the Preseason Honorable Mention list. The now-grad student transferred to Baylor from Oklahoma State as a senior last season. She started every game for the Bears and led BU in minutes played with 32.9 per game. Asberry is a member of the 1,000-point club, surpassing that mark in a matchup against Oklahoma last season.

A transfer from Kentucky, Edwards earns Preseason Honorable Mention honors in her first year in the league. The 6-foot-2 forward was unstoppable for the Wildcats during their 10-game winning streak toward the end of the season. During that stretch, Edwards averaged 20.5 points per game, including a career-high 30 at Missouri and 27 against South Carolina. She finished the season second on the team in scoring with 16.8 points per game off 44.1 percent shooting from the field.

The Bears start their 2022-23 season on Nov. 3 with an exhibition against Southwest Baptist, followed by the non-conference opener against Lamar Nov. 7.

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Does anyone know how his visit went yesterday?

CONFIRMED: Now, I don't think he can really enter it since the NCAA instructed schools to scrub names who enter the portal until the day the CFP Playoff field is announced - Like Dec. 4. But it is a little confusing how this works.

What Fleeks may do is just simply sit out and not play for the balance of the season to keep his eligibility.

THE BIG 12’S POTENTIAL MOVE​

Notre Dame’s desire to build a $75 million sports revenue product and the need for ‘shoulder programming’ provide the Big 12 and its new commissioner, Brett Yormark (your younger, hipper and cooler commissioner) a unique opportunity. ESPN and Fox have never asked the Big 12 for complete exclusivity over its TV rights and they are unlikely to do so with so many mouths to feed at the Big Ten and the SEC. But, ESPN still needs the programming. The Big 12 still needs that exposure and revenue.

But, what’s to stop the Big 12 from working a deal with NBC and Notre Dame to provide that ‘shoulder programming’ on weeks that the Irish have a home game, and to provide NBC an exclusive single game or doubleheader on the weeks Notre Dame is on the road or off? Because I don’t know what NBC broadcasts on Saturday afternoons when it doesn’t have Notre Dame, but it’s not football.

Honestly? There’s nothing stopping the Big 12 from pursuing this. Heck, the Big East had five simultaneous television contracts for basketball in the late 1980s.

Envision it like this. The Big 12 has three deals with ESPN, Fox and NBC. ESPN and Fox still get the majority of top choice. But, give NBC the right to choose first once when Notre Dame is at home and twice when Notre Dame is on the road.

Then, if you’re the Big 12, you bolster your hand by taking in the four teams you’re courting from the Pac-12 — Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah. That allows you to add more inventory for broadcast and makes it easier to negotiate with all three entities for contracts that drive up revenue for the league’s membership. (Aside — we’re going to ignore that ‘Big 12-Juco conference‘ comment because, as Mundo pointed out, there are plenty of good reasons for the Buffs to come back).

If that works, and Notre Dame and NBC are both interested, then I would do one more thing, and this is probably what will get my hand slapped. I would invite Stanford to join the Big 12.

The Big 12 Standings are still in the early phase, but patterns are emerging.



No teams have had a common opponent, so there still aren't any tiebreakers.

Baylor does not have last year's mojo so far. There was a reason Dillon Doyle and Connor Galvin were the players selected for the post game presser. They're seniors, and were willing to go out and face the press, but they were shell shocked.
Unpopular opinion: the offensive line is playing as well as they did last year. Abram Smith isn't in the backfield. There is no one in the running back room that can reliably get two yards on their own. Bohanon, Smith and Ebner, collectively, outweigh Shapen, Reese and Williams by 114 pounds. Defenders feared tackling Smith, and they didn't like tackling Bohanon. When Smith was running forward, you'd see defenders, in that twitch moment before impact, shift, so they would hit him at an angle, instead of head on.
If Bohanon's first read wasn't open, he took off. Shapen goes to second and third read, so he holds the ball longer, and the line has to hold up longer.
The defense is not playing badly, but they are getting burned a little more. Nine of the Oklahoma State points came with the defense on the sidelines, two on the safety and seven on the kick off return. After the turnover on downs, the Cowboys were already in long field goal range. So, the Cowboys scored 23 against the Baylor defense, which is a respectable defensive showing. Going for it on 4th down when deep in your own territory removes Issac Power from the equation, and he's one of Baylor's best weapons.

