By Kevin Lonnquist
Publisher
OMD was another one of those English New Wave Electronic Bands who crossed the pond in the 1980s and found their niche into American pop music culture.
Their official name is Orchestra Maneuvers in the Dark. Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys founded them in 1978. Most might remember them for their signature hit “If you leave’’ from the 1986 Brat Pack film Pretty in Pink.
But by this time, you know the RJB will never play to the traditional on a group unless you want to refer to the previous weeks where it pulled out some of the signature songs from the 1980s.
Well, anyway, the RBJ is partial to this one that was also released in 1986. It had a solid chart performance. It reached No. 19 on the U.S. Billboard. When you click to open it, you’ll likely react, “Oh yeah. I remember this. Hadn’t heard this for the longest time.’’
That’s why it’s called the RBJ!
*****
While Saturday night at McLane Stadium was a disaster, it’s probably best as the Baylor faithful and take a page from a football team’s way of doing business and apply the 24-hour rule.
You know the one where you have 24 hours to celebrate or to pout about the outcome and move on to the next one. The Baylor community really needs to do that after Kansas State 31, Baylor 3. There isn’t one thing that you can point to and believe this team can carry forward into the next one.
We’ve dissected how it all came apart and that’s Baylor’s hopes of repeating as Big 12 champions is essentially over.
Technically, I jumped the gun following the game. There are some crazy scenarios where Baylor is technically still alive in the Big 12 championship game race. The Bears need to win out against TCU and at Texas and need a lot of help for Dec. 3 to happen.
But that’s not important right now. What’s important is that this team deep six the KSU performance and move on to rivalry week and the 118th meeting with No. 4 TCU.
If there is a positive that can come from a game like Kansas State is that from blowouts, you typically can mentally and emotionally bounce back from them quicker than you can from the nailbiter losses.
That doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to win. Still, chances are you’re going to play better.
Baylor must treat TCU Saturday like TCU treated Baylor last year. The Bears went into a bizarre environment where the wounded Horned Frogs had just fired Gary Patterson and were trying to just finish the season. It just so happened that the archrival came to Fort Worth and they managed pick off the Bears.
A year later, it’s the Bears who are the wounded team and face the Horned Frogs who have all of the momentum. TCU comes to Waco. Could Baylor play spoiler and knock TCU from college football playoff race?
Well, recent history hasn’t been kind to the Bears in this series. TCU has won six of the last seven meetings. But 2021 shouldn’t impact 2022.
Linebacker Dillon Doyle talked in the postgame presser that football is way more than holding trophies at the end of the season. Well, if that’s how he feels, he better hope that about 100 other guys feel the same way and how they want to finish this season.
I go back to something that Baylor head coach Dave Aranda said a couple of weeks ago when he mentioned the complacency on this team was a concern. The drive to keep pushing wasn’t there.
This is what he said the Saturday before West Virginia:
“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.”
Aranda went on to say that he believed that was a good week to work on that. Well, I’m not sure that’s really happened. Even in the three-game winning streak, it was good to win but it wasn’t at an elite level that Baylor played at last year.
The tone and the culture are established during the offseason and spring football. It’s constantly evaluated and addressed. But you can’t snap your fingers, and everyone flips. It doesn’t work that way.
It’s just something that evolves. Within a month or so, the players would have picked up on if this is where it needed to be or if it isn’t.
Forget the sound bytes from Saturday or what will be said by Aranda on Monday and then Tuesday when the selected players meet with the media.
The actions will tell you more. By noon Saturday – the game kicks at 11:00 a.m. - you will know if this team is engaged to play or not. Baylor’s in a position where it can finish between 6-6 and 8-4. Saturday is important for Baylor for its future when playing for a trophy isn’t the goal. This game has to matter beyond the rivalry.
That’s why we should recognize that this season is a reminder of how hard it is to create a standard and keep it year after year. I talked about it earlier this season to appreciate Georgia, Ohio State, Alabama and Clemson year after year because of what they have established within their programs.
