By Kevin Lonnquist
Publisher
SicEmSports concludes its look at Baylor’s 2022 opponents. The season finale is Friday, Nov. 25 at Texas. The Bears and Longhorns have played numerous season finales previously.
There is no set kickoff time for that. It might depend on where both teams stand in the Big 12 title chase. For all anyone knows, it could be the first of two meetings before they meet again the following week at AT&T Stadium in Arlington for the conference crown.
Texas is rate fourth in the Big 12 preseason media poll behind Baylor, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. The Longhorns are ranked No. 18 in the Coaches preseason poll and are not ranked in the AP preseason poll
Opponent: Texas
Head Coach: Steve Sarkisian (5-7 2nd season at Texas, 51-42 9th season overall)
2021 Record: 5-7, 3-6
Conference Affiliation: Big 12
Record vs. Baylor: Texas leads, 79-28-4 (Baylor won in 2021 in Waco, 31-24)
Returning Starters: 6 offense, 7 defense
Offensive Formation: One-back
Defensive Formation: 4-3
Key Returners: RB Bijan Robinson, WR Xavier Worthy, WR Jordan Whittington, LB DeMarvion Overshown, NT Keondre Coburn, DB D’Shawn Jamison
No one will ever question Texas’ ability collect talent on a yearly basis. But the common issues surrounding this program are complacency and entitlement.
Over the course of his first season, Sarkisian attempted to change that by chasing off 30 players. That's a major roster overhaul. Texas used the portal heavily in order to plug some gaps. That included Ohio State DB Ryan Watts and Alabama TE Jahleel Billingsley. That would have also included Wyoming WR Isaiah Neyor. However, Neyor suffered a season-ending knee (ACL) injury in fall camp.
Of course, Sarkisian has opted to go with Southlake Carroll product and Ohio State transfer Quinn Ewers as his starting QB over Hudson Card. Minus a snap here and there in Columbus, Ewers hasn’t been in a bona fide competitive situation since his junior year in Southlake.
It’s going to be up to the running game led by NIL master mind Robinson, who is a very good running back, along with an offensive line that has three returning starters.
Defensively, the Longhorns must get better after going through a pretty abysmal season allowing 31 points per game. Jamison and Overshown are the points of their defense. However, there just needs to be a more physical presence along with a certain brand of toughness, especially along the front. That’s something Texas has lacked for pretty much the last 13 years.
Texas is talented enough to compete for a conference championship. It also has enough questions surrounding it to determine if a fragile culture can stay focused and somehow stay in the race by the calendar turns to November.
“Texas is back!” needs to have some validation rather than being used as a social media/message board punchline.
2022 Schedule
Sept. 3 vs. UL-Monroe
Sept. 10 vs. Alabama
Sept. 17 vs. UTSA
Sept. 24 at Texas Tech
Oct. 1 vs. West Virginia
Oct. 8 vs. Oklahoma (Cotton Bowl, Dallas)
Oct. 15 vs. Iowa State
Oct. 22 at Oklahoma State
Nov. 5 at Kansas State
Nov. 12 vs. TCU
Nov. 19 at Kansas
Nov. 25 vs. Baylor
Publisher
SicEmSports concludes its look at Baylor’s 2022 opponents. The season finale is Friday, Nov. 25 at Texas. The Bears and Longhorns have played numerous season finales previously.
There is no set kickoff time for that. It might depend on where both teams stand in the Big 12 title chase. For all anyone knows, it could be the first of two meetings before they meet again the following week at AT&T Stadium in Arlington for the conference crown.
Texas is rate fourth in the Big 12 preseason media poll behind Baylor, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. The Longhorns are ranked No. 18 in the Coaches preseason poll and are not ranked in the AP preseason poll
Opponent: Texas
Head Coach: Steve Sarkisian (5-7 2nd season at Texas, 51-42 9th season overall)
2021 Record: 5-7, 3-6
Conference Affiliation: Big 12
Record vs. Baylor: Texas leads, 79-28-4 (Baylor won in 2021 in Waco, 31-24)
Returning Starters: 6 offense, 7 defense
Offensive Formation: One-back
Defensive Formation: 4-3
Key Returners: RB Bijan Robinson, WR Xavier Worthy, WR Jordan Whittington, LB DeMarvion Overshown, NT Keondre Coburn, DB D’Shawn Jamison
No one will ever question Texas’ ability collect talent on a yearly basis. But the common issues surrounding this program are complacency and entitlement.
Over the course of his first season, Sarkisian attempted to change that by chasing off 30 players. That's a major roster overhaul. Texas used the portal heavily in order to plug some gaps. That included Ohio State DB Ryan Watts and Alabama TE Jahleel Billingsley. That would have also included Wyoming WR Isaiah Neyor. However, Neyor suffered a season-ending knee (ACL) injury in fall camp.
Of course, Sarkisian has opted to go with Southlake Carroll product and Ohio State transfer Quinn Ewers as his starting QB over Hudson Card. Minus a snap here and there in Columbus, Ewers hasn’t been in a bona fide competitive situation since his junior year in Southlake.
It’s going to be up to the running game led by NIL master mind Robinson, who is a very good running back, along with an offensive line that has three returning starters.
Defensively, the Longhorns must get better after going through a pretty abysmal season allowing 31 points per game. Jamison and Overshown are the points of their defense. However, there just needs to be a more physical presence along with a certain brand of toughness, especially along the front. That’s something Texas has lacked for pretty much the last 13 years.
Texas is talented enough to compete for a conference championship. It also has enough questions surrounding it to determine if a fragile culture can stay focused and somehow stay in the race by the calendar turns to November.
“Texas is back!” needs to have some validation rather than being used as a social media/message board punchline.
2022 Schedule
Sept. 3 vs. UL-Monroe
Sept. 10 vs. Alabama
Sept. 17 vs. UTSA
Sept. 24 at Texas Tech
Oct. 1 vs. West Virginia
Oct. 8 vs. Oklahoma (Cotton Bowl, Dallas)
Oct. 15 vs. Iowa State
Oct. 22 at Oklahoma State
Nov. 5 at Kansas State
Nov. 12 vs. TCU
Nov. 19 at Kansas
Nov. 25 vs. Baylor