Dana Holgorsen may have already accomplished what he was hired for at the University of Houston. In 2011, Holgorsen went to West Virginia, The next year, West Virginia went to the Big 12. Before West Virginia, he'd been an assistant at Texas Tech, Houston and Oklahoma State. He knows the Big 12. Houston had one wish, more than anything else, and that was to get into a Power 5 conference. Holgorsen left West Virginia to take over Houston in 2019, and in 2021, the Cougars got an invite to the Big 12. Maybe it was a coincidence, and if Texas and Oklahoma hadn't decided to leave, there wouldn't have been an invitation to accept, but he knows the Big 12, and has built a lot of friends in the conference over the years. Since Holgorsen has worked at three Big 12 schools, and already navigated one school's transfer into the Big 12, it seems fortuitous that he would show up in Houston just in time to help another team transition.

Houston still needs to attract more T-shirt fans. Maybe change their school colors to Columbia blue and white, get a new mascot, and a catchy fight song.

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By Kevin Lonnquist
Publisher
Baylor’s pursuit of a Big 12 championship game appearance is not lost. But it also took a big hit in a 36-25 loss at home to No. 9 Oklahoma State Saturday at McLane Stadium.

In front of a sold-out crowd of 47,979 – the 7th largest in stadium history – Baylor trailed for the final 50+ minutes. The Bears cut it to a one-score game on a couple of occasions at 23-17 and 33-25. Baylor also had the ball with a chance to tie but didn’t drive close enough to where it really had that chance.

Now, 3-2 and 1-1 the Bears head to the bye with a lot to review. They return to action Thursday, Oct. 13 at West Virginia.

SicEmSports provides reflections, observations and three Golden Bears.


Upon reflection
Let’s put these first five games in perspective about what I think this Baylor team is.

The good
>They have a solid linebacker group led by Dillon Doyle, Matt Jones and Bryson Jackson.

>I still believe that the defensive line can be better than what it has shown.

>There isn’t too much to complain about with the safety play.

>Issac Power is the best punter in America that no one knows about. I’ll get to him in bit.

The concerns
>I don’t think it’s going to get any better for the offensive line. This is who this unit is. In reality, it’s nothing close to what it was last year. I have a theory that I will share.

>My buying segment on Gavin Holmes evaporated on his first change when he had a drop at the OSU 5-yard line on Baylor’s opening possession. A forgettable day. But that also signals that there is no alpha receiver and it’s going to take something extraordinary in the final seven games for one to emerge.

>Blake Shapen has been fine so far. The one element to his game that needs to adjust is the ball has to come out faster. I think he holds it too long. Now, maybe that goes back to his receivers not being physical to create separation or running routes. However, it has to be 1,2,3 out.


Nothing special
Dave Aranda talked about in the postgame presser about the special teams where all the hidden yardage lies. He’s right. Special teams were the difference in this game. It led to 16 of Oklahoma State’s 36 points.

First of all, you have the Cowboys downing a 37-yard punt at the Baylor 2-yard line that eventually leads to the safety.

That’s followed by the Jaden Nixon’s 98-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to start the second half.

Finally, Brennan Presley’s kickoff return to midfield shifted the momentum. Baylor had scored twice to narrow the gap to 23-17 including a touchdown that came off the only forced turnover. Two plays later, the Cowboys scored to extend back to 30-17. Essentially, nothing had changed when Oklahoma State led 16-3 at halftime.

Add the downed punt and two returns and that’s 185 yards.

The stunning thing is Baylor’s special teams had been very solid between last season and through the first four games of this season.


The Decisions
There were questionable ones made in this game. I’ll look at two.

