Game 12: Baylor 30, Texas 10

Has there ever been a better night to be a Baylor fan?  There was the Miracle on the Brazos in 1974, RG3's win over Oklahoma in 2011, Baylor's upset of #1 ranked Kansas State in 2012, and this year's blackout win over Oklahoma.  But on many levels, last night's win over Texas has to be considered one of the best.

Baylor fans have been told for over a decade that Baylor can't compete in the Big 12, that we should just go to some second-tier conference.  Now our time has come: Baylor beat Texas to clinch the outright Big 12 football championship!  Baylor fans believed it could happen, Baylor hired a coach who believed it could happen, he instilled the team with a belief that it could happen, and now Baylor will represent the Big 12 in their first BCS bowl!  Sic' em Bears!

Field view from the south end zone.

As it that were not enough, besides the tears of joy shed by many over the championship trophy, many shed tears over the closing of The Case.  Floyd Casey stadium, Baylor's football home since 1950, is in many ways outdated and behind the times, but it's still home to some great football memories.  My family has been sitting in the same seats for some 35 seasons.  The fans in neighboring seats have become our football family.  As much as I'm looking forward to watching Baylor play in the new stadium, I will miss our spot at Floyd Casey.

Home away from home for 6 or 7 days a year. . . .

These crazy fans must have been a bit chilly!

Besides the Big 12 championship being on the line and the closing of The Case, the big story going into the game was the cold.  Thankfully, there was no precipitation, aside from the "freezing fog" that rolled in late in the game.  But the temps were in the 20s, with wind chills in the teens.  After experiencing temperatures nearly that cold at Oklahoma State we knew we need to bundle up a bit more, especially on the feet!

For the last time, the Baylor Line ran the field, led by Baylor Santa.  I know this is one tradition that will be preserved at the new stadium.  It will be fun to see what new game day traditions emerge at Baylor Stadium.

The game itself was looking like it would be a low-scoring defensive struggle.  They went into halftime tied 3-3, after Baylor's kicker missed 2 of his 3 field goal attempts.  The defense stopped Texas, including a blocked field goal, but our offense kept getting stopped, too.  That all changed in the second half.  I'm not sure what got the team fired up, but they came out of the locker room on fire.  They scored TDs on their first 2 possessions in the 3rd quarter, and then a field goal on their third.  Now with a 17 point lead, the energy of the freezing crowd, and a hyped-up sideline, the Bears maintained for a solid 30-10 victory.

I like Baylor's throwback uniforms.  I'm not sure Texas ever changes their uniforms.

They had to break out the cold weather gear for this game.
They must have been a few jackets short and had to share.

Dale Connally was the final faculty member ever to be honored at Floyd Casey!

Mom and Dad.  The greatest Baylor fans ever!
Thanks for all the memories (and all the game tickets!)

My oldest sister, Laura, class of 1985.

Since we had a full contingent for this game, the boys say on the east side.
That's Evan in the blue, Elliot in the yellow, and Drew in green,
near the top of the stands in section R.

And the celebration begins!

The last time Baylor won a conference championship, I was in 6th grade.
That's a long time ago! 

No word on whether the scoreboard was left on all night,
or whether anyone slept on the field!  I kind of doubt it. . . .

Elliot and I had high hopes, as we always do, that Baylor would have a great season.  When we set out to attend every Baylor game this year, we didn't know it would be the best season ever in Baylor football history!  It's been great fun, and I hope the memories of these games, these road trips, these victories, and even of one painful, heart-breaking loss will stick with him forever.  I know every chance I get to spend this time with him means the world to me.

And now, on to the Fiesta Bowl! 

Sic 'em!!

Checking out the competition, again: TCU v. WVU

Baylor was off Saturday, getting ready for the biggest game of the year (so far) against Oklahoma on Thursday.  So when Kelly's dad offered his tickets to the TCU game, Elliot and I took him up on it.  Zippy was not interested in going, of course.  Elliot dusted off his TCU cap and t-shirt, invited his friend Levi, and we headed over to Amon Carter Stadium for the showdown with West Virginia.  Both of these teams were sitting on 1-4, 3-5 records and needed this win to remain bowl eligible.  TCU was picked to win by 14, but I figured it might be closer than that.

Anyone who was hoping for a close game was not disappointed!  TCU came out strong, for a change, and led 17-3 in the second quarter.  It was no blowout, yet, but TCU looked like the better team, no question.  However, WVU came back to score to make it 17-10 at the half.  After a scoreless 3rd quarter, WVU scored on 3 consecutive possessions to take a 27-17 lead.  With 8 minutes left, many TCU fans headed to the parking lot.

But the Frogs weren't done!  They scored 10 quick points to tie it up and go into overtime.  Unfortunately for them, they made a mess of their OT possession and missed a 62 yard field goal attempt.  WVU came back to score an easy FG for the win.  A great game, start to finish, if you like football drama, but not so great if you like great football.  Each team threw 2 interceptions, and TCU coughed up 2 fumbles, which made the difference in WVU's fourth quarter scoring streak.  WVU showed some signs of the team that upset OSU in September, but TCU looked nothing like the team many thought would be in the mix for a Big 12 championship.  Not only are they out of the Big 12 championship conversation, they may not qualify for a bowl this year.

