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Baylor head coach Dave Aranda speaks during Big 12 NCAA college football media days in Las Vegas, Wednesday, July 10, 2024. | Lucas Peltier
Editor’s note: Second in a series previewing each team in the Big 12 in 2024
Credit Baylor football coach Dave Aranda for the most honest, and succinct, quote at last week’s Big 12 football media days in Las Vegas.
Asked why the program has experienced a sudden upsurge in recruiting success by the website SicEm365.com despite back-to-back losing seasons on the field, Aranda’s answer was simple and direct.
“We are paying players,” Aranda said.
So is everybody else, but to hear a respected coach say it that plainly illustrates just how much college football has changed the past few years, thanks to the legalization of basically putting players on the payroll in the name of NIL and the transfer portal.
By all accounts, this is a huge season for Aranda, who is clearly on the hot seat after the Bears went 6-7 in 2022 and 3-9 in 2023. The program that won the Big 12 championship game — a 21-16 victory over Oklahoma State — and the Sugar Bowl (a 21-7 conquest of Ole Miss) just three seasons ago has suddenly plummeted, and another one will not go over well in Waco.
The Bears are picked to finish 12th in the Big 12 football media preseason poll, a spot ahead of BYU, which visits McLane Stadium on Sept. 28 in a game that could determine which faith-based school makes it to a bowl game in 2024. Baylor plays at Utah — which is picked to win the league — on Sept. 7, but that rematch of last year’s 20-13 Utah win in Waco is not considered a league game because it was scheduled before Utah was invited to join the Big 12.
“I have seen the media poll and kind of where we are predicted to finish, and so I am excited to prove that wrong,” Aranda said. “I think in the past couple…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/big-12-team-preview-struggling-225138326.html
Author : Deseret News
Publish date : 2024-07-14 22:51:38
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