Ranking Baylor's top five football victories since the 2014 season

The Baylor Bears have been on a rollercoaster over the past 5 seasons to say the least. With so many different faces on the roster and coaching staff and all kinds of different season results, the Bears still found a way to give Baylor fans games to remember.

Taking into account the weight of the results of the games and their sheer entertainment value, here are my top 5 Baylor football wins of the past five seasons.

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Honorable Mention

2014: With College Gameday in town, Baylor defeats #9 KSU in the season finale, 38-27, to win the Big 12 Championship

2015: Baylor knocks off #6 Oklahoma State in Stillwater, 45-35

5. Baylor 48, Texas Tech 46 (Nov. 29, 2014)

The No. 7-ranked Bears had a lot riding on this game as they headed to AT&T Stadium to battle Patrick Mahomes and the Texas Tech Red Raiders. The Bears jumped out of the gates early and had a 45-20 lead with just under 2 minutes remaining in the 3rd quarter. The Red Raiders fought back with a 19-point fourth quarter, but the Bears were able to hold on to win despite a late touchdown bomb from Mahomes. Mahomes finished with 598 yards and 6 touchdowns, but Shock Linwood and Johnny Jefferson’s 3 touchdowns and Bryce Petty’s 2 scores proved too much for the Red Raiders in this classic game.

4. Baylor 35, Oklahoma State 31 (Nov. 3, 2018)

The Oklahoma State Cowboys came into Waco seeking to ruin the Baylor Bears’ Homecoming weekend. Coming off two-straight losses, the Bears needed a win to help get their season back on track. This game was pretty ugly through the first three quarters. The Bears then found themselves down 24-14 late in the third quarter. Matt Rhule elected to put Charlie Brewer in the game for Jalan McClendon and the Bears clearly took off from that point. The Bears would climb back from a 31-21 deficit in the fourth quarter to score touchdowns on two straight drives. It was capped off with a 6-yard touchdown pass to Denzel Mims with just 7 seconds left.

3. Baylor 49, UNC 38 (Dec. 29, 2015)

This was a shocking game for all Baylor fans merely from the circumstances of the game. The Russell Athletic Bowl featured the 10th ranked North Carolina Tar Heels and the 17th ranked Baylor Bears. The Bears, though, were without their quarterbacks Seth Russell and Jarrett Stidham due to the season ending injuries. The Bears were forced to try out several different options at the most important position in football in this bowl game to try to pull out a win. Four different Baylor players threw passes, but it was the work of Johnny Jefferson with his 299 yards and 3 touchdowns that helped the Bears pull off the improbable win.

2. Baylor 45, Vanderbilt 38 (Dec. 27, 2018)

Baylor’s bout with the Vanderbilt Commodores was definitely one to remember. The game broke all kinds of records for the Texas Bowl. Both teams put up a combined 1,241 yards and electric long plays were the story of the game. The Commodores scored all 5 of their touchdowns on plays of 50 yards or longer. Ke’Shawn Vaughn lit up the Bears for 243 yards on 13 carries for 3 touchdowns. The Bears gained 8.2 yards per play. Charlie Brewer received MVP honors with 384 yards and 2 touchdowns through the air while adding 109 yards and a touchdown on the ground. The implications of this game for the Baylor football program and the Matt Rhule make this game even more exciting for Baylor fans.

1. Baylor 61, TCU 58 (Oct. 11, 2014)

This is a no brainer for all Baylor fans. The 9th ranked Texas Christian Horned Frogs rolled into Waco to take on the 5th ranked Baylor Bears to try and thwart the hopes of the Bears making the College Football Playoff. TCU came out strong and took a commanding 21 point lead with 11:38 remaining in the fourth. This was Baylor’s time to put their foot down and cement themselves as a title contender. With an steep uphill battle to climb, Bryce Petty led the Bears to three straight touchdown drives and the defense held their own to tie the game with just under 5 minutes remaining. The Bears would force the Horned Frogs to turn the ball over on downs before Bryce Petty would lead the Bears all the way to the 11-yard line for Chris Callahan to win the game on a chip-shot field goal to win the game. The crowd went crazy and stormed the field in one of the best college football games of all time.