39 Days till Kickoff: Baylor is 40th in Weeks in the AP Poll with 221

As always, keep track of both the stats and roster countdowns in the Offseason Hub!

Baylor has spent 221 weeks in the AP Top 25, which is good for 40th overall in the country. Their 221 weeks in the AP Top 25 puts the Bears sixth in the current Big 12 and fifth in the new Big 12, behind West Virginia (306), Oklahoma State (271), BYU (260), and TCU (243).

@Jerome Miron

Robert Griffin III brought success back to the Baylor program for the first time in decades.

76 of the 221 weeks in the AP Top 25 have come since Robert Griffin III’s sophomore campaign in 2010. The Bears were ranked for two weeks in 2010, nine weeks in 2011, and one week in 2012.

Baylor began to establish itself as a powerhouse in 2013. Despite not starting the season ranked, the Bears entered the poll in week two and finished the season at No. 6 overall. The final season in Floyd Casey saw thrilling victories over both No. 5 Oklahoma and No. 23 Texas.

Up until that point, 2014 was arguably Baylor’s best team ever. The Bears started the season ranked tenth and stayed within the top twelve for the entire season. Unfortunately, in the first year of the College Football Playoff, BU was left on the outside looking in and finished the season with a Cotton Bowl loss to No. 7 Michigan State.

Just like the season prior, Baylor was ranked for the entire 2015 season, reaching as high as No. 2 overall. A couple of quarterback injuries late in the year derailed the season, but that didn’t stop the Bears from rushing for 645 yards in the victory over No. 10 North Carolina in the Russell Athletic Bowl.

Baylor started 2016 hot going 6-0 and spending the first nine weeks in the AP Top 25 before losing the following six games. The Bears would not return to the Top 25 until midway through the 2019 season. 

@Derick E. Hingle

Matt Rhule had the Bears ranked as high as No. 7 in 2019.

After two long years, Coach Rhule had finally gotten the BU program back up and running. BU started the season 9-0 and spent the final nine weeks of the season ranked, reaching as high as No. 7 overall.

In Coach Aranda’s second year in Waco, Baylor entered the Top 25 after an upset victory over No. 14 Iowa State, but the No. 23 Bears lost the following week to Oklahoma State in a close one. After big wins over West Virginia and No. 19 BYU, Baylor re-entered the Top 25 and would go on to spend the final seven weeks of the season ranked. The Sugar Bowl victory over No. 8 Ole Miss propelled the Bears to No. 5 in the final AP Poll ranking. It was the first time Baylor was ranked within the top five since the 2015 season.

But it doesn’t stop there. BU will most likely be ranked somewhere between 10-20 in the AP Preseason Poll that will be released in the coming weeks.