2008 Baylor Bears College Football Predictions

The Baylor Bears have not had a winning season since 1995, but there's hope with new head man Art Briles coming over from the University of Houston. Can he take the Bears to their first winning season in 13 years. Find out in Jimmy Boyd's 2008 Baylor Bears predictions and season preview.
 

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Offense

In five successful seasons at Houston, Briles built balanced, explosive offenses and he hopes to do the same at Baylor. It is not a given that Blake Szymanski will be the starting QB again this season. He threw for 2,844 yards and 22 touchdowns last season, but his 18 interceptions are cause for concern. Newcomers Kirby Freeman and Robert Griffin will challenge for the starting job. Freeman was once one of the top QB prospects in the country and is hoping for one last shot at glory after transferring from Miami. Griffin enrolled early for the spring semester after an impressive career at nearby Copperas Cove High School. Who ever gets the starting nod will have a good group of receivers to work with. David Gettis, a track star who caught 31 balls as a sophomore, could be poised for a breakout season. Tight end Justin Akers was second on the team in receptions with 43 and Thomas White had a team-high eight touchdown receptions last year. Baylor must improve their running game to become a serious threat to defenses. The Bears averaged just 77.8 yards per game last season.

Defense

Baylor's defense is atrocious, and that's the biggest reason why the Bears were 0-8 in the Big 12 last season. In 2007, they allowed 461.6 yards per games and 37 points per game. There is reason to think that improvement is on the way with linebacker Joe Pawelek, free safety Jordan Lake, and tackle Vincent Rhodes. Pawelek was the Big 12's Newcomer of the Year in 2006 when he came up with 86 stops. Last season, he came right back with 99 tackles and was a playmaker with three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and two sacks. The solid season earned him second-team All-Big 12 honors. Lake was also named second-team All-Big 12 after his 120 tackle and two interception season. Lake isn't afraid to the lay the wood either. Rhodes is the run stuffer up front. He'll be joined by defensive end Jason Lamb, who led the teams with five sacks last season.

Special Teams

The kicking game was terrible in 2007. The freshman duo of Shea Brewster and Caleb Allen combined to make just six of 14 field goals. The departure of two-time Ray Guy Award winner Daniel Sepulveda left big shoes to fill at punter, but Derek Epperson showed potential in his freshman season.

Prediction – 6th in Big 12 South

The Big 12 South is stacked with Oklahoma, Texas, and Texas Tech leading the way, and they aren't quite as good as Texas A&M or Oklahoma State either. Even though the Bears should show some improvement, it likely won't be evidenced by their record in such a tough conference. Baylor's best chance for a Big 12 win looks to be at home against Iowa State on October 11th.

The Baylor Bears are projected to be at the bottom of the barrel in the Big 12, but that doesn't mean that they won't be a good covering team this season. Make sure you consult Jimmy Boyd's college football picks each week to see which teams are the best bets against the college football spreads and totals.

June 18th, 2008