Under Head Coach Art Briles, the Baylor Bears steadily improved in his first five seasons. Then, in 2013, the Bears finished the job by going 8-1 in conference play and winning the Big 12 title.
The task is different in 2014 – the Bears have everyone’s attention and will not be taken lightly. One of the most difficult things in sport is to win consecutive championships…and now Waco, the national media and the boosters that financed Baylor’s new stadium are all expecting the Bears to do just that.
And Briles isn’t flinching at that challenge of staying on top, ““What we’re trying to do is establish a program that is a dominant football team, where every year we’re a team that must be reckoned with if you’re going to win the Big 12 title.â€
The Bears have reason to believe that Briles is up to the task of repeating as conference champs. The team returns some key players, has a solid mix of veterans throughout the depth chart, and, better still, has the same coaching staff in place that they’ve had for the prior three seasons. Many pundits will point to the return of Bryce Petty at quarterback (and rightfully so, it’s the first time BU has a returning quarterback in three years) but that kind of continuity in a coaching staff is a major advantage.
Baylor’s quest to repeat as conference champions will take place in a new stadium. On August 31, the Bears will open their season against SMU in McLane Stadium – their new, on-campus home that is on the Brazos River.
On the new stadium, Briles said, “It’s going to be as great a gameday atmosphere, I think, as you’ll find in the United States of America. It’s going to be a very unique experience. It’d be tough to mimic what we’re going to be able to do with the boats and the water and the sailgating.â€
Offense
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