I don't want to rag on the TCU fans too much, but they have not been showing up for the games this year.  The above picture is at the opening kickoff.  Lots of empty seats.

This picture is a few minutes before the end of the second quarter.  A few more students showed up, and the upper deck is a little bit fuller, but it's still pretty empty.  A few notes: the weather was perfect, so they can't use heat or rain as an excuse this time.  I was a little chilly on the shady side of the stadium.  Sitting in the sun must have been nice.  Besides, as I noted, this game was crucial for TCU, as they are playing for bowl eligibility now.

The cancer awareness halftime show was pretty cool.

This girl had the best costume of all.  The pink outfit would have looked sort of freaky without the bubble.  She rolled around on the field like a gerbil.

As cool as the Baylor card section is, these banners that cover a whole section have the advantage of being legible, easier to deploy, and not requiring 100% participation of the crowd.  However, if you're under it, you miss any football action that might be going on at the time.  By the way, notice the empty stands here in the fourth quarter.

The comeback begins!  If you look carefully, you can see the football about to be caught in the back of the end zone.  This TD brought TCU within 3.

Here is TCU kicking the tying 45-yard field goal to take the game into overtime.  Taking good action pictures from the upper deck with a point-and-shoot digital camera isn't all that easy, but the way.  (I'm not saying these are good, I'm just making excuses for my photography!)

And here's WVU's easy 34-yard field goal for the win in overtime.  Sorry, Frogs.

30-27.  A great comeback, and a terrible overtime loss.  The scoreboard reminder of TCU's last remaining home game should also remind TCU fans that they have little chance of another home Big 12 win this season.  If Baylor beats TCU on November 30, as I expect they will by a large margin, that will mean that in 2 seasons in the Big 12, their only home Big 12 win is this season's win over a hapless Kansas team in the middle of their streak of 20-something Big 12 losses.  Welcome to Big 12 football, TCU!

Counting chickens 2

Here I go again, counting chickens.  Baylor had another bye week before starting Big 12 play, so I
looked around the league to see how we might stack up against the upcoming competition.

10/5: West Virginia.  3-2, 1-1.  W
After they were shut out by Maryland, I thought WVU must be terrible.  But then they beat an OSU team that I thought was pretty good.  I wasn't the only one, by the way; OSU was ranked #11 in the AP poll.  Is WVU that good?  Is OSU that bad?  Hard to say.  I still say Baylor gets a solid win in Waco next week.

10/12: Kansas State.  2-2, 0-1.  W
KSU was off Saturday, but last week they had a bad loss to a bad Texas team.  Can Baylor get their first win ever in Manhattan?  I think so.

10/19: Iowa State.  1-2, 0-0.  W
After being tied with Tulsa at halftime Thursday night, ISU put together their first win of the season.  I still say Baylor should win this one easily.

10/26: Kansas.  2-1, 0-0.  W
KU had to fight hard for a narrow win over Louisiana Tech last week, kicking a 52 yard field goal as time ran out.  Baylor will win this one handily.

11/7: Oklahoma.  4-0, 1-0.  W
Oklahoma got a huge win, beating Notre Dame solidly at South Bend.  I see the most likely scenario being both Baylor and OU undefeated when they meet for this Thursday night game in Waco.  Just as they did last year for KSU, Baylor will squash OU's national title hopes at this game.

11/16: Texas Tech.  4-0, 1-0.  W
They're in the top 25, but I'm not buying the Raiders this year.  The quarterbacks have been too unpredictable and inconsistent.  They'll get a couple more Big 12 wins to become bowl eligible, but they won't beat Baylor.

11/23: Oklahoma State.  3-1, 0-1.  W
This game was supposed to have Big 12 title implications.  It still might, but that was brought into question by OSU's loss to WVU.  By the time Baylor goes to Stillwater, they'll be firmly in the race for their first Big 12 title.

11/30: TCU.  2-2, 0-1.  W
They finally got their act together in the second half against SMU.  By the time they play Baylor, Casey Pachall might be back in action, which may or may not help the Frogs.  Their team has looked shaky this year.  Baylor will get a taste of revenge for the embarrassing loss in Waco last season.

12/7: Texas.  2-2, 1-0.  W
The Horns bounced back from the humiliating loss at BYU by beating KSU in Austin.  Still, they are a shadow of their former powerhouse self.  This final game at Floyd Casey Stadium will have Baylor playing for a BCS bowl bid, and Texas hoping to get one last win for bowl eligibilty.

Several teams in the Big 12 are struggling this year; that's no surprise.  So far, it looks like the final records will have a couple teams at the top, namely Baylor with no losses and OU with one loss (Baylor).  KU and ISU will share the basement.  And the middle will be full of 5-4 and 4-5 teams.

There's a lot of football to be played.  That goes without saying.  But I think Baylor has great chance to win every one of these games.  Big 12 champs!  It could happen!

