In The Web: What "They" Are Saying About Baylor in Week 1
It’s officially game week for Coach Aranda and Baylor as they get set to host Texas State and new head coach G.J. Kinne on Saturday evening at McLane Stadium. Baylor has defeated the Bobcats the past two seasons 29-21 in 2021 and 42-7 in 2022 and is expected to pull off the hat trick this weekend.
Here’s a look at how the experts at BetMGM Sportsbook in Las Vegas see this game shaking out.
Baylor vs. Texas State Odds and Lines
College football odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Monday at 7:58 PM ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub.
● Spread Favorite: Baylor (-27.5)
● Moneyline: Baylor (-5263), Texas State (+1550)
● Total: 62.5 points
Sticking with the analytics, Kelly Ford Rankings recently released their “Average Watchability” list, which projects the average quality and projected competitiveness of all 133 FBS programs. Four Big 12 programs currently sit in the Top 10, including Baylor at No. 10.
Kelly Ford Rankings also released their annual “Dashboard” which breaks down the entire schedule for each program from an analytical perspective.
After last season’s 6-7 debacle, there will be a lot of eyes on how Baylor responds in 2023. While there are some Big 12 coaches already on the hot seat, Pete Mundo of Heartland Sports views the current status of Dave Aranda as a “Simmer”.
SIMMER
DAVE ARANDA, BAYLOR
Aranda has had an up-and-down three seasons in Waco. After going 2-7 in his first year on the job, Aranda led the Bears to a Big 12 Title in Year 2, and then with sky-high expectations last season, including expectations of winning back-to-back Big 12 Championships, the Bears went 6-7 in 2022. Aranda isn’t on the hot seat, that’s not fair, but to suggest he’s “safe”, is too much, at least in my book.
Sticking with Aranda, the folks over at The Athletic recently released their 2023 College Coaching Tiers. The criteria used in these rankings include measurable success (including championships), resources, length of track record and more.
Aranda falls in line between Utah State head coach Blake Anderson and South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer at No. 2 in Tier 5 of 8.
The expected strength of this Baylor team lies in their stable of running backs, and rightfully so. Dave Campbell’s Texas Football has been putting out their Texas 50, which highlights the top players in the state.
After setting the Baylor freshman rushing record with 972 yards last season, it should come as no surprise that Richard Reese made the list at No. 4.
As always, get the latest on Baylor Football from SicEm365.com and tune into our pregame show on the 365 Sports YouTube Channel or KWTX on local television in Central Texas!