Staff Predictions: Baylor Football Returns to Waco for Home Opener against PVA&M
WACO – The SicEm365 Staff gives their predictions for Baylor’s (0-1) home opener against Prairie View A&M (1-1). Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. CT on Saturday, Sept. 12, at McLane Stadium.
- Spread: Baylor (-38.5)
- O/U: 55.5
- Moneyline: Baylor (-10000)
Colt Barber (1-0) — Baylor 56, Prairie View A&M 3
Baylor has gone into games against FCS teams with worse defenses and played pretty salty. After watching this front seven against Auburn, I would be incredibly disappointed if Baylor gave up a touchdown. Throw in the fact that Baylor lost the game while playing one of its best defensive performances dating all the way back to 2019, and I think we will see a dominant effort. There’s nothing to hide schematically, so playing vanilla should be off the table. Meanwhile, the offense has its way of running the football, and a few short fields and/or non-offensive touchdowns make this one ugly.
Ashley Hodge (1-0) — Baylor 48, Prairie View A&M 14
I’m excited for this game. First, I think Prairie View A&M is going to win the SWAC, not the “cupcake” others might expect. They have some legit athletes. Second, Doug McNamee and his team have been focusing on making McLane’s atmosphere a fan-centric experience. I’m looking forward to seeing what the final product looks like. Third, I want to see Nate Bennett and Edward Griffin, even if Lagway is a full go in this game. I’m particularly excited to watch Griffin. I’ve heard a lot of positive buzz about him.
Grayson Grundhoefer (1-0) — Baylor 41, Prairie View A&M 6
Prairie View A&M is a good SWAC team, but that shouldn’t matter in this game as they got hammered by Tarleton State. Anything less than a four-touchdown win would be very disappointing. I do worry a little bit about a post-Auburn hangover and Baylor trying to rest guys. The hope is for a fast start since this is the home opener, but I have some concerns. Ultimately, if Baylor plays as they did against Auburn, this game is over by halftime, but if there are any lingering effects, it could be uglier than Baylor fans would like.
Levi Caraway (0-1) — Baylor 34, Prairie View A&M 10
I’m curious to see if the intensity that we saw in the Auburn game carries into the home opener, despite the gut-wrenching loss last Saturday. If that focus and toughness get picked up right where it left off in Atlanta, that’s going to make me feel pretty confident that this will be a good season, though that might be the only true takeaway I’ll have from this one.
Jack Mackenzie (1-0) — Baylor 42, Prairie View A&M 7
I hope we don’t see DJ Lagway for more than one quarter. The defense should be able to shut down Prairie View pretty easily if they stay locked in and don't overlook the SWAC team. Otherwise, look for the offensive line and Dre’lon Miller to show us whether they are pushing to be better than they were against Auburn or just accepting where they are.
Sam Bradshaw (1-0) — Baylor 42, Prairie View A&M 13
Baylor has a week where the offense should roll, but they'll be trying to either sit their starting QB or severely limit the chance of getting him hit, which could affect playcalling. Baylor’s limitations keep the score from being crazy, but the Bears win comfortably
