A week off after two games is the worst, but Baylor needs this

Two games in and there is already a break for the 1-1 Baylor Bears. I know, lame, right?

But given the rollercoaster that September was, maybe this is really week six. Four different games were the opener as COVID laid waste to anything that resembled a normal start. The offensive line had players in and out of practice and games over the first two weeks, and of course, it happened right before you play the best defensive line you will see all season.

Normally I think a bye after week two is a buzzkill. But after watching Baylor on Saturday against the Mountaineers, this will be fully needed. 

SicEm365

Baylor’s offense only produced 256 yards of offense against West Virginia.

Offensive line play is kind of like being on a chorus line. Please try and track my metaphor here. All five guys have to be in sync just like the chorus line has to. And when you don’t practice together all that much for a couple of weeks, Broadway isn’t going to be calling. That’s what we saw from the Baylor offensive line in Morgantown. They were not ready for the bright lights. They looked out of sync, slow, and then they flat out got worked.

It would be easy given the play of the last the plus seasons to fret that the line has not gotten better. While I am not dismissing that as a possibility, I do think we need to weigh all the factors. I personally have not had COVID-19—knock on wood—but I can’t imagine that coming back from it is easy, especially if you are expected to perform at a high level athletically. I will add that into the mix of why the line was so bad on Saturday. 

Next, when you swap out three starters who have never played in a game together in that arrangement, the likelihood of your chorus line not kicking their legs up in tune with music is heightened. (Yes, I am sticking with the chorus line thing. It’s my column and I will use all the Broadway metaphors that I like.) Two weeks of work together before Oklahoma State is exactly what these players need. Learn from each other, get in tune and get ready to perform. 

Finally, for everyone else not on the line, it lets you get back to center, harness you chi, find balance, or whatever you want to call it.

“Twenty-Twenty” is a year that is going to throw your whole being into flux. When the world gives you a break, take it. Use every second of it to get better. I am confident that Dave Aranda and the Bears will.

With the Pokes on the horizon, some time to focus on the little things is exactly what they need. Let’s see how they use this time and see if they are ready for Broadway.