Don’t expect the Baylor Bears (+4,000) to slow down this upcoming season despite all of the major changes and on-going NCAA investigations surrounding the school. Yes, the Art Briles era may be over, but the team’s offense, which led the nation in total yards per game (616) and scoring (48.1) last year, should continue to cause a lot of havoc for opponents.
QB Seth Russell, who threw for 2,104 yards with 29 touchdowns before being knocked out last year, is back and revved up to lead the Bears behind center. He’s going to be surrounded with a bunch of reliable weapons, and junior wide receiver KD Cannon, in particular, will undoubtedly be one of his favorite targets to throw to.
Cannon finished with 868 yards on 50 receptions and delivered seven touchdowns last season. Those numbers are bound to significantly improve this year, as he’ll no longer have to play second fiddle to Corey Coleman, who’s now living his NFL dream as a member of the Cleveland Browns.
Team Weaknesses
Baylor’s offense and defense currently appears good enough to at least hold its ground against any team. However, the Bears can’t afford to lose Seth Russell, who is priced at +2,500 to win the 2016 Heisman Trophy, or anybody else to an injury.
They need to protect their beloved signal-caller at all times, and also hope that the football gods will keep them healthy throughout the entire season. If not, the Bears’ 2016 campaign could be in jeopardy with freshmen Zach Smith now the team’s second-string QB after Jarrett Stidham’s transfer from Waco.
2015 Team Stats
Category
Stat (Rank)
Points per game
48.1 (#1)
Passing yards per game
289.5 (#25)
Rushing yards per game
326.7 (#3)
Scoring defense
27.5 (#72)
Writer’s Prediction
Baylor (+4,000) finishes with a 9-4 overall record, and bags home the fourth spot in the Big 12.
