Staff Predictions – Texas @ Baylor

Chris Flanagan

Well since this is a bad year for bowl teams, it seems Texas has a LONG shot to make a bowl. They are catching the Bears at the right time.

However, Texas has had no luck this year and it’s time to put down the 2015 Texas Longhorns and move onto 2016.

Score Prediction: Baylor – 44, Texas – 24

Taylor Smith

Baylor’s offense, more dominant than the Tech offense, will be too much for the Longhorns defense to handle. The Bears are playing with their third-string quarterback, but he put on a show in Stillwater, and I imagine the same thing will happen again this weekend. Baylor also owns one of the top wide receivers, Corey Coleman, who has 20 touchdown receptions on the season, the most in the NCAA. Texas offense, without D’Onta Foreman, will struggle against the Bears defense, who only allow an average of 396.4 yards a game.

Score Prediction: Baylor – 56, Texas – 24

Jon Nemec

Rather than this Texas’ season ending in a bang, hoping for a few key wins, it will end in a whimper. Silver lining is at least there is a new OC coming to town and a revamped offensive attack in 2016. However, before that there is one more game to go, at Baylor. This will be the last test in a very trying season for this Texas team and staff. I really see no way Texas wins this, especially with the rash of injuries that hit Texas last week.

Looks for Texas to feed freshman Chris Warren early and often. Texas finally let that stallion out of the barn and he is Texas’ only chance to field a competent offensive. Texas’ offense I think will have little impact on the game unless Warren can get going and hopefully open up the passing game. Swoopes is going to have to hit a receiver at some point this season and game if he wants to help this team out. Hopefully Swoopes can do better than 50%.

On defense this is where Texas has a chance. Despite this being one of the worst Texas defenses in history let’s not act like that Baylor isn’t starting their 3^rd option at quarterback. The scheme and Baylor offensive line will help protect Johnson’s inefficiencies at the position. But Texas will need to pressure him, and finish the tackle and bring him down. They were not able to do this against Tech and Pat Mahomes. If Texas can create some costly turnovers they have chance. Otherwise it’ll be a long 60 minutes.

Score Prediction: Baylor – 45, Texas – 21

Mike Roach

Texas would love to pull a shocker off in Waco and to be quite honest there are some things in play that could make that happen. After a loss to TCU, Baylor is out of the playoff and could be due for a letdown from the hangover of last week. They are also down to a third string quarterback who struggled to complete passes in last week’s contest. If Texas can ball control properly and limit big plays they have a great shot. Unfortunately this Texas team is dealing with their own injury issues leading to broken coverages and mistakes on defense. I just don’t see them overcoming a powerful Baylor team.

Score Prediction: Baylor – 45, Texas – 21

Will Baizer

Without the 7 of the Longhorns key starters and their best running back (4 of which are key players) I don’t see the Longhorns being able to put up much of a fight this game, no matter how willing and ready they are.

Baylor has a slew of offensive weapons it will be releasing on a team without Malik and Peter Jinkens and a secondary consisting of 3-4 freshmen against guys like Cory Coleman and KD Cannon. Also without Hassan Ridgeway we lose a huge piece of depth to the battle up front, so the front line will tire faster against a super-fast paced offense.

On the opposite side of the ball Baylor has one of the best DT in the nation in going up against Doyle and Flowers, so there’s a mismatch there. We know Swoopes is not the best passer and is not very comfortable with throwing the ball over the middle, opting to check to streaks which he then overthrows or underthrows. I know Chris Warren is the flavor of the week, but I’m tentative to drink the koolaid because he torched an absolutely horrendous Texas Tech secondary. Baylor is a much better rushing defense, holding teams to (on average) 156 yards/game. So we won’t be seeing a 400 yard rushing effort again this week.

Everything I can think about, Texas is disadvantaged due to injuries. So…

Score Prediction: Texas – 17, Baylor – 42

Aaron Carrara

Gone are the days when a game on the schedule against Baylor was almost certainly a win. The Bears have won 4 of the last 5 against Texas and look to make it three straight. Baylor will start 3rd string QB Chris Johnson due to injuries to Seth Russell and Jarrett Stidham, the Bears’ 1st and 2nd stringers, respectively. Despite the QB injuries, Baylor still has playmakers at wide receiver that can grab anything thrown in their vicinity.

Texas on the other hand is entering the game depleted with injuries. Linebackers Malik Jefferson and Peter Jinkens, safety Dylan Haines, running back D’Onta Foreman, offensive lineman Patrick Vahe and running back Kirk Johnson are among those that will not play. Tyrone Swoopes and Chris Warren will lead an offense that can only hope to match the output of a prolific Baylor offense.

Texas loses by three touchdowns in their first game at McLane Stadium and finishes the season with 8 losses – for just the third time in school history.

Score Prediction: Baylor – 52, Texas – 31