For example, look at Alabama’s come-from-behind 30-24 win at Ole Miss on Saturday. The Tide won’t be playing in the playoffs this year or the SEC championship game. But that doesn’t mean the season should be written off. Titles are the goal. A stable infrastructure leads to that almost every year.
Nick Saban said this after the win: “They have a lot of pride in what the stand of playing (at) Alabama is. They were challenged to play to that standard, to take it personally, to understand they’re responsible for the identity that they create by how they play on the field.’’
That’s exactly what Aranda and so many coaches across the country are trying to establish.
Never take it for granted.
*****
Now, a look at other Baylor sports…
>The Baylor cross country team wrapped up the 2022 season at the NCAA South Central Regional on Friday morning. As a team, the women finished eighth in their 6k race, while the men finished seventh in their 10k. All eyes turn back to the track as the Bears make their 2023 indoor season debut at Texas Tech's Corky Classic, Jan. 13-14.
>The No. 10-ranked Baylor volleyball team fell on Saturday afternoon to TCU, 3-1, in Schollmaier Arena. The Bears (21-5, 10-3 Big 12 Conference) were overtaken by the Horned Frogs (13-10, 8-5 Big 12) in four sets, 25-23, 25-27, 25-20, 25-10. The Bears return home to the Ferrell Center to face Iowa State on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. match.
>No. 8 Baylor equestrian (1-4, 1-1) fell to No. 1 SMU (2-0, 0-0) on Nov. 4 at the Dallas Equestrian Center by a final of 13-6. The Bears rode strong in the first half, thanks in part to a 3-2 event win in Fences, and were tied with the Mustangs heading into the halftime break at 5-5. However, SMU made use of an 8-1 second half to pull away and hold off BU.
No. 8 Baylor (1-4, 1-1) rounds out its fall slate by hosting Fresno State (0-3, 0-1) on Friday, Nov. 18, in Waco. First ride is set for 12 p.m.
Let’s make it a great week!
Publisher
OMD was another one of those English New Wave Electronic Bands who crossed the pond in the 1980s and found their niche into American pop music culture.
Their official name is Orchestra Maneuvers in the Dark. Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys founded them in 1978. Most might remember them for their signature hit “If you leave’’ from the 1986 Brat Pack film Pretty in Pink.
But by this time, you know the RJB will never play to the traditional on a group unless you want to refer to the previous weeks where it pulled out some of the signature songs from the 1980s.
Well, anyway, the RBJ is partial to this one that was also released in 1986. It had a solid chart performance. It reached No. 19 on the U.S. Billboard. When you click to open it, you’ll likely react, “Oh yeah. I remember this. Hadn’t heard this for the longest time.’’
That’s why it’s called the RBJ!
*****
While Saturday night at McLane Stadium was a disaster, it’s probably best as the Baylor faithful and take a page from a football team’s way of doing business and apply the 24-hour rule.
You know the one where you have 24 hours to celebrate or to pout about the outcome and move on to the next one. The Baylor community really needs to do that after Kansas State 31, Baylor 3. There isn’t one thing that you can point to and believe this team can carry forward into the next one.
We’ve dissected how it all came apart and that’s Baylor’s hopes of repeating as Big 12 champions is essentially over.
Technically, I jumped the gun following the game. There are some crazy scenarios where Baylor is technically still alive in the Big 12 championship game race. The Bears need to win out against TCU and at Texas and need a lot of help for Dec. 3 to happen.
But that’s not important right now. What’s important is that this team deep six the KSU performance and move on to rivalry week and the 118th meeting with No. 4 TCU.
If there is a positive that can come from a game like Kansas State is that from blowouts, you typically can mentally and emotionally bounce back from them quicker than you can from the nailbiter losses.
That doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to win. Still, chances are you’re going to play better.
