Big 12 Champion Baylor Seeks Next Step for 2022

Last year was a tremendous comeback season for the Baylor Bears.  Head coach Dave Aranda arrived at Waco in 2020 as the pandemic hit.  Also, he stepped into the big shoes of Matt Rhule.  In 2019 Rhule had a College football betting record of 11-3 and led Baylor to the Sugar Bowl.  Aranda could not implement his system and playbook in 2020.  Cause by the pandemic restrictions.  Baylor never had a chance and finished 2-7.  However, in 2021, Aranda and Baylor more than made up for the pandemic-induced flop with a 12-2 record.

Making New History – The Baylor Bears

Baylor is in its most successful sportsbook era in program history.  Since 2011 the Bears have finished in the top 13 of the final national rankings six times, including a program-best 5^th in 2021.

The Baylor Bears play at a private Baptist institution in Waco, Texas.  Once upon a time, the Bears were consistently outclassed by big money powers such as the Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners.  Fortunately, big-money donors began to surface over the past decade.  Baylor invested heavily into football and built the spectacular McLane Stadium in 2014.  As a result of the cash infusion, Baylor’s overall Betting on college football image improved with prospective players.

To summarize, Baylor has won ten conference championships in its history and has a 14-12 record in bowl games.  Robert Griffin III is the only Heisman Trophy winner in Baylor history.  The Bears boast 18 consensus All-Americans during their existence.

Head coach Grant Teaff was a legend that led Baylor from 1972 through 1992 and ended up in the college football Hall of Fame.  Namely, Mike Singletary, Don Trull, and Bryce Petty are Baylor legends of the past.

CashBet Odds Analysis – Baylor Emerges on Cusp of National Contention

Last year, Baylor had a dream bet on NCAAF season.  It ended with a Big 12 championship, a school-record 12 wins, and a Sugar Bowl victory over Ole Miss.  Baylor will not catch anyone napping in 2022.  Of great concern is that the Bears must replace a lot of proven production off last year’s roster.

Sophomore Blake Shapen won a tight quarterback battle in the spring.  That result sent Gerry Bohanon to the transfer portal as a grad transfer.  Shapen showed championship mettle in the Bears’ 21–16 win over Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Championship game.  Consider that he completed his first 17 passes and threw for 180 yards and three touchdowns to earn MVP honors.  Now for the 2022 campaign, Shapen’s leadership skills will have to flourish.  He got just two starts last season and missed the bowl game with a shoulder injury.

In addition to the missing production, Bernard and Pitre left a leadership void on the defense.  But there is potential for a strong unit in 2022.  Cause by a defensive front that returns its entire two-deep and the addition of Tulsa transfer Jaxon Player.  First-team All-Big 12 nose tackle Siaki “Apu” Ika will get support from Maxwell, Gabe Hall, TJ Franklin, and Brayden Utley.

The Bears are loaded at kicker, with the program’s all-time career leader in field-goal percentage, John Mayers, at 76.5 percent.  Yet Mayers is backing up sophomore Isaiah Hankins, who won the job in fall camp last year.  Hankins converted 14-of-20 and perfect 57-of-57 for extra points.

Correlate that Baylor is solid in both the offensive and defensive lines.  Thus, the Bears should be in a Betting on NCAAF position to contend for another conference title if they can find enough playmakers.