One True Podcast: Baylor/Big 12 football – Détails, épisodes et analyse

We're joined by Sean Walker (@ActuallyDSW) of KSL-TV in Salt Lake City, along with the Trib's Baylor beat writer Zach Smith (@ByZachSmith) and sports editor Brice Cherry (@BriceCherry) as the Bears return to McLane Stadium this week. 

• It's time for the "Holy War" between Baylor and BYU — two teams on opposite ends of the emotional spectrum with the 4-0 Cougars and the 2-2 Bears both coming off surprising outcomes. How much craziness do we expect, and who comes out on top? 

• Where does Parker Kingston's punt return against Kansas State last week rank among the best plays you've ever seen live? 

• Let's talk about Travis Hunter. He's pretty special, and Baylor saw why last week. Can he win the Heisman if Colorado goes 7-5? 

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We're joined by Mike Craven (@CravenMike) of Dave Campbell's Texas Football, along with the Trib's Baylor beat writer Zach Smith (@ByZachSmith) and sports editor Brice Cherry (@BriceCherry) as the Bears head west this week. 

• The Big 12 opener for the Bears is in Boulder, Colorado, against a new and old conference squad. It seems like a pretty interesting toss-up game. What's the key for the Bears to win in the mountains, and will they get it done? 

• Can Deion Sanders, Coach Prime, actually win in Boulder, or is this just a pit stop on the way to another job? 

• Things can change in a hurry in college football — just ask TCU, which blew a three-touchdown lead to UCF last week. The Horned Frogs were in the national championship game just a couple of years ago. Amid the Frog faithful, you hear a lot of grumbling. How hot is Sonny Dykes' seat in Fort Worth, or is that premature? 

• Game of the Week: No. 12 Utah goes to Stillwater to play No. 14 Oklahoma State. Cam Rising is supposedly back for the Utes. Meanwhile, Alan Bowman is tearing it up for the Cowboys. Is this a Jerryworld preview? 

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We're joined by Iowa State beat writer Randy Peterson of the Des Moines Register (@RandyPete), along with the Trib's Baylor beat writer Zach Smith (@ByZachSmith) and sports editor Brice Cherry (@BriceCherry), ready to dig into some BU and Big 12 football talk:

1. Iowa State's last game was against Cincinnati, too, a 30-10 road win two weeks ago as the Cyclones are coming into Waco this Saturday off a bye week. The Baylor Bears, who held on 32-29 last week in the Queen City, are now just a game under .500 after a rocky start. This one seems to historically be pretty close — it was a 31-24 BU win last year in Ames and a two-pointer two years ago at McLane Stadium. This year the oddsmakers have it close, too, under a field goal — who wins, and will it be close yet again?

2. It's hard to run the table in the Big 12, emblematic in OU and Texas' narrow escapes a week ago. But with just five games to go, is there a school out there in the league that can upend the Longhorns-Sooners collision course for the Big 12 title game?

3. Let's talk Matt Campbell: His name has popped up a lot for different jobs over the years, most recently Michigan State. What's the likelihood the Iowa State coach might depart? He's been in Ames since 2016.

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We're joined by Cincinnati beat writer Scott Springer of the Enquirer (@sspringersports), along with the Trib's Baylor beat writer Zach Smith (@ByZachSmith) and sports editor Brice Cherry (@BriceCherry), ready to dig into some BU and Big 12 football talk:

1. About 15 or 20 years ago, an old ESPN.com feature broke down the "pillow fight of the week." That may not be exactly what's going on this week in Cincinnati, but it's not far off. Both teams are 2-4, after the Bearcats having lost four straight, including last week 30-10 at home to Iowa State and Baylor's loss to Texas Tech two weeks ago. What's led to these sluggish first halves, and who gets win No. 3 on Saturday?

2. When the Big 12 added Cincinnati, BYU, Houston and UCF, they seemed to be the best four options available. But they haven't exactly lived up to the standard, going just 1-9 against the old-school teams in the league so far. (And that one win was a Hail Mary win last week by Houston against WVU, 41-39.) Is this a sign that it's going to take a little time for the new guys to adjust, or is it a cyclical thing and these teams are just in a down place right now?

3. The flip side of the imports' woes is that the exports are killing it, with the Big 12's only ranked teams Texas and Oklahoma, of course. This time next year, they'll be in the SEC. The conference will probably be fine long-term, but at the same time, how much will the league miss the Longhorns and Sooners?

4. Culinary Corner: What's the place to visit for good eats in Cincinnati? Zach will be looking for some Skyline Chili, I guess. What else is good in the Queen City?