Baylor must treat TCU Saturday like TCU treated Baylor last year. The Bears went into a bizarre environment where the wounded Horned Frogs had just fired Gary Patterson and were trying to just finish the season. It just so happened that the archrival came to Fort Worth and they managed pick off the Bears.
A year later, it’s the Bears who are the wounded team and face the Horned Frogs who have all of the momentum. TCU comes to Waco. Could Baylor play spoiler and knock TCU from college football playoff race?
Well, recent history hasn’t been kind to the Bears in this series. TCU has won six of the last seven meetings. But 2021 shouldn’t impact 2022.
Linebacker Dillon Doyle talked in the postgame presser that football is way more than holding trophies at the end of the season. Well, if that’s how he feels, he better hope that about 100 other guys feel the same way and how they want to finish this season.
I go back to something that Baylor head coach Dave Aranda said a couple of weeks ago when he mentioned the complacency on this team was a concern. The drive to keep pushing wasn’t there.
This is what he said the Saturday before West Virginia:
“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.”
Aranda went on to say that he believed that was a good week to work on that. Well, I’m not sure that’s really happened. Even in the three-game winning streak, it was good to win but it wasn’t at an elite level that Baylor played at last year.
The tone and the culture are established during the offseason and spring football. It’s constantly evaluated and addressed. But you can’t snap your fingers, and everyone flips. It doesn’t work that way.
It’s just something that evolves. Within a month or so, the players would have picked up on if this is where it needed to be or if it isn’t.
Forget the sound bytes from Saturday or what will be said by Aranda on Monday and then Tuesday when the selected players meet with the media.
The actions will tell you more. By noon Saturday – the game kicks at 11:00 a.m. - you will know if this team is engaged to play or not. Baylor’s in a position where it can finish between 6-6 and 8-4. Saturday is important for Baylor for its future when playing for a trophy isn’t the goal. This game has to matter beyond the rivalry.
That’s why we should recognize that this season is a reminder of how hard it is to create a standard and keep it year after year. I talked about it earlier this season to appreciate Georgia, Ohio State, Alabama and Clemson year after year because of what they have established within their programs.
For example, look at Alabama’s come-from-behind 30-24 win at Ole Miss on Saturday. The Tide won’t be playing in the playoffs this year or the SEC championship game. But that doesn’t mean the season should be written off. Titles are the goal. A stable infrastructure leads to that almost every year.
Nick Saban said this after the win: “They have a lot of pride in what the stand of playing (at) Alabama is. They were challenged to play to that standard, to take it personally, to understand they’re responsible for the identity that they create by how they play on the field.’’
That’s exactly what Aranda and so many coaches across the country are trying to establish.
Never take it for granted.
*****
Now, a look at other Baylor sports…
>The Baylor cross country team wrapped up the 2022 season at the NCAA South Central Regional on Friday morning. As a team, the women finished eighth in their 6k race, while the men finished seventh in their 10k. All eyes turn back to the track as the Bears make their 2023 indoor season debut at Texas Tech's Corky Classic, Jan. 13-14.
>The No. 10-ranked Baylor volleyball team fell on Saturday afternoon to TCU, 3-1, in Schollmaier Arena. The Bears (21-5, 10-3 Big 12 Conference) were overtaken by the Horned Frogs (13-10, 8-5 Big 12) in four sets, 25-23, 25-27, 25-20, 25-10. The Bears return home to the Ferrell Center to face Iowa State on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. match.
>No. 8 Baylor equestrian (1-4, 1-1) fell to No. 1 SMU (2-0, 0-0) on Nov. 4 at the Dallas Equestrian Center by a final of 13-6. The Bears rode strong in the first half, thanks in part to a 3-2 event win in Fences, and were tied with the Mustangs heading into the halftime break at 5-5. However, SMU made use of an 8-1 second half to pull away and hold off BU.
No. 8 Baylor (1-4, 1-1) rounds out its fall slate by hosting Fresno State (0-3, 0-1) on Friday, Nov. 18, in Waco. First ride is set for 12 p.m.
Let’s make it a great week!
