Big 12 Media Days: Baylor Coach Dave Aranda Talks Defensive Identity in the Big 12

The mastermind behind the best defense in the conference made sense of the identity shift on the field.

Ross Lovelace | Jul 13, 2022

The Baylor Bears and Dave Aranda won the 2021 Big 12 Championship after knocking off both Oklahoma schools down the stretch. Now, an offseason later, the Bears have been dubbed the preseason media favorite in the conference.

The Bears' stifling play on the defensive side of the ball allowed them to cruise to a 21-7 Sugar Bowl victory over Ole Miss. Baylor projects to be dominant up front, but has some tweaking to do in the secondary after graduating four key contributors.

Over the course of his two year stint in Waco, Aranda has seen a seismic shift in the landscape of the conference.

Once thought to be a conference known for its high-powered offense and faulty defense, the Big 12 has since gained a reputation for defenses on the rise. The Bears put the product on the field last season, displaying one of the most dominant units in all of college football.

“When I first got in the league there was a bunch of stunts, movements and pressures,” Aranda said. “Really, in a way, it was high risk, high reward.”

As the identity among conference teams continues to evolve, Aranda attributed some of the change to the increase in stunts and twists. He also mentioned how Iowa State’s willingness to play multiple tight ends has caused defenses to rethink coverages. With the confusion of so much movement on the defensive side, it has forced teams to add extra blockers on the field.

The Big 12 boasted three defenses ranked in the top 30 of total defense categories, including Oklahoma State at No. 5 and Iowa State at No. 9.

Now that the defenses are starting to temper the high-scoring contests, offensive coaches in the conference are going to be brainstorming different ways to regain an edge.

“I think there's going to be a more spread offensive league with some coaching changes this year,” Aranda said. “So I think some of those twists, stunts and pressures are going to be more of the rage. You're gonna very much have one week it's this, and the next week it’s the exact opposite.”

Published Jul 13, 2022

ROSS LOVELACE

Experience Ross is a young, up-and-coming sports reporter who has covered the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Oklahoma Sooners over the past six years. He's made guest appearances on various radio stations and has helped out with the All Sooners podcast whenever he gets the chance. Ross enjoys public speaking and has done so at multiple churches and high schools across the OKC metro area. In addition to writing, Ross has been the Play-by-Play announcer for Crossings’ basketball and football programs since 2020. In high school, Ross worked for self-starter blogs and latched onto Thunder Digest, where he discovered his passion for writing. From there, he worked for the OU Daily as a women's basketball reporter and was hired by All Sooners. Ross landed an internship with Sports Illustrated's Inside the Thunder and has since become a full-time contributor. One day, Ross hopes to work in the NBA. Work History Education Ross holds a bachelor's degree in Public Relations and a minor in Communication from the University of Oklahoma. Personal Born and raised in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Ross played basketball and wrote for his own Thunder blog at Crossings High School in OKC, OK. He enjoys reading, New York Jets football and a week at the beach. Ross is engaged to be married at the end of the year. His Twitter handle is @Rosslovelace.