Baylor Football: Bears’ season goes from bad to worse against Texas

1. Matt Rhule’s job is still safe, for now

The Bears were in the hunt for a spot in the College Football Playoff in 2014. Now they’re winless in the Big 12, including losses to UTSA and Liberty. A winless season is below the expectations of every Power 5 team, even Kansas.

However, it’s important that those statements aren’t absorbed in a vacuum. The impact of the scandal that forced former Baylor coach Art Briles out has had massive ramifications on this football team. Their recruiting class was zapped and the team is struggling to find a new identity.

Matt Rhule deciding to leave Temple to take this job in the first place was a minor miracle. While a winless season would be painful, the Bears are at the point where a reset is needed. This isn’t a program that is going to contend for a Big 12 title every year. They don’t have the resources or the talent of Texas and Oklahoma, or Oklahoma State and TCU for that matter.

Next: Latest 2018 NFL Mock Draft entering Week 9

It’s not that Rhule’s record this season doesn’t matter, but his task in Waco is much bigger than one football season. He’s rebuilding a program, reshaping a culture and trying to create something worthwhile out of a negative situation. The Bears have been competitive this year. The wins will come. It’s not time to panic on Rhule, not yet.