By Kevin Lonnquist
Publisher
Baylor’s 2022 football schedule finally became official last week when FCS Albany was announced as the replacement for Louisiana Tech.
The Bears have now secured a split schedule this fall with six home games at McLane Stadium and six on the road. However, there is a difference as the Big 12 schedule flips. There are five road games and four homes. It was the opposite last fall.
Baylor is coming off a historic 2021 season in which it won a school-record 12 games, captured its third Big 12 championship and won the Sugar Bowl. The Bears should be ranked in the preseason Top 10.
Spring football doesn’t start until mid-March. However, it’s never too early to give a way-too-early prediction for the season.
Sept. 3 vs. Albany: This will the be the first meeting between the two programs. This is also considered an “exhibition” game that counts as a win. The Bears should use this game to see what their new group of wide receivers and running backs look like.
It will also be interesting to know what the quarterback situation will be like between Gerry Bohanon and Blake Shapen. Shapen should be all the way back from his shoulder injury he suffered in the Big 12 title game. He had started throwing recently.
Result: Baylor 34-7
Baylor Record: 1-0
Sept. 10 at BYU: A tough game up in the Wasatch Mountains. Don’t be surprised if ESPN decides to make this a late-night Saturday matchup. BYU will have a different look to it. The Bears youngsters at the skill positions will get tested on the road against its future Big 12 member. That could come as early as 2023.
What could make the difference is how the defense responds and dictates how BYU runs its offense. Baylor offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes and offensive line coach Eric Mateos return. Again, this is going to be RVO vs. RVO.
Result: BYU 24-21
Baylor Record: 1-1
Sept. 17 vs. Texas State: This is the return game from the 2021 season opener in which the Bears were choppy but found enough to win 27-20. Well, they will come back in this one ready to go.
Texas State has been a program in turmoil over the last couple of seasons. It doesn’t figure that the Bobcats will push the Bears too much in this one. Look for the defense to control things.
Result: Baylor 35-6
Baylor Record: 2-1
Sept. 24 at Iowa State: It is interesting that the Bears and Cyclones open the Big 12 season again. This time it will be in Ames. Iowa State will be the team in transition as it replaces so many of its top skill players. Plus, the Cyclones really fizzled in 2021 when so much was expected.
The Bears continue to get better on both sides of the ball. The running game starts to look like it does.
Result: Baylor 27-17
Baylor Record: 3-1, 1-0
Oct. 1 vs. Oklahoma State: The rematch of the Big 12 championship. And you can call it the rubber match since the Cowboys won the first meeting in Stillwater, OK last year.
This is going to be an interesting contest because Spencer Sanders returns at QB and coming off a phenomenal performance in the Fiesta Bowl against Notre Dame. Indeed, but the Bears know all about him with four interceptions in two 2021 meetings.
Result: Baylor 24-14
Baylor Record: 4-1, 2-0
Oct. 13 at West Virginia: Following the bye on Oct. 8, a Thursday night contest at Country Roads, Take Me Home. The last time the Bears did this kind of thing up there, it was pretty ugly.
It’s a tough call for Neal Brown offense that was pretty much pedestrian throughout 2021 and needs more explosiveness in it.
Baylor has never won in Morgantown. This is the year where that can change.
Result: Baylor 28-24
Baylor Record: 5-1, 3-0
Oct. 22 vs. Kansas: By this time, you should have a pretty good indication of how the rebuild is going in Lawrence, KS. Even in down years, the Bears have rarely struggled with the Jayhawks. They have won the last 12 meetings.
They should be fine again with a veteran team being too much for a team that probably is getting better but not nearly close to Baylor’s level.
Result: Baylor 38-17
Baylor Record: 6-1, 4-0
Oct. 29 at Texas Tech: Now, we officially have the mentor vs. the pupil as the Bears face former Associate Head Coach Joey McGuire who will be neck deep into his first season trying to get things to look right on the South Plains.
The last two Baylor-Texas Tech meetings have come down to Texas Tech field goals on the last play. Tech won it on a chip shot in 2020 in Lubbock and then missed the game-tying effort to force overtime in 2021 in Waco.