>The call by OC Jeff Grimes on the toss play to Richard Reese in the end zone was really bad. The ball is at the 2-yard line. You’re asking three offensive linemen and two tight ends and maybe a wide receiver to block an already compressed field.

Richard Reese starts this play lining up 6-7 yards deep in the end zone (traditional for any RB). This initial running play has to be north-south. The objective is to get some breathing room.

If you want to run the toss play, use that at something like your 7-yard line where the running back is standing on the one or goal line. The play is designed for Reese to run wide in the end zone before he can find his hole. This play never had a chance.

>Aranda has talked about the analytics giving him the reason to go for it if fourth down is five yards or less. I get it. In today’s college football, you can rip off five-yard plays like its nothing. But you can’t let it impact you as greatly as I would interpret from Aranda’s comments that it does.

Baylor’s chasing this game. We all understand that. The Bears have got to score. But football is and always will be a game of field position.

Baylor’s trailing 30-17 in the third quarter with 7:14 to play when it gets the ball at its 25. A lot of football left to be played.

The Bears are facing a 4th-and-2 at their 33. Aranda elects to go for it. Cowboys bring the pressure. Shapen has to get rid of it. Incomplete.

OSU takes over at the Baylor 33 and eventually settles for a field goal to extend it 33-17.

Punting the ball is not a bad thing. Power is a guy who routinely flips the field. Minus anything bizarre, Oklahoma State is probably starting around its 25-30 and Baylor had done a better job against Sanders in the second half.

While the circumstances didn’t change from Baylor having to chase a two-score game, it became a max two-score game (16 points). The margin of error shrunk.

The compelling part of all-or-nothing decisions, you look really good or you really don’t.


Offensive Line Assessment
Here’s my theory. The good thing is Baylor’s offensive line has four returning starters. We just haven’t seen Khalil Keith yet because of his knee injury. Maybe he returns for West Virginia.

When you unveil something new like the RVO was last year, it made it tough to defend. Defensive linemen weren’t sure where line up Linebackers had to guess how to support and what gaps to fill.

In sports, there is a game of adjustments. Don’t think that all of Baylor’s 2022 opponents used the offseason to break down that blocking scheme where to counter it. Plus, the advantage they may feel like they have is that with all of these returners they can look at tendencies (Baylor’s coaches do that too).

The other thing this RVO could be missing is a big physical North-South back. Abram Smith was that. He was a one-step plant and go. That played a big role in 1,601. Baylor doesn’t have that. I like Richard Reese and think he can have a great career. He’s just getting started. Yet this roster is missing this. Maybe no Taye McWilliams hurts here. Qualan Jones is complimentary back.

But Baylor’s average yards per carry in the three P5 games are 3.6, 3.7 and 3.7. That’s a trend. That’s not good. We’ll see how they can flip the script at West Virginia.


Feeling for him
You do have to feel for Holmes who had a nightmare of a game. Several drops including the tip that led to an interception in the fourth quarter. He also made a couple of bad decisions on field and not field punts.

Everybody’s been there. He’ll get through it.


Golden Bears
The yearly tradition returns. No matter the outcome, we select the three who had the most impact on the Bears’ performance. The following are from Baylor’s 36-25 loss to Oklahoma State.

Monaray Baldwin, WR, Soph.: His speed is electric. The catch-and-run on the 70-yard touchdown pass from Blake Shapen was a thing of beauty. He just left people 10 yards behind when he kicked it up a notch. He’s this team’s big-play threat.

Notable – Receiving: 7-174 2TD

Dillon Doyle, LB, 5th: I thought he was really good. He made a couple of early 3rd down stops to force Oklahoma State punts. The defense was much better against Sanders in the second half.

Notable – 6 solo tackles, 4 assisted tackles

Christian Morgan, S, 5th: He’s hot. No question about it. Morgan has INTs in consecutive weeks and made a nice play on his snare of Sanders in the third quarter that led to a Baylor touchdown. He also punched out a fumble. Unfortunately, Baylor didn’t get it.

