Big 12 Media Days: Picked as preseason favorite, all eyes on Baylor
Jul. 7—The Baylor Bears find themselves in a rare position. Heading into the 2022-2023 Big 12 season, all eyes are on them.
After winning their second Big 12 Championship last season, and their first conference title game, the Bears landed at No. 1 in the annual Big 12 preseason poll, the league announced Thursday. It's only the second time since 2010 that Oklahoma is not atop the conference preseason rankings and the first time ever for Baylor.
The Bears' ascension to the top of the conference last season was unexpected, as they finished the 2020 with a 2-7 record and a ninth place finish in the Big 12 standings. They entered last season at No. 9 in the preseason poll.
Last season was a smashing success. They beat Oklahoma in Waco to prevent the Sooners from pursuing a seventh-straight Big 12 championship, they defeated Oklahoma State 21-16 in the conference title game and ended with a 21-7 win over Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl. After finishing the year with a 12-2 record and the No. 5 spot in the final AP Poll, they enter this season with real momentum.
A lot of eyes will be on Baylor as the 10 conference teams take the stage for Big 12 Media Days on July 13-14 in Arlington, Texas. Before they do, here's a look at Baylor and the questions they'll face heading into the annual event.
Who's coming to Arlington?
Baylor coach Dave Aranda will be joined by three player representatives: linebackers Dillon Doyle and Bryson Jackson, and tight end Ben Sims.
Aranda will open the coach press conferences at 10:35 a.m. Wednesday.
Players on All-Big 12 preseason team
5 — Sims, (OL) Connor Galvin, (OL) Jacob Gall, (DL) Siaki Ika and Doyle.
Questions
1. Can the Bears build momentum?: There's a few reasons why this is a big year for the Bears.
They're already seeing the benefits of winning last season. Per 247Sports, the Bears' 2023 recruiting class is ranked ninth nationally after securing 14 verbal commitments in the last two weeks. They finished 37th in recruiting in 2022.
Another Big 12 championship would surely help entice recruits.
The Big 12 conference is also about to go through significant realignment. The conference is adding four teams — Houston, BYU, Cincinnati and UCF — in 2023. Recent reports indicate the Big 12 could soon add as many as six teams from the Pac 12. Oklahoma, who has dominated the conference for two decades, and Texas will leave for the SEC no later than 2025.
They're the favorites to win the conference for a second straight season. And with big changes on the horizon, another Big 12 title would help establish the Bears as the team to beat for the foreseeable future.
2. Can Blake Shapen lead at quarterback?: It's one of the unknowns for the Bears.
Sharpen spent most of last season behind Gerry Bohanon but showed flashes in his six appearances. He also played well against Oklahoma State in the Big 12 title game, completing 23-of-38 passes for 180 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions.
Aranda named Sharpen as the starter at the conclusion of spring football, leading Bohanon to transfer to USF.
The redshirt sophomore is now tasked with leading the Bears' offense that returns 65 percent of its production from last year.
Jesse Crittenden is the sports editor of The Transcript and covers OU athletics. Reach him at jesse@normantranscript.com or at 405-366-3580