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We're joined by Trib alumn John Werner (@JohnWernerTrib), along with the Trib's Baylor beat writer Zach Smith (@ByZachSmith) and sports editor Brice Cherry (@BriceCherry), ready to dig into some BU and Big 12 football talk: 

1. Baylor's weird season took a further downturn in a home loss to the Texas Tech Red Raiders. It's hard to say what was most troubling: the non-existent rushing game, the perplexing play-calling or the lack of playmaking by a sleepy defense. Is there still a hope for a turnaround, and what would that look like from a record standpoint? 

2. It's hard to fathom that this Baylor program was the Big 12 champion and Sugar Bowl winner just two seasons ago. So it's time to address the elephant in the room: Dave Aranda. In his fourth season, he's in the midst of his third losing year (so far), though last year was 6-7 with a bowl loss. How hot is Aranda's seat, and will Mack Rhoades make a coaching change this off-season? 

3. Oklahoma and Texas delivered a battle for the ages on Saturday as the Sooners survived, 34-30. We've talked a lot about the Longhorns so far this year, but how about Brent Venables and OU? Now they're 6-0. Can the Sooners run the table and be undefeated heading into the Big 12 championship game? 

4. We're basically at the midpoint of the season, so let's hand out some award: Who are your picks for Big 12 coach, offensive and defensive player of the year? Are there any non-Sooners on this list, other than maybe Neal Brown? 

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We're joined by Lubbock Avalanche-Journal mainstay Don Williams (@AJ_DonWilliams), along with the Trib's Baylor beat writer Zach Smith (@byzachsmith) and sports editor Brice Cherry (@BriceCherry), ready to dig into some BU and Big 12 football talk:

1. This probably isn't where either team expected to be, but Baylor and Texas Tech are both 2-3 (1-1) headed into Saturday's game at McLane Stadium. But both have actual momentum, the Raiders after drilling Houston 49-28 and Baylor posting the biggest comeback win in school history in last week's stunner at UCF. This is historically a really tight series — how do you see this one matching up?

2. And both teams have "new" QBs — After missing 3 games with an MCL injury, Baylor quarterback Blake Shapen played well against UCF, rushing and throwing for a score during the rally. Meanwhile, Texas Tech turned to its backup last week in Behren Morton after Tyler Shough went down with a broken leg. How does this Tech offense operate differently under Morton?

3. It's the final Red River Shootout in the Big 12 for OU and Texas this weekend. Is this a preview of the Big 12 title game? And who wins?

4. These two teams have combined for 17 of the 27 Big 12 championships over lo these many years. With both now exiting for the SEC, that would seem to leave a void in the power position atop the conference. Will the new Big 12 be more wide open, or do you think there's a team that will install itself as the perennial top dog?

5 Bonus question in honor of the State Fair of Texas: What's your deep-fried fair food of choice?

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We're joined by Orlando Sentinel beat writer Matt Murschel (@osmattmurschel), along with the Trib's Baylor beat writer Zach Smith (@byzachsmith) and sports editor Brice Cherry (@BriceCherry), ready to dig into some BU and Big 12 football talk: 

1. UCF is hosting Baylor this week — believe it or not, the Bears' first road game of the year. Other than the fact that they're both 0-1 in the Big 12 (UCF a 44-31 loss at K-State last week, Baylor dominated at home vs. Texas), they're not only in different time zones, they're in totally different situations, program-wise. Who gets the bounce-back win the Bounce House? 

2. This is Baylor's first trip to UCF and the first-ever Big 12 game in Orlando. What can Big 12 and BU fans expect from the gameday environment and except from this Knights program as they get settled in a new conference? 

3. With these new 4 teams and 4 new ones coming next year, this Big 12 is going to become as far-flung as any college football fan has ever experienced. Do you think that in this fragmented geographic environment, can new rivalries develop? How might that happen? 

4. We have a top 25 Big 12 matchup this week as the Kansas Jayhawks travel to Austin to play the Longhorns. While UT handled KU last year on the road, the Texas faithful definitely haven't forgotten two years ago, when Kansas notched an improbable upset at DKR Memorial, 57-56 in overtime, so the Longhorns will be highly motivated, obviously. Is there any chance Kansas pulls the upset? 

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We're joined by Austin American-Statesman royalty Kirk Bohls (@kbohls) and Cedric Golden (@CedGolden), along with the Trib's Baylor beat writer Zach Smith (@byzachsmith) and sports editor Brice Cherry (@BriceCherry), ready to dig into some BU and Big 12 football talk: 

1. It's the 113th meeting between Baylor and Texas on Saturday at McLane Stadium. And while Texas has bred skepticism for many of us, beating Alabama in Tuscaloosa is maybe turning public opinion toward the Longhorns. What makes this UT squad different than some of those overhyped groups in recent memory? 

