SI's Preseason Top 25 Rankings: Bears Too Low?
As the Baylor Bears enter the season as the preseason favorites to win the Big 12, they have found themselves hovering around the 10-12 range in most top 25 rankings. In the AP Poll, the Bears come in at No. 10 overall ahead of the season.
With the talent they return across the board, especially in the trenches, it is not hard to see why the Bears are favored to win the Big 12. However, the Bears are not as highly regarded in all preseason polls. The Sports Illustrated preseason top 25 has the Bears all the way down at No. 18, behind both Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.
18. Baylor: The Bears won the Big 12 last year, but that did not stop coach Dave Aranda from shaking up the QB position: He elevated sophomore Blake Shapen to the starting spot over incumbent Gerry Bohanon. Shapen was very impressive in late-season performances while Bohanon was injured and could further enliven a passing attack that ranked eighth in the 10-team Big 12. Expect Baylor to be strong again on both sides of the line of scrimmage—the Bears averaged 2.06 more yards per rush than they allowed and had 26 more sacks than they allowed.
Being lower on Baylor than most is understandable to some extent, especially due to the talent they lost. Replacing safety Jalen Pitre defensively will be easier said than done, but the Bears' talent along the defensive line and in the secondary will be good enough to do so.
Offensively, breaking in a still rather inexperienced quarterback in Blake Shapen is also something to possibly be wary of. Shapen, though, in limited action last season showed flashes of being a quarterback that can win you games when you put the ball in his hands.
The Bears enter the season as the clear favorites in the Big 12 for an obvious reason, and coming in almost out of the top 20 is comical at best. However, preseason rankings are almost always useless. When the dust settles at the end of the season, don't be surprised if the Bears repeat as Big 12 champions and are knocking on the door of the College Football Playoffs.
You can find Connor Zimmerlee on Twitter @Connorjz98
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Connor Zimmerlee is a writer and reporter for the FanNation network. Zimmerlee received his Bachelor's of Journalism from the University of Texas at Austin and graduated from Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism with a Master's of Science in Journalism with a Specialization in Sports Media.