SicEm365 Staff Predictions for Baylor's road matchup against BYU

The SicEm365 Staff gives their predictions for the road opener for the Baylor Bears against No. 21 BYU. The second game of the regular season will kickoff at 9:15 p.m. CT at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo, Utah on ESPN.

Colt Barber — Baylor 34, BYU 28

Baylor has to do what it can to get off to a fast start on offense in this game, but just as important is limiting BYU from getting early momentum. BYU, not Albany, is the opponent that the coaching staff has been prepping for during the offseason and we will see a game plan that is catered to the opponent rather than “working out the kinks and “seeing what we got.” Baylor has the ability to win both sides of the line of scrimmage and for the most part will. 

Brian Ethridge – Baylor 41, BYU 31

This one is going to be a fun o e to attend. I expect a full bag of tricks to be on display from BYU and Baylor to pound the rock and then air it out over the top. Altitude issues could be real, but Baylor is deep and ready on DL.

Craig Smoak — Baylor 37, BYU 24

Despite some of their youth and inexperience, the Bears' star power in the trenches is where my mind always returns. Player for player and coach for coach, give me the Bears over the Cougars. A win will be challenging, but I think the months of preparation, messaging, and focus on road success will pay dividends on Saturday night and give the program a massive victory to celebrate on the trip back home to Waco. 

David Smoak — Baylor 30, BYU 27

I’ve gone back and forth on this one all week and especially with the game being in Provo. But, there is something about Dave Aranda and a major theme of his throughout the off-season how his players and team would handle the challenges, dark clouds and storms. My favorite analogy was a herd of buffalo being the only animal who run straight into the oncoming storm instead of alongside of it or away from it…and I think that’s the mentality of a program built on toughness, grit and a quiet swagger.

Paul Catalina — Baylor 27, BYU 23

This one is an absolute slobber knocker. But I think Baylor’s defense makes big plays when they need to and if BYU is without either of their big 2 WRs, it will be tough to score on the Bears. 

Grayson Grundhoefer — Baylor 33, BYU 28

I was the closest to getting it perfect last week as I missed it by only 6 total points. Let’s go for two in a row. The Bears' defensive line is the story of the day as they slow down the Cougars' rushing attack and make life tough for Jaren Hall. BYU is a top 25 team and playing on the road won’t be easy but the Bears find a way to get the biggest road win in the Dave Aranda era.

Sam Bradshaw — Baylor 30, BYU 24

This game is going to be a big challenge to get either team off of the field. Each team will be productive with the limited drive counts I expect to see. Baylor will change some things up to try and deny the big passes while BYU has almost certainly circled this game and desperately wants to avoid a repeat of last year. Elevation, a late kickoff time, and a motivated BYU squad does a lot, but Baylor has the better defense and that versatility turns it into a battle of offenses.

Travis Roeder — Baylor 31, BYU 20

BYU is a very good team who will go on to have a terrific year, but this is a bad matchup for them. On offense, Sqwirl has his first massive career game and Hal Presley wins outside with BYU focusing on Baylor’s inside receivers and TEs. Defensively, Baylor once again smothers BYU’s run game. Jaren Hall is an NFL QB will make a handful of plays that are indefensible, but the difference is that Baylor is able to generate consistent pressure to force a few bad decisions.

Kendall Kaut — Baylor 28, BYU 24

Baylor's defense comes through late with a big interception, and Blake Shapen hits some big throws in the second half. BYU stymies Baylor early in the game, and the Cougars put a real scare into Baylor. I'll take Baylor 28-24.

Jack Mackenzie — Baylor 31, BYU 27

I was off by a total of 14 points last week, both teams scoring more so I’m -14. That is 10 points more than Baylor will win by. It’s a tight one with Baylor making close to too many mistakes but escaping Utah with the win. The defensive line will come up big in a big situation. 

Garrett Ross — BYU 35, Baylor 31

Coming into the season I had Baylor picked to finish with four losses, with the first coming in Provo. While the Bears return a lot in the trenches on both sides of the ball, I believe the BYU quarterback Jaren Hall will expose Baylor’s young secondary. Add in the altitude and late start, this could be a tricky game for Baylor. Until Baylor proves that they can win on the road in a hostile environment, I’m riding with the Cougars.

Levi Caraway — BYU 31, Baylor 27

In the grand scheme of things, this game will only make both squads better as the season progresses, and I still have the Bears finishing 9-3. But it’s the first real road test for a Baylor team that has a lot of new faces at key positions, and I have a hard time seeing how Jaren Hall and Puka Nacua will be kept contained for the entirety of the game.

Jacob Wilson — Baylor 34, BYU 27

Following BYU's loss in 2021 to Boise St, they looked to get back to national prominence against Baylor, and the Bears ruined those hopes by manhandling the Cougars in Waco. 2022 is a chance at revenge. BYU QB Jaren Hall threw at will last week against USF, so they'll look to exploit a young Baylor secondary. However, the Bears are too good up front on both sides of the ball, Sqwirl and Taye should rack up big yardage, and Baylor's defense will keep enough pressure on BYU to hold them off.