Counting Votes: Where the Bears and Big 12 Teams Landed in the Preseason Coaches Poll

“Counting Votes” is a working title for a weekly update on where Baylor and other Big 12 programs are in the national polls (AP and Coaches). Playoff rankings will be included once they begin releasing, and playoff implications for the Big 12 will be a particular focus alongside monitoring Baylor’s strength of schedule and record with the polls. 

The Baylor Bears received 28 points in votes from the preseason USA Today Coaches Poll on Monday. That figure is good for 33rd nationally and 6th in the Big 12. 

No Big 12 team cracked the top ten with Texas being the highest ranked at No. 12. TCU, Kansas State and Oklahoma are title grouped at Nos. 16, 17 and 19 respectively. Meanwhile, Texas Tech came in at No. 24.

By voting points, Baylor is 6th in the state of Texas with Texas A&M at No. 25 and UTSA earning 59 points and 29th place. 

Baylor was ranked No. 10 in the preseason Coaches Poll last year and received votes in the poll one other time under head coach Dave Aranda (2020). 

The last two times Baylor has reached the Big 12 conference title game — 2019 and 2021 — they received a total of four votes in those preseason Coaches Polls combined.

The Bears will welcome No. 14 Utah and No. 12 Texas to Waco in the span of three weeks in September. Texas Tech Makes its own trip just two weeks later on October 7th. 

The Green-and-Gold also visit No. 17 Kansas State and No. 16 TCU in back-to-back weeks in November.

Oklahoma State, SMU, Houston, and Kansas were other Big 12 or Texas teams that earned votes in the poll.

The preseason AP Poll is expected to release on August 14th.

USA Today Preseason Coaches Poll (August 7th, 2023)

1. Georgia

2. Michigan

3. Alabama

4. Ohio State

5. LSU

6. USC

7. Penn State

8. Florida State

9. Clemson

10. Tennessee

11. Washington

12. Texas

13. Notre Dame

14. Utah

15. Oregon

16. TCU

17. Kansas State

18. Oregon State

19. Oklahoma

20. North Carolina

21. Wisconsin

22. Ole Miss

23. Tulane

24. Texas Tech

25. Texas A&M

Receiving Votes: Iowa 169; South Carolina 89; Florida 63; Texas-San Antonio 59; Pittsburgh 52; UCLA 42; Kentucky 34; Baylor 28; Troy 25; Arkansas 20; NC State 19; Fresno State 19; Boise State 18; Auburn 18; Minnesota 16; Miami 16; Mississippi State 13; Oklahoma State 12; Missouri 11; Maryland 10; Southern Methodist 8; South Alabama 8; Illinois 7; Wake Forest 6; Air Force 6; Toledo 5; Washington State 4; Houston 3; Duke 2; Brigham Young 2; Arizona 2; Memphis 1; Kansas 1; James Madison 1.