Notable – 3 solo tackles, 1 assisted tackle, 1 TFL, 1 FF, 1 INT

By Kevin Lonnquist
Publisher
If you were in the 80s and didn’t believe that the mullet was the hair thing to do for men, then you weren’t cool. Well, maybe you weren’t stupid either.

Australian New Wave Band Icehouse lead singer Iva Davies sported one of the best of that decade.

In fact, it was so perfect it would be hard for someone to duplicate it. While Icehouse has been around for quite some time, the group’s signature hit appeared in 1988. It peaked at No. 7. The interesting part is that John Oates from Hall & Oates co-wrote the song.

The RJB’s trip through the 80s continues with business in the front, party in the back.

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****
ESPN’s College GameDay is coming to Lawrence, KS this Saturday to check in on KU football’s resurgence.

You read that right. College GameDay is coming to Lawrence, KS this Saturday when the Jayhawks play host to TCU.

That’s how so upside down this 2022 season has become.

It’s official that the Jayhawks are CFB’s darlings. They should be. Everybody loves to see a program so down on its luck for years have a resurgence. It makes for good copy. It makes for good video. It makes for unbridled curiosity.

It takes some of the heat off Bill Self who only won a national championship six months ago. But I digress.

We live in a world where Kansas shares the Big 12 lead with Kansas State (2-0). Texas, Oklahoma and Texas A&M are not ranked. Six head coaches have already been fired. My Big 12 Power Rankings segment for this week’s blitz may be the most challenging that I’ve evaluated in the last few years.

With that as the setup, let’s go over what we experienced through the first Saturday in October.

>Maybe you’re not surprised that TCU beat Oklahoma. But you should be on how it went down. Based on how the vulnerable the Sooners looked against Kansas State, if you saw that 55-24 beatdown coming, good for you.

To see that thing erupt to TCU 34, Oklahoma 10 in the first quarter was like stepping into an episode of The Twilight Zone.

When driving to Waco, I was listening to the Oklahoma radio broadcast. It was like a skipping record listening to analyst and former Sooner linebacker Teddy Lehman say, “mental errors”. Oklahoma looked, sounded and apparently played like John Blake coached Oklahoma back in the 1990s. And that was really bad.

Baylor’s trip to Norman, OK on Nov. 5 doesn’t look all that daunting. But I have no idea what that would mean for the Bears anyway. A lot of football between now and that game.

>Aggieland is probably in a state of denial, frustration, anger, shock or something in between. Jimbo Fisher is proving that you can recruit a ton of four stars and several five stars to your program and still not develop a standard, culture and reputation.

The only thing Fisher has done is ensure it’s the same ole Texas A&M. What’s bizarre is that for someone who was known to develop great offenses, he has a really weak QB roster.

When I watched them at length against Arkansas last week, they did nothing. Arkansas helped them with a fumble at the goal line that was returned for a score.

Fisher benched Hayes King for LSU transfer Max Johnson a few weeks ago. But Johnson hasn’t been any better. He was terrible Saturday at Mississippi State with a fumble through the end zone and other red zone disasters before leaving the game with a hand injury. King returned and threw two interceptions as the Bulldogs rolled, 42-24.

Suffice to say, the Aggies won’t win the national championship…again.

>To follow up, we know that Mike Leach is the head coach at Mississippi State. Anyone around this state or who closely follows this stuff knows he’s been a thorn the Aggies’ side between his days at Texas Tech and now Starkville.

For whatever reason, I looked at the A&M-Mississippi State game story just to see what Leach said. I found the jackpot. There was this little nugget that proved why the Aggies are so irritated with him.

“The win for Leach moved him to 9-4 lifetime over the Aggies between Texas Tech and MSU.”

Plus, Mississippi State has won five of the last seven meetings with the Aggies. Leach won at Kyle Field last year (26-22).