Result: Baylor 31-21
Baylor Record: 7-1, 5-0
Nov. 5 at Oklahoma: Now, this has the chance to be one of those ESPN College GameDay type of matchups with the potential of first place on the line. FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff was in Waco for last year’s contest.
The Sooners’ roster experienced full turnover after Lincoln Riley left for USC. But a proud program under the likes of new head coach Brent Venables should find its way because tradition matters.
Baylor has won only once in Norman. That was in 2014.
Result: Oklahoma 20-17
Baylor Record: 7-2, 5-1
Nov. 12 vs. Kansas State: In the lost season that was 2020, one of Baylor’s two wins that year was a field goal at the gun win over the Wildcats.
The Bears defense just knows how to shut down this team. Kansas State could be a surprise team in the conference race. But it won’t surprise Baylor.
Result: Baylor 26-10
Baylor Record: 8-2, 6-1
Nov. 19 vs. TCU: Senior Day vs. the archrival. The drama surrounding last year’s visit to Fort Worth when Gary Patterson was fired still probably stings this BU team. Despite everything, it had a chance to win that game until a later interception.
As the 118th meeting approaches, TCU fans should have a sense of whether hiring Sonny Dykes away from SMU or well, not so much.
The Bears have some owin’ to do.
Result: Baylor 33-16
Baylor Record: 9-2, 7-1
Nov. 26 at Texas: We could be writing this sentence again in August when we give the sock drawer prediction.
This is going to be such a hard game to call. Texas is going to be one of two things: really engaged and ready to take a step up to the big boy stage or it’s just going to languish in mediocrity like it always does.
As a Big 12 title contender it could mean a lot or nothing for the Bears to return to AT&T Stadium. It’s a flip of the coin decision on this one. Texas only because the Longhorns may have figured it out under Steve Sarkisian.
Result: Texas 24-21
Baylor Record: 9-3, 7-2
Note: I do think 7-2 should be good enough to get back to the Big 12 title game. That was Baylor’s league record when it played Oklahoma State this past December.
Publisher
Baylor’s 2022 football schedule finally became official last week when FCS Albany was announced as the replacement for Louisiana Tech.
The Bears have now secured a split schedule this fall with six home games at McLane Stadium and six on the road. However, there is a difference as the Big 12 schedule flips. There are five road games and four homes. It was the opposite last fall.
Baylor is coming off a historic 2021 season in which it won a school-record 12 games, captured its third Big 12 championship and won the Sugar Bowl. The Bears should be ranked in the preseason Top 10.
Spring football doesn’t start until mid-March. However, it’s never too early to give a way-too-early prediction for the season.
Sept. 3 vs. Albany: This will the be the first meeting between the two programs. This is also considered an “exhibition” game that counts as a win. The Bears should use this game to see what their new group of wide receivers and running backs look like.
It will also be interesting to know what the quarterback situation will be like between Gerry Bohanon and Blake Shapen. Shapen should be all the way back from his shoulder injury he suffered in the Big 12 title game. He had started throwing recently.
Result: Baylor 34-7
Baylor Record: 1-0
Sept. 10 at BYU: A tough game up in the Wasatch Mountains. Don’t be surprised if ESPN decides to make this a late-night Saturday matchup. BYU will have a different look to it. The Bears youngsters at the skill positions will get tested on the road against its future Big 12 member. That could come as early as 2023.
What could make the difference is how the defense responds and dictates how BYU runs its offense. Baylor offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes and offensive line coach Eric Mateos return. Again, this is going to be RVO vs. RVO.
Result: BYU 24-21
Baylor Record: 1-1
Sept. 17 vs. Texas State: This is the return game from the 2021 season opener in which the Bears were choppy but found enough to win 27-20. Well, they will come back in this one ready to go.
Texas State has been a program in turmoil over the last couple of seasons. It doesn’t figure that the Bobcats will push the Bears too much in this one. Look for the defense to control things.
