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Betting: Is Baylor due for a down season in 2022?

Pamela Maldonado gives her best preseason win total for the Big 12 conference for the 2022 season.

Video Transcript

PAM MALDONADO: The 2022 college football season is upon us. I am Pam Maldonado and I am turning to the Big 12 for my first prediction of the year. I'm rolling with Baylor Bears under 7 and 1/2 wins for the season. Yes, the Bears went 12 and 2 last year, but they went 4 and 1 in 1 score games. That was with a much better team.

Defense was the name of the game. That was the strength of the team. And now they have so many parts that they need to replace. On the defensive side of the ball, they lose top linebacker in Terrel Bernard, who led with 7 and 1/2 sacks and total tackles. They lose their top two safeties in All-American Jalen Pitre and JT Woods, both of which lead in passes deflected and interceptions respectively. On the offense, you lose your top two running backs to the NFL in Abraham Smith and Trestan Ebner, both of which accounted for 2,400 of the 3,000 total rushing yards.

The Bears also lose two of the top three wide receivers, both accounting for 11 of the total receiving scores. Not to mention that the Bears have one heck of a road game schedule. At BYU, at Iowa State, at West Virginia, back to back road games to Texas Tech and Oklahoma. And then close out the season to the Texas Longhorns. Hook em horns.

Yes, the Bears went 12 and 2 last year, but both losses were on the road. That 4-1 record in 1 score games, all four of those wins also at home. So now you have an offense that was ranked 61st in the country for total yards, top 25 in the run game, but only 96 in the passing game. Lose the top two offensive weapons that they had in running backs. Lose key parts on the defense that made this team such a strong contender last year in the Big 12 with a tough road schedule.

I'm going with under 7 and 1/2 wins and I am not thinking twice. The Baylor Bears plus 14 in turnover margin last season. That was third best in the country. Dave Aranda, great head coach. Proved the naysayers wrong, but that was last year. Can he go back to back? I'm going with no. Give me the under 7 and 1/2 wins for the Baylor Bears.

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