2013 Football Previews – Big 12 – Bears
Baylor head coach Art Briles has a fantastic pedigree developing signal-callers, but it’s the running backs in Waco that have everyone talking. The duo of Lache Seastrunk and Glasco Martin might just be the best in America.
Big 12 Conference 2013 College Football Previews: Baylor Bears (Team Link)
Head Coach: Art Briles
2012 Record: 8-5
Baylor Gambling Odds to win BCS Championship: 300-1
Baylor Gambling Odds to win Big 12: 12-1
Seastrunk, a former Oregon signee, has the swagger to go along with his prodigious ability. The two combine for a classic thunder (Martin) and lightning (Seastrunk) combination that improve Baylor’s chances of producing a home-run play every time it possesses the ball. It is quite possible the Bears feature two 1,000-yard backs by the end of the season.
Junior QB Bryce Petty looks to be the next in line to succeed legendary Robert Griffin III (just ask any football fan in the nation’s capital) and record-setting Nick Florence.
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The awesome RB duo will take lots of pressure off Petty’s shoulders, but the new starter still has talented WR Tevin Reese to huck the ball to.
Fans of quick-strike offense should also keep their eyes on speedsters like WR Corey Coleman and Jay Lee.
One notable area of concern is on the offensive line. After returning OT Troy Baker tore his ACL in the spring, the unit is especially thin. New candidates must emerge if Petty is going to remain upright and the RBs are going to maximize their talents. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
Despite this legitimate worry, Baylor fans must be thrilled that they are no longer also-rans in the Big 12.
Baylor’s defense gave up video game-like numbers last season, but the unit improved as a whole as the season progressed. With eight returning starters in ’13, the Bears hope to continue that trend. The Bears have a pair of competent linebackers in Eddie Lackey and Bryce Hager, and senior safety Ahmad Dixon is also a stud.
Baylor must replace the interior of its defensive line, so plugging the run may be an issue, particularly early on.
Even if Baylor is going to make a living being a high-wire, thrilling, “surrender-lots-but-score-even-more” sort of team, one must concede that Briles has done an excellent job with this program.
Not long ago, Baylor wasn’t in any discussions unless they were describing laughingstocks.
Now, excellent QB development and persistence on the recruiting trail has resulted in Baylor becoming a serious player in the Big 12 race.
Offensive and defensive lines are a concern for this team, which is doubly concerning because the conference seems to be slowly shifting from being represented by dominant passers to being represented by superstar runners.
Regardless, coming off the momentum of winning five of its past six ballgames (including the Holiday Bowl), the prevailing mood must be positive in Waco, because the Bears are a program on the rise.
Sooners 2013 Schedule
8/31/13 7:30 PM ET WOF
9/7/13 3:30 PM ET BUFF
9/21/13 TBD ULM
10/5/13 TBD WVU
10/12/13 TBD @KSU
10/19/13 TBD ISU
10/26/13 TBD @KU
11/7/13 7:30 PM ET OKLA
11/16/13 TBD TTU
11/23/13 TBD @OKST
11/30/13 TBD @TCU
12/7/13 TBD TEX