Result: Baylor 35-6
Baylor Record: 2-1
Sept. 24 at Iowa State: It is interesting that the Bears and Cyclones open the Big 12 season again. This time it will be in Ames. Iowa State will be the team in transition as it replaces so many of its top skill players. Plus, the Cyclones really fizzled in 2021 when so much was expected.
The Bears continue to get better on both sides of the ball. The running game starts to look like it does.
Result: Baylor 27-17
Baylor Record: 3-1, 1-0
Oct. 1 vs. Oklahoma State: The rematch of the Big 12 championship. And you can call it the rubber match since the Cowboys won the first meeting in Stillwater, OK last year.
This is going to be an interesting contest because Spencer Sanders returns at QB and coming off a phenomenal performance in the Fiesta Bowl against Notre Dame. Indeed, but the Bears know all about him with four interceptions in two 2021 meetings.
Result: Baylor 24-14
Baylor Record: 4-1, 2-0
Oct. 13 at West Virginia: Following the bye on Oct. 8, a Thursday night contest at Country Roads, Take Me Home. The last time the Bears did this kind of thing up there, it was pretty ugly.
It’s a tough call for Neal Brown offense that was pretty much pedestrian throughout 2021 and needs more explosiveness in it.
Baylor has never won in Morgantown. This is the year where that can change.
Result: Baylor 28-24
Baylor Record: 5-1, 3-0
Oct. 22 vs. Kansas: By this time, you should have a pretty good indication of how the rebuild is going in Lawrence, KS. Even in down years, the Bears have rarely struggled with the Jayhawks. They have won the last 12 meetings.
They should be fine again with a veteran team being too much for a team that probably is getting better but not nearly close to Baylor’s level.
Result: Baylor 38-17
Baylor Record: 6-1, 4-0
Oct. 29 at Texas Tech: Now, we officially have the mentor vs. the pupil as the Bears face former Associate Head Coach Joey McGuire who will be neck deep into his first season trying to get things to look right on the South Plains.
The last two Baylor-Texas Tech meetings have come down to Texas Tech field goals on the last play. Tech won it on a chip shot in 2020 in Lubbock and then missed the game-tying effort to force overtime in 2021 in Waco.
Result: Baylor 31-21
Baylor Record: 7-1, 5-0
Nov. 5 at Oklahoma: Now, this has the chance to be one of those ESPN College GameDay type of matchups with the potential of first place on the line. FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff was in Waco for last year’s contest.
The Sooners’ roster experienced full turnover after Lincoln Riley left for USC. But a proud program under the likes of new head coach Brent Venables should find its way because tradition matters.
Baylor has won only once in Norman. That was in 2014.
Result: Oklahoma 20-17
Baylor Record: 7-2, 5-1
Nov. 12 vs. Kansas State: In the lost season that was 2020, one of Baylor’s two wins that year was a field goal at the gun win over the Wildcats.
The Bears defense just knows how to shut down this team. Kansas State could be a surprise team in the conference race. But it won’t surprise Baylor.
Result: Baylor 26-10
Baylor Record: 8-2, 6-1
Nov. 19 vs. TCU: Senior Day vs. the archrival. The drama surrounding last year’s visit to Fort Worth when Gary Patterson was fired still probably stings this BU team. Despite everything, it had a chance to win that game until a later interception.
As the 118th meeting approaches, TCU fans should have a sense of whether hiring Sonny Dykes away from SMU or well, not so much.
The Bears have some owin’ to do.
Result: Baylor 33-16
Baylor Record: 9-2, 7-1
Nov. 26 at Texas: We could be writing this sentence again in August when we give the sock drawer prediction.
This is going to be such a hard game to call. Texas is going to be one of two things: really engaged and ready to take a step up to the big boy stage or it’s just going to languish in mediocrity like it always does.
As a Big 12 title contender it could mean a lot or nothing for the Bears to return to AT&T Stadium. It’s a flip of the coin decision on this one. Texas only because the Longhorns may have figured it out under Steve Sarkisian.
Result: Texas 24-21
Baylor Record: 9-3, 7-2
Note: I do think 7-2 should be good enough to get back to the Big 12 title game. That was Baylor’s league record when it played Oklahoma State this past December.