2. Given where Texas is right now — and where Baylor isn't, so far — oddsmakers have installed the Longhorns as a two-touchdown favorite. Dave Aranda said this week that he heard all offseason that beating Texas was the No. 1 game everyone wants to win, even if that's the only one. What are the chances, if any, of a Bears upset in Waco? 

3. The Baylor-Texas "rivalry" is pretty lopsided, let's be honest, but Brice is looking back at the top 13 games in the 113-year history this week. With many, many decades of experience between the assembled writers, what's your most memorable moment, personality, etc. from the annals of Bears-Longhorns history? 

4. The Longhorns' move to the SEC will obviously end this rivalry, at least for awhile, as well as Texas' tussles with Texas Tech and TCU. But of course, UT will rekindle some old rivalries like Arkansas and, of course, Texas A&M. What's the anticipation like in Austin for that Aggie-Longhorn reunion? 

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We're joined by Jerry Hill (@ViewFromHill) of the Baylor Bear Insider and a Trib alum, along with the Trib's Baylor beat writer Zach Smith (@byzachsmith) and sports editor Brice Cherry (@BriceCherry), ready to dig into some BU and Big 12 football talk: 

1. Baylor clearly made some across-the-board improvements last week; nevertheless, it's another L as the Bears fell 20-13 to No. 12 Utah. What gives you hope that Baylor can still have a "good season" — and go ahead and define that: What does a "good season" look like at this point? 

2. Some of us are still a little baffled by the absence of Richard Reese in the BU game plan. He's made just 14 carries on the season, seven in each game. He is averaging just 2.5 yards per carry, so maybe that's a clue. Last year, he was getting 30-plus carries against Kansas and in Lubbock. He hasn't cracked 15 since. Is he in the doghouse, or is he maybe just being outplayed by newcomer Dominic Richardson? 

3. Let's look ahead to the future of the Big 12: Of the eight teams coming in, four this year and four next, which is the most likely team to become a perennial Big 12 power? 

4. Mea culpa to the Longhorns: Some of us around the state are eating some crow after (usually correct) Texas skepticism, but the Horns went into Tuscaloosa last week and impressed everyone. But ... we've seen this movie before, where UT loses some games it shouldn't. What's the biggest hurdle for the Longhorns ascending to the Big 12 title for the first time since 2009? 

5. In honor of this week's Baylor opponent, Long Island University, give us your best breakdown of LIU in a Yankee accent — the more ridiculous, the better. 

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We're joined by Eric Walden (@tribjazz), Utah correspondent for the Salt Lake Tribune, along with the Trib's Baylor beat writer Zach Smith (@byzachsmith) and sports editor Brice Cherry (@BriceCherry), ready to dig into some BU and Big 12 football talk:

1. Baylor’s surprising, perhaps inexplicable loss to Texas State in the season opener may take some of the shine off this matchup, but it still should carry a big-game feel when 12th-ranked Utah comes to McLane Stadium on Saturday for an 11 a.m. kick. These teams definitely look to be on different levels right now, given that Utah completely neutralized Florida in the first-ever visit by an SEC team to Salt Lake City. Utah is listed as a 6.5-point favorite. What are you guys expecting — a blowout by the Utes, or does Baylor bounce back and at least make a game out of it?

2. This game also pits two future Big 12 opponents, as the Utes will join the conference next season along with former Pac-12 mates Colorado, Arizona and Arizona State. We'll get Eric's take on how that move was greeted by Utah’s fan base. And what can Big 12 fans expect from this program?

3. For Baylor last week, there were numerous problems. Pick one — an offensive line that got manhandled by a Sun Belt team with a revamped roster, a secondary that left receivers completely uncovered, a game plan that somehow managed to only yield seven carries for last year’s Big 12 Freshman of the Year in Richard Reese. Where does the biggest fix need to come? And which of those areas that could be particularly vulnerable to the Utes?

4. Speaking of future conference opponents, "College Gameday" will be in Tuscaloosa for the battle between No. 3 Alabama and its future SEC foe No. 11 Texas. Last year this turned out to be a close game — surprisingly close — as the Tide survived in Austin, 20-19, thanks to a 33-yard field goal with 10 seconds left. What do you guys think, do we get another classic this year? Any chance the Longhorns can get some payback with a road upset?

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