>I had to play Switzerland Saturday for the sibling rivalry – Alabama at Arkansas. But the cool thing is that my Crimson Tide Kiley made the drive to Fayetteville to be with my Razorback Kathleen.

As they get older, I can see them trying to make this an annual thing and travel together to wherever the game is. That’s what makes college football the traditional and beautiful thing that it is. It’s a sense of community.

What’s amusing is that Baylor postgame presser is about to start, Alabama-Arkansas is still going and my fired-up Razorback is calling me. I know why. She’s furious that her team just gave up these huge runs to crush any comeback hopes.

Before Aranda walked in, I texted her and said I’ll talk to you when I done with all my postgame stuff. I did. She vented and felt better.

It will be a thing when Arkansas wins this game. I hope Ilive to see it…

>On the drive home from Waco, I’m listening to No. 1 Georgia struggle, really struggle at Missouri and just shake my head. Eventually, the Dawgs rallied to win, 26-22.

This wasn’t a fluke. Missouri was outplaying Georgia. The invincible narrative pushed by the media went down the drain. Because of that Georgia and Alabama flipped No. 1 and No. 2 in the rankings.

>I mentioned last week that the Wisconsin you knew from years gone by was no more following its blowout loss at Ohio State. Well, Wisconsin administration figured agreed. When former coach Bret Bielema took his Illinois team to Madison Saturday and blew out Bucky, 34-10 that was enough. Head coach Paul Chryst was fired Sunday.

We’re six weeks into the season (you include the zero week for that last weekend in August) and here are your college coaching openings: Wisconsin, Nebraska, Georgia Tech, Colorado, Arizona State and UAB (UAB coach Bill Clark had to step down for health reasons before the season began).

You have to wonder if Auburn’s Bryan Harsin can make it through this season. I’m a little surprised he’s still there after blowing a 17-0 home lead to LSU. Of course, Auburn needs a new AD. That may be saving him for now.

Big money leads to big expectations. It also leads to big buyouts. This tweet tells the story of what these schools are paying these coaches to no longer coach.

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Now, a look at other Baylor sports…

>In Columbia, MO., Baylor cross country finished the Gans Creek Classic on Friday morning with the men's team in 13th place and the women's in eighth. Ryan Day finished ninth.

Baylor cross country makes the short trip to Bryan-College Station to join the Aggies in the Arturo Barrios Invitational, held on Oct. 15th.

>Baylor men's golf shot a 4-under 284 on Sunday to finish in a tie for fourth with one of two SMU squads in the field, in round one at the Trinity Forest Invitational.

The Bears sit just five shots back of the leader, Arkansas Little Rock, which shot a 9-under 279. Just four shots separate spots No. 2-6 on the leaderboard after one round.

>The 13th-ranked Bears defeated (RV) Kansas in Horesj Family Volleyball Center on Saturday morning, downing them in five sets, 3-2.

The Bears (12-3, 2-1) pushed the all-time series further in their favor at 29-27 against the Jayhawks (12-4, 2-2) with the five-set win. BU went 13-25, 27-25, 25-17, 13-25, 15-9 with KU to get the win. That followed a 4-set loss at Iowa State this past Wednesday. BU returns home to Waco and the Ferrell Center for a match, hosting Oklahoma on Wednesday, Oct. 5. The match will be broadcast on ESPN2, the second linear match of the season for the Bears, and will start at 8 p.m. CT.

>Baylor soccer narrowly fell against Texas, 1-0, Friday night at Mike A. Myers Stadium and Soccer Field.

The Bears battled the Longhorns all night long, allowing the lone goal in the in the 27th minute. Baylor is 2-6-2 and 0-2 in Big 12 play. They play host to Kansas Thursday.

>No. 7 Baylor equestrian (0-2) dropped a close 10-8 decision to No. 5 Georgia (1-0) on Friday at the Georgia Equestrian Complex in Athens, Ga. That followed an 11-8 loss at No. 10 South Carolina. They compete at Oklahoma State on Oct. 15.


Let’s make it a great week!

Some notes from the weekend: