By Kevin Lonnquist
Publisher
We’re getting closer to watching toe to leather that counts. Sure, you can go with the NFL preseason season to serve as provisional football. But there’s nothing like waking up to gameday when your team is playing.
The RJB continues its countdown to the 2022 football season with another selected favorite of TV football themes. We go back to college and one that was pretty strong used by ABC back in the late 1980s through the early 1990s.
This is probably the time the late Keith Jackson was transitioning from Frank Broyles to Tim Brandt. We were still trying to use the bowl system to determine the national champion. The Rose Bowl was still the Rose Bowl. The Cotton, the Cotton and the Southwest Conference was still a thing.
But that was also the time when cracks and something called realignment surfaced. Arkansas bolted the SWC for the SEC. Now, look where we’re at today.
Enjoy these two minutes.
****
The AP preseason poll is scheduled to be released at 11:00 am on Monday. Like the Coaches Poll from last week, don’t be surprised to see the Bears positioned somewhere between 10-15.
Typically, these two major polls mirror each other minus a couple of spots. But I would be surprised if the Bears were listed below 15. We’ve exhausted all the reasons why Baylor should be in this position.
Little story: I was on a morning sports talk show station in Oregon about two weeks ago as it was going through its own Top 25 countdown. The hosts had Baylor at 23. I was asked what I thought about that ranking. I said it was too low.
I was asked why and then explained about the fronts returning and depth.
Of course, Baylor has to go out there and prove worthy of these rankings.
These rankings are fun and great for pride. But at this time, it’s like that golf adage. In fall camp, they are in the drive for show phase. Starting Sept. 3, they must putt for dough.
****
The dog days of fall camp approach. The sobering part of camp and the great equalizer that can instantly change the fortunes of a football team is appearance throughout the landscape – injuries.
From what we have seen over the last few days:
>Texas has reportedly lost wide receiver Isaiah Neyor and offensive lineman Junior Angilau to season ending ACL tears.
>Alabama lost wide receiver JoJo Earle to a foot injury. He’s out until probably October.
>Notre Dame team captain and wide receiver Avery Davis is done with an ACL tear.
>Wake Forest quarterback Sam Hartman it out indefinitely with an undisclosed non-football medical condition.
>Baylor is dealing with its own hiccup as new Star defender Al Walcott is missing time with a wrist injury. Dave Aranda said Saturday he expects Walcott to be out for about a week. The concern about a wrist injury is continued stiffness and impacting the ability to grab and tackle. For Baylor’s sake, hopefully, that won’t be an issue.
But as we go back through the 2021 Big 12/Sugar Bowl championship season, the Bears were pretty fortunate to not have injuries plague their season.
Indeed, they lost linebacker Terrel Bernard to a meniscus tear. The quarterback position endured its share. Gerry Bohanon went down for the last 2½ weeks because of a pulled right hamstring – he still wasn’t all the way back for the Sugar bowl – and had to play against Ole Miss because Blake Shapen finished the Big 12 championship game against Oklahoma State with a pretty messed up right shoulder.
Other than those deeper on the chart who were out or were not expected to contribute, the Bears negotiated the fickle finger of fate.
Yet the list of those players missing games or the season reminds you of the truism: it’s a violent game. People get hurt.
In Baylor’s case, we know the No. 1 story line to this season: keep Shapen upright. Wrap him in cotton and then put him in a bubble wrap when he goes from practice to his apartment or anywhere else on campus.
Red jerseys are great deterrents to camp and practice. No one needs to be hitting the quarterback. He’s going to get enough of that as it is during a game.
Everyone kind of had their heart in their throat leading up the Sugar Bowl because the QB situation was up in the air. That proved true. What helped is that the defense played stellar and then Ole Miss lost its QB Matt Corral to a tough ankle sprain.
Should Shapen progress through this three-month odyssey with a ding here and here but nothing more, Baylor’s season has the opportunity to be epic.
If he doesn’t then this season takes a 180 and into one that could be termed as survival. We’ve talked it into submission how fleeting the depth chart is behind Shapen. It’s a pretty important camp for Kyron Drones to show he can be capable and not overwhelmed.
Now, the world doesn’t rise and set with your quarterback, especially when your defense has the ability to be one of the best in the nation. Losing someone like nose tackle Apu Ika would be pretty close to Shapen but not as much. Why? Well, there’s a lot of known depth in Baylor’s defensive line.
There’s not at quarterback.
Just remember the invaluableness of a quarterback.
Robert Griffin III won a Heisman Trophy in 2011 because of the performance he delivered against Oklahoma and the touchdown pass he threw in the dying seconds to Terrance Williams.
Bryce Petty led Baylor to consecutive Big 12 titles in 2013 and 2014 and directed the improbable four quarter comeback against TCU to win, 61-58.
Throughout his time at Baylor, we noted the comeback wins Charlie Brewer authored including several in 2019 when Baylor advanced to the Big 12 championship game.
Finally, we saw Shapen deliver a Big 12 championship game and AT&T Stadium record by completing his first 17 passes before he limped to the finish line.
So yes, the quarterback makes a difference. All the difference.
As you can see, I’m full of good news. I’m not trying to cast a pall over a season that hasn’t begun. I can hear my mother Maureen say, “Matt, don’t borrow trouble.’’
You know I predicted Baylor to win the Big 12 my in preseason media poll ballot. You know I had them going 9-3 in my way-too-early record story back in February (BTW, the prediction for 2022 will be in this space in two weeks).
Simply put, I’m just reminding you of this X-factor and to never take anything for granted. But like all of us, just take it day-to-day.
****
One Vin Scully story that has stuck with me over the years and I don’t know why. This was probably like 1984 and I’m listening to the Dodgers play whoever. Before the next inning starts, Scully tells a story of how the Chicago White Sox fined their starting pitcher Richard Dotson for poor language use on a postgame radio interview. Dotson said, “You know” eight times (can you imagine a team doing that to their player today?).
After he tells the story, Vin says, “We’re going to the 7th inning with the Dodgers leading (by whatever the score was)…you know?”
****
Now, a look at other Baylor sports…
This is really a schedule because everything gets started this week.
>After beating LSU on Thursday, 3-1, and then UTSA on Sunday, 2-1, in their exhibitions, Baylor women’s soccer opens the season at 7:00 p.m. Thursday against Minnesota at Betty Lou Mays Soccer Field.
>Baylor volleyball, coming off an appearance in the Sweet 16 in the 2021 NCAA tournament, opens its preseason with the annual Green and Gold game at 6:00 p.m. Wednesday in the Ferrell Center. The Lady Bears then travel to College Station on Saturday for an exhibition match against Texas A&M.
Baylor is predicted second in the Big 12 preseason poll behind Texas. However, the Lady Bears did earn one first place vote.
Let’s make it a great week!
Publisher
We’re getting closer to watching toe to leather that counts. Sure, you can go with the NFL preseason season to serve as provisional football. But there’s nothing like waking up to gameday when your team is playing.
The RJB continues its countdown to the 2022 football season with another selected favorite of TV football themes. We go back to college and one that was pretty strong used by ABC back in the late 1980s through the early 1990s.
This is probably the time the late Keith Jackson was transitioning from Frank Broyles to Tim Brandt. We were still trying to use the bowl system to determine the national champion. The Rose Bowl was still the Rose Bowl. The Cotton, the Cotton and the Southwest Conference was still a thing.
But that was also the time when cracks and something called realignment surfaced. Arkansas bolted the SWC for the SEC. Now, look where we’re at today.
Enjoy these two minutes.
****
The AP preseason poll is scheduled to be released at 11:00 am on Monday. Like the Coaches Poll from last week, don’t be surprised to see the Bears positioned somewhere between 10-15.
Typically, these two major polls mirror each other minus a couple of spots. But I would be surprised if the Bears were listed below 15. We’ve exhausted all the reasons why Baylor should be in this position.
Little story: I was on a morning sports talk show station in Oregon about two weeks ago as it was going through its own Top 25 countdown. The hosts had Baylor at 23. I was asked what I thought about that ranking. I said it was too low.
I was asked why and then explained about the fronts returning and depth.
Of course, Baylor has to go out there and prove worthy of these rankings.
These rankings are fun and great for pride. But at this time, it’s like that golf adage. In fall camp, they are in the drive for show phase. Starting Sept. 3, they must putt for dough.
****
The dog days of fall camp approach. The sobering part of camp and the great equalizer that can instantly change the fortunes of a football team is appearance throughout the landscape – injuries.
From what we have seen over the last few days:
>Texas has reportedly lost wide receiver Isaiah Neyor and offensive lineman Junior Angilau to season ending ACL tears.
>Alabama lost wide receiver JoJo Earle to a foot injury. He’s out until probably October.
>Notre Dame team captain and wide receiver Avery Davis is done with an ACL tear.
>Wake Forest quarterback Sam Hartman it out indefinitely with an undisclosed non-football medical condition.
>Baylor is dealing with its own hiccup as new Star defender Al Walcott is missing time with a wrist injury. Dave Aranda said Saturday he expects Walcott to be out for about a week. The concern about a wrist injury is continued stiffness and impacting the ability to grab and tackle. For Baylor’s sake, hopefully, that won’t be an issue.
But as we go back through the 2021 Big 12/Sugar Bowl championship season, the Bears were pretty fortunate to not have injuries plague their season.
Indeed, they lost linebacker Terrel Bernard to a meniscus tear. The quarterback position endured its share. Gerry Bohanon went down for the last 2½ weeks because of a pulled right hamstring – he still wasn’t all the way back for the Sugar bowl – and had to play against Ole Miss because Blake Shapen finished the Big 12 championship game against Oklahoma State with a pretty messed up right shoulder.
Other than those deeper on the chart who were out or were not expected to contribute, the Bears negotiated the fickle finger of fate.
Yet the list of those players missing games or the season reminds you of the truism: it’s a violent game. People get hurt.
In Baylor’s case, we know the No. 1 story line to this season: keep Shapen upright. Wrap him in cotton and then put him in a bubble wrap when he goes from practice to his apartment or anywhere else on campus.
Red jerseys are great deterrents to camp and practice. No one needs to be hitting the quarterback. He’s going to get enough of that as it is during a game.
Everyone kind of had their heart in their throat leading up the Sugar Bowl because the QB situation was up in the air. That proved true. What helped is that the defense played stellar and then Ole Miss lost its QB Matt Corral to a tough ankle sprain.
Should Shapen progress through this three-month odyssey with a ding here and here but nothing more, Baylor’s season has the opportunity to be epic.
If he doesn’t then this season takes a 180 and into one that could be termed as survival. We’ve talked it into submission how fleeting the depth chart is behind Shapen. It’s a pretty important camp for Kyron Drones to show he can be capable and not overwhelmed.
Now, the world doesn’t rise and set with your quarterback, especially when your defense has the ability to be one of the best in the nation. Losing someone like nose tackle Apu Ika would be pretty close to Shapen but not as much. Why? Well, there’s a lot of known depth in Baylor’s defensive line.
There’s not at quarterback.
Just remember the invaluableness of a quarterback.
Robert Griffin III won a Heisman Trophy in 2011 because of the performance he delivered against Oklahoma and the touchdown pass he threw in the dying seconds to Terrance Williams.
Bryce Petty led Baylor to consecutive Big 12 titles in 2013 and 2014 and directed the improbable four quarter comeback against TCU to win, 61-58.
Throughout his time at Baylor, we noted the comeback wins Charlie Brewer authored including several in 2019 when Baylor advanced to the Big 12 championship game.
Finally, we saw Shapen deliver a Big 12 championship game and AT&T Stadium record by completing his first 17 passes before he limped to the finish line.
So yes, the quarterback makes a difference. All the difference.
As you can see, I’m full of good news. I’m not trying to cast a pall over a season that hasn’t begun. I can hear my mother Maureen say, “Matt, don’t borrow trouble.’’
You know I predicted Baylor to win the Big 12 my in preseason media poll ballot. You know I had them going 9-3 in my way-too-early record story back in February (BTW, the prediction for 2022 will be in this space in two weeks).
Simply put, I’m just reminding you of this X-factor and to never take anything for granted. But like all of us, just take it day-to-day.
****
One Vin Scully story that has stuck with me over the years and I don’t know why. This was probably like 1984 and I’m listening to the Dodgers play whoever. Before the next inning starts, Scully tells a story of how the Chicago White Sox fined their starting pitcher Richard Dotson for poor language use on a postgame radio interview. Dotson said, “You know” eight times (can you imagine a team doing that to their player today?).
After he tells the story, Vin says, “We’re going to the 7th inning with the Dodgers leading (by whatever the score was)…you know?”
****
Now, a look at other Baylor sports…
This is really a schedule because everything gets started this week.
>After beating LSU on Thursday, 3-1, and then UTSA on Sunday, 2-1, in their exhibitions, Baylor women’s soccer opens the season at 7:00 p.m. Thursday against Minnesota at Betty Lou Mays Soccer Field.
>Baylor volleyball, coming off an appearance in the Sweet 16 in the 2021 NCAA tournament, opens its preseason with the annual Green and Gold game at 6:00 p.m. Wednesday in the Ferrell Center. The Lady Bears then travel to College Station on Saturday for an exhibition match against Texas A&M.
Baylor is predicted second in the Big 12 preseason poll behind Texas. However, the Lady Bears did earn one first place vote.
Let’s make it a great week!
