2014 Record: 11-2
2015 Las Vegas Season Win Total: 10.0
2015 Season Win Total Picks NCAA Football: 'Under'
I felt that Baylor was a bit of fool's gold last year. I admit that Bryce Petty led an absolutely devastating offense that averaged nearly 50 points per game. And the defense was a little stronger than even its numbers suggest. However, Baylor only played four decent teams or tricky games last year - TCU, at West Virginia, at Oklahoma and versus Michigan State. They lost two of those games, and a third, against TCU, they won by just three points. Further, Baylor won 11 games in 2013, and that too was against a cupcake schedule.
Baylor returns 17 starters, nine of them on the defensive side, and they are loaded on both sides of the ball. But their season hinges on the ability of junior Seth Russell to replace Bryce Petty. Petty seamlessly replaced Heisman winner Robert Griffin III prior to that, and Art Briles has a bit of a plug-and-play system.
The Bears again have a pretty cushy schedule . Their nonconference games are a joke. Their game against Texas Tech in Arlington could be tricky. But a win there means they could be 8-0 (at least 7-1) heading into a three-game gauntlet against Oklahoma, at Oklahoma State and then at TCU.
I think this is Briles' best Baylor team - except at quarterback. However, there's so much parity in the Big 12 this year and so many high-scoring teams capable of springing an upset that I don't think the Bears will leave conference play unscathed. I think they will lose two of their three major games in November. And I also think they could be upset by one of the middle-tier league teams earlier in the season.
Baylor is a legit national title contender. But the value here is by betting against the common public perception about how dominating this team is. Again, a closer examination of their schedule the last two seasons shows a program that excels at beating the piss out of mediocre and bad teams. But I don't think Baylor will play well as a major favorite, and I think they will stumble at least twice.
2015 Baylor Bears Schedule
DATE OPPONENT TIME (ET) Location
Fri, Sep 4th, 2015 at SMU 07:00 PM Gerald J. Ford Stadium
Sat, Sep 12th, 2015 Lamar TBA McLane Stadium
Sat, Sep 26th, 2015 Rice 12:00 PM McLane Stadium
Sat, Oct 3rd, 2015 Texas Tech TBA AT&T Stadium - Arlington, TX
Sat, Oct 10th, 2015 at Kansas TBA Memorial Stadium
Sat, Oct 17th, 2015 West Virginia TBA McLane Stadium
Sat, Oct 24th, 2015 Iowa State TBA McLane Stadium
Thu, Nov 5th, 2015 at Kansas St. TBA Bill Snyder Family Football St
Sat, Nov 14th, 2015 Oklahoma TBA McLane Stadium
Sat, Nov 21st, 2015 at Oklahoma St.TBA Boone Pickens Stadium
Fri, Nov 27th, 2015 at TCU TBA Amon G. Carter Stadium
Sat, Dec 5th, 2015 Texas TBA McLane Stadium
All Times EST
*Season Win Total Odds from 5Dimes Sportsbook.
Robert Ferringo has been the top football handicapper in the country the past two years, earning nearly $13,000 in total football profit with back-to-back winning seasons. Robert has tallied over $20,000 in football profit the last four years and in 2013 he hit 62.1 percent for the entire NFL season (95-58). Robert has produced an incredible 12 of 16 winning football months. Going back further he has churned out 35 of 51 winning football months, four of five winning overall seasons, seven of eight winning preseasons and he is at nearly 60 percent winners over his last 600 football picks. Also, Robert's proprietary KING College Football Betting System has posted two of three winning seasons and is 101-71 over the last two years (58.7 percent).
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