Football earns best-ever final ranking; what will 2015 hold?
After back-to-back 11-win seasons and Big 12 titles, Baylor football finished the 2014 season ranked No. 7 in the Associated Press poll and No. 8 in the USA Today/Amway Coaches Poll — the program’s best-ever finish in each poll.
To find the last time Baylor finished in the top 10, you have to go all the way back to 1951, when the Bears came in 9th in both the AP and UPI/Coaches polls after a 8-2-1 season. That team, led by All-American quarterback Larry Isbell, finished a half-game behind TCU for the Southwest Conference title and played in Baylor’s first “major” bowl, the Orange Bowl.
So what does 2015 hold for Baylor? Continued success. With media outlets releasing their “way too early” 2015 rankings this week, here’s a sampling of where Baylor is situated headed into next season:
- ESPN: No. 3 in the nation. “Even with Petty and two of his favorite targets, Goodley and Norwood, departing, Baylor figures to be just as explosive on offense in Briles’ spread system.”
- FOX Sports: No. 3. “When DE Shawn Oakman announced he’d return for his senior season, it assured the Bears would return 10 starters on defense.”
- Sporting News: No. 3. “QB Seth Russell played well for an injured Bryce Petty this season, and it should be a smooth transition to the starting spot in 2015.”
- CBS Sports: No. 5. “Eighteen starters, not including quarterback Seth Russell, who led the nation in pass efficiency for a couple of weeks when Bryce Petty was injured.”
- Athlon Sports: No. 6. “Regardless of who starts at quarterback, the Bears might have the Big 12’s top collection of skill talent in 2015.”
- USA Today: No. 6. “Because Baylor isn’t going anywhere.”
Considering it was just last fall that Baylor cracked the preseason top 25 for the first time in 25 years, this is heady stuff. If you didn’t have season tickets in 2014, you’ll want to get on the waiting list for this fall now. Just 234 days until the 2015 season kicks off!
Sic ’em, Baylor football!