Kansas was picked first in the league with ninth first-place votes and 81 points, followed by Oklahoma with 70 points and Iowa State with 68 points and one first-place vote. They beat the Bears 41-27 a year ago.
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The Big 12 was the No. 1 conference in the nation in the RPI a year ago and returns four of five All-Big 12 First Team selections for the first time in league history. The Mountaineers and Bob Huggins will look to do what they were able to do last season in making the Tournament, but go deeper in the NCAA. The Bears are led by Art Briles, who is entering his 8th season atop the program after coming over from Houston and has a record of 60-34 at Baylor and a career mark of 94-62 overall in his 13 year coaching career.
Boykin has won the Manning Award’s Star of the Week twice, for the Texas and Texas Tech games, has been the Football Writers Association of America’s national offensive player of the week (for the Texas Tech game) and earned Paul Hornung Award honor-roll recognition (for the Texas Tech game). Baylor again has the nation’s best offense, with 725 total yards and 64.2 points a game. He completed 20 of 30 passes for 301 yards and two touchdowns.
Looking back on Baylor’s loss last season to West Virginia, a game that seemingly cost the Bears a spot in the final four, the No. 2 Bears are of mixed emotions ahead of their rematch with the Mountaineers this Saturday. QB Skyler Howard has thrown for two touchdowns and four interceptions in Big 12 play while failing to reach 200 passing yards in both games. The Wildcats do have capable running backs, however, and quarterback Joe Hubener has toted the ball the most, averaging 3.5 yards per carry and rushing for six touchdowns.
When Baylor’s offense takes over, fireworks ensue. Shock Linwood is the leading rusher with 719 yards and seven touchdowns.
“They have good experience, and they know what to do”. Even though this went to overtime the Mountaineers lost this in the first half where they trailed 17-2 with the Cowboys recovering a fumble in the end zone for a touchdown. They need a fast, clean start with the usual deadly run-pass balance and good protection for Seth Russell. Rushel Shell has also added 266 yards this season.
The Bears continue to utilize a 4-2-5 scheme under defensive coordinator Phil Bennett and has forced at least two turnovers in every game this season. The Sooners have given up 22.6 points a game, the Wildcats 24.8. Texas was projected fourth with 51 points, just two more than Baylor in fifth.
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“As silly as it sounds, revenge is not something that is really thrown into our vocabulary”, Briles said. They are at a point where they are shutting a few people down. They say better focus will cure their ills. Other returning starters from last year’s squad include seniors Isaiah Cousins (11.7 ppg) and Ryan Spangler (9.7 ppg, 8.2 rpg), as well as junior Jordan Woodard (9.3 ppg, 3.8 apg). After losing to both Oklahoma schools, West Virginia is not winning the Big 12.
