In the Web: What 'They' are Saying About Baylor in Week 9
After throttling Texas Tech 59-35 in Lubbock on Saturday, the vibe check on what people have been saying about Baylor is vastly different this week. While it was supposed to be a homecoming party for the Red Raiders, it turned into a homecoming party for Lubbock native and Baylor quarterback Sawyer Robertson (RJr.).
Robertson has been the Bears' best player this season without question, but his performance against Texas Tech was something Baylor hasn’t witnessed from a quarterback in quite some time.
The redshirt junior threw for a career-high five touchdowns, earning him Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week honors.
A lot of Robertson’s success was aided by Baylor’s ability to establish their rushing attack early on. Having a healthy Bryson Washington (RFr.) available was a complete game changer for the Bears. Washington had just ten carries against Texas Tech, but he made the most of them, averaging 11.6 per touch on his way to a career-high 116 yards rushing.
Washington’s success helped him join Robertson in earning Big 12 honors as the newcomer of the week.
Having a week off to prepare for Texas Tech and get healthy was definitely beneficial for everyone, but the adjustments made by the coaching staff deserve credit. Baylor not only physically dominated the Red Raiders in all three phases of the game, but they also out coached the Texas Tech staff as well.
The offensive explosion on display last week was exactly why Dave Aranda went out and hired Jake Spavital as his offensive coordinator in the offseason. There have been a multitude of reasons for why things have clicked for that unit up to this point, but when it’s clicking on all cylinders, it’s fun to watch.
Spavital received his flowers this week for getting Baylor’s offense to put up 59 points, as he earned Big 12 Coordinator of the Week honors by Matt Zenitz of 247 Sports.
Baylor can silence all haters with a bowl berth if they can properly navigate the back half of their schedule. The Bears won’t face another opponent in the Big 12 that is better than anyone they have faced up to this point.
While becoming bowl eligible seemed like a long shot before the win against Texas Tech, Baylor is now being projected to make the Rate Bowl in Phoenix against Iowa, according to Brett McMurphy of Action Network HQ.
https://www.actionnetwork.com/ncaaf/week-9-college-football-bowl-projections-updated-picks-brett-mcmurphy-college-football-playoff-predictions?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=BrettMcMurphy
If the Bears (3-4, 1-3) want to make that bowl projection a reality, they must continue taking care of business on the field. Baylor will be back in action on Saturday for homecoming, as they welcome Oklahoma State (3-4, 0-4) to McLane Stadium for a 2:30 p.m. kickoff.