Baylor Football: Defense expected to lead way in Year 2 of Dave Aranda

LUBBOCK, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 14: Linebacker Jalen Pitre #8 of the Baylor Bears lines up during the first half of the college football game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Jones AT&T Stadium on November 14, 2020 in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /

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Nov 7, 2020; Ames, Iowa, USA; Baylor Head Coach Dave Aranda claps before their football game at Jack Trice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Powers-USA TODAY Sports /

How will Baylor football fare in 2021?

To say Baylor has a favorable schedule in 2021 would be an understatement. The Bears have three games to begin the year as considerable favorites, with Texas State, Texas Southern, and Kansas.

The Bears’ third non-conference game doesn’t come around until Oct. 16, where they play BYU in the middle of the conference slate. The consensus best two teams in the conference Baylor gets at home, with Iowa State on Sept. 25 and Oklahoma on Nov. 13.

Baylor gets Texas in Waco on Oct. 30 and their final two games of the year are favorable, against Kansas State in Manhattan and Texas Tech in Waco for senior day.

The offense as a whole should be improved with a system that fits the playmakers around them. The real question mark is quarterback, with the rest of the positions being known playmakers.

Defensively, the Bears should be stout, and having an elite player at all three levels in Ika, Bernard and Pitre gives them an opportunity to create havoc and set up easy field position for an offense that is continuing to learn.

Prediction: 6-6, 4-5 Big 12

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