Sic 'em!

Counting chickens

I know, I know, it's way to early to be counting our chickens, but since Baylor was off Saturday, I thought I'd take a look at our opponents' records so far and see how, in my limited, and admittedly VERY biased perception, the Bears might stack up.

9/27: University of Louisiana-Monroe. 2-1.  W
Shut out by OU, but held them to "only" 34 points.  Blew out Grambling State.  Close win over Wake Forest.  Baylor had to fight for the win in Monroe last season.  I don't know if we'll put up 69 or 70 next weekend, but we might.

10/5: West Virginia.  2-1.  W
Hard fought win over FCS William and Mary.  Struggled against OU in a fumble-fest.  Blew out Georgia State.  This team is severely weakened, and will not be putting up 70 on Baylor like they did in the air war last season.

10/12: Kansas State.  2-1.  W
Upset by N. Dakota State.  Solid win over Louisiana-LaFayette.  One-sided victory over U. Mass.  KSU also lost a lot of weapons from last year's Big 12 Championship team, but they will be hungry to avenge their upset in Waco.  I still think Baylor can come away from Manhattan with the win.

10/19: Iowa State.  0-2.  W
Upset by FCS Northern Iowa.  Lost to Iowa.  So far, it looks like ISU will be battling Kansas for last place in the Big 12.  Baylor should win this one easily.

10/26: Kansas.  1-1.  W
Nice win over FCS South Dakota.  Bummer of a loss to Rice.  I still cringe at the memory of RG3 having to come back and win in OT the last time Baylor played at KU.  I'm hoping this one will be a Baylor win by a large margin.

11/7: Oklahoma.  3-0.  W
Shut out Louisiana-Monroe.  Hard-fought, ugly win over W. Virginia.  Blew out Tulsa.  They're Oklahoma.  Baylor has beat them ONE time!  Ever!  But in this Thursday night game in Waco, I think Baylor can send the Sooners home with a loss.

11/16: Texas Tech.  3-0.  W
Win over SMU.  Big win over Stephen F. Austin.  Ugly, questionable win over TCU.  The last several times we've played, it's lived up to the "shootout" part of the Texas Farm Bureau Insurance Shootout name.  Baylor can win this one.

11/23: Oklahoma State.  3-0.  W
Solid win over Mississippi State.  Blew out UTSA.  Blew out Lamar.  This may be Baylor's toughest Big 12 game.  I don't think Baylor has won in Stillwater before.  This will be the first time.

11/30: TCU.  1-2.  W
Respectable loss to LSU.  Big win over SE Louisiana, but a costly win, as the QB broke his arm.  Questionable loss to Tech.  Last year, the backup QB came to Waco and humbled the Bears.  I expect Baylor to find a way to win this one in Fort Worth.

12/7: Texas.  1-2.  W
Blew out New Mexico State.  Defensive line got blown out by BYU's running game.  Shut out in the second half in the loss to Ole Miss.  Can Mack Brown fix that defense?  Floyd Casey Stadium will be packed and rocking for the last game there. Baylor wins.

Can Baylor go undefeated in the Big 12, winning their first conference championship in 33 years, and possibly getting a chance to play for a national championship?  It's hard to go undefeated, no matter how deep your talent is.  Is it likely that Baylor will prevail in the rest of their games?  The better question is, Is it possible.  Baylor has the talent, the depth, and the passion to make it happen.

Sic 'em!

Enough talk--let them play!

The excitement is building for the Bears' final season at Floyd Casey Stadium!  Only a few short days to wait until kickoff against Wofford.  I'm as excited as the next guy, and I have high hopes for the Bears this season.  But I, for one, am getting a little bit weary of predictions and prognostications.

The good news is, there is a virtual consensus that Baylor will be heading to their 4th bowl game in as many years.  That's a great milestone, but, realistically, with as many bowls as there are, and with the Big 12 tie-ins, we could have a stinker of a season and still go to a bowl.  Very few fans would be happy if we went 3-0 against a weak non-conference schedule, then 3-6 in the Big 12.  A bowl is nice, but a third-tier bowl that no one cares about is not what we have in mind.

I have seen pre-season polls placing the Bears in the mid-teens down to unranked.  We even got a couple votes as the favorite for the Big 12 championship!  David Ubben, ESPN blogger (until recently--you will be missed!) has Baylor stumbling at the end of the season, losing some tough games and finishing 5th in the Big 12, 8-4 overall, 5-4 in the Big 12.  NBC Sports has the Bears finishing 6th, Sports Illustrated, 4th (9-3, 6-3).  The Dallas Morning News also predicts 9-3, 6-3.

None of these scenarios are bad, and they all get the Bears in a half-way decent bowl.  But my sense is that they will finish strong, have 0 or 1 losses and home, and win win at least 2 of their 4 road games.  I'm looking for a Big 12 championship.  If not, then a top 4 Big 12 finish.

But I say no more predictions!  It's all meaningless until they suit up on Saturday!  Bring it on! Sic 'em!