One True Podcast: Baylor/Big 12 football

We're joined by Rob Gray (@ROBWGRAY) of Cyclone Fanatic and the Cedar Rapids Gazette, along with the Trib's Baylor beat writer Zach Smith (@ByZachSmith) and sports editor Brice Cherry (@BriceCherry) as the Bears hit the road this week. 

• For the second straight week, the Baylor Bears will face an undefeated, nationally ranked team when it goes to Ames, Iowa. Iowa State moved up to No. 16 and is the BIg 12's highest ranked team after Utah's home loss to Arizona dropped the Utes to 18. Is this Cyclones squad equipped to get back to the title game for the first time since 2020, and is Baylor anything more than a speed bump?

• Is the fact that the Big 12's highest-ranked team is only No. 16 in the country a sign of disrespect for this league, or is that about right — and a reflection of how wide-open this conference is?

• Houston plays TCU in a growing trend of Friday night games. Is this just the cost of doing business in the business of college football, or is this an affront to all that is good and holy in our nation's football landscape — i.e. high school football?

• We've got a pretty big nonconference game this week with UCF going to Florida. This is not a vintage Gators team, but how big would it be for this Knights program to win in Gainesville?

• Getting some food and hangout recommendations for anyone traveling to Ames.

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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 Darby Brown of KWTX-TV in Waco (@DarbyJoBrown), along with the Trib's Baylor beat writer Zach Smith (@ByZachSmith) and sports editor Brice Cherry (@BriceCherry) as the Bears return home this week. 

• Both Zach and Darby were in SLC to witness Baylor's 23-12 loss to Utah firsthand. Obviously there's no shame in losing at Rice-Eccles Stadium, but this still felt like a step back for the Bears. What were the biggest areas of concern? 

• Baylor's where we figured they'd be, sitting at 1-1. Is this team well-equipped enough to get back to a bowl game? Did the Utah game change anything in your mind? 

• Speaking of bowl games, the Bears get a rematch with Air Force, who they faced in 2022 in a freezing Armed Forces Bowl affair in Fort Worth. The Falcons are a unique unicorn in college football with an old-school wing-T offense, but they haven't exactly lit up the scoreboard so far this year in a 17-7 loss and a 21-6 win. Is there anything the Bears need to watch out for here? 

• Friday night we have a not-actually-a-Big-12-game with a Top 25 matchup between No. 14 Kansas State hosting No. 20 Arizona. Is the winner of this one the team to beat in the league, or is Utah still the favorite? 

• How good did the Texas Longhorns look vs. Michigan? Could they win the national title? 

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We're joined by Josh Furlong (@JFurKSL) of KSL-TV in Salt Lake City, along with the Trib's Baylor beat writer Zach Smith (@ByZachSmith) and sports editor Brice Cherry (@BriceCherry) after one week in the books for the Bears.

• Both Baylor and Utah blasted off in Week 1, playing overmatched teams like Tarleton State and Southern Utah. With the Utes as the preseason Big 12 favorite coming in, what kind of game are you expecting Saturday?
• Cam Rising's return went as well as it possibly could, with 5 TDs passing against Southern Utah. Rising's long journey has been well documented, with three college seasons so far where he hasn't played. How beloved is Rising in SLC, and could he "rise" to the Heisman-level ranks?
• The new Big 12 had a solid debut, going 14-2 in Week 1 of the college football season. Which team stood out as the most impressive in the league?
• Week 2 gives us a bunch of tasty Power 4 clashes in Arizona State-Mississippi State, Houston-OU, Colorado-Nebraska, Kansas-Illinois, Iowa-ISU, Cincy-Pitt, Arkansas-OSU and SMU-BYU. Which of these, if the Big 12 were to win, would be the biggest feather in the cap for the conference?
• Culinary corner: Josh gives us some sage advice for good eats in SLC.
• Bonus question: Let's talk about the Rice-Eccles Stadium home advantage. What makes it a special place to play?

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We're joined by Trib and Baylor legend Jerry Hill (@ViewFromHill) of the Baylor Bears Insider, along with the Trib's Baylor beat writer Zach Smith (@ByZachSmith) and sports editor Brice Cherry (@BriceCherry) to preview a pivotal year in the tenure of Dave Aranda. 

1. The fifth-year Baylor ball coach doesn't seem to be ducking the pressure of what's clearly a a win-or-else year. Do you think his players are embracing that mentality, and what do you ultimately expect from the 2024 Baylor Bears? Will they return to a bowl game? 

2. Which person, player or position group has the most to prove for this edition of the Bears? 

3. Six wins gets you to a bowl, but Baylor is probably only a lock to be favored in four of its 12 games. There look like three likely losses on the board, with several toss-ups. Let's predict the Bears' record for 2024 — which games are they best-equipped to win? Is there one where BU shocks the world? 

4. Remembering our friends John and Karen Werner. 

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We're joined by Texas State correspondent for the Austin American-Statesman Keff Ciardello (@Keff_C), along with the Trib's Baylor beat writer Zach Smith (@ByZachSmith) and sports editor Brice Cherry (@BriceCherry), ready to react to an eventful week of Baylor and Big 12 happenings as the season winds down.

1. Jake Spavital spent four years as the head coach at Texas State, going 13-35, but was fired after the 2022 season and has been the offensive coordinator at an improved Cal program this year. He'll now be Dave Aranda's third OC in four seasons after Jeff Grimes was unsurprisingly let go. Keff, what can you tell us about what to expect from a Spavital offense?

2. Mack Rhoades zigged where others zagged as many other coaches were fired over the last week — but Dave Aranda was not, even following a very disappointing 3-9 season. Being patient is not the norm in today's college football world, and a lot of Baylor fans are definitely unhappy. Now with Aranda under the gun, what kind of season does he need to have in 2024 to stick around for a sixth year (and beyond) in Waco?

3. The transfer portal allows teams to completely reinvent themselves from year to year. Nobody flipped their whole roster this year quite like Texas State, but how aggressive does Baylor need to be when the portal opens next week? What's the biggest area of need for the Bears?

4. The Big 12 championship game is this week with the Texas Longhorns vs. Oklahoma State at Jerryworld. Assuming the Longhorns win, do they crack the College Football Playoff, despite sitting No. 7 at the moment?

5. The Texas State Bobcats are going bowling after a 7-5 year, finishing tied for second in the Sun Belt. What's their likely destination in the first year under GJ Kinne?

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We're joined by Eric Kelly of KWKT-TV Fox 44 in Waco (@EricKellyTV), 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 to wrap up the regular season: 

1. There will be plenty of good seats available at McLane Stadium on Saturday for the end to a lackluster, to understate it, Baylor Bears season. So we're all on Dave Aranda watch: But does this game even really factor in to that decision? Would a big win, or a big loss, actually matter to his job security?

2. There have been a lot of problem areas for the Bears, who are something like No. 68 in the nation in total offense, 108th in total defense and the special team aren't sterling, either. What area is the most obvious need for Baylor to improve the most?

3. Neal Brown at West Virginia clearly had the hottest seat coming into to the Big 12 season, but the Mountaineers are now looking like they'll go 8-4. Is he the obvious choice for Big 12 coach of the year, and it not, who? Could Mike Gundy or Matt Campbell get a look?

4. Who are your Heisman top 3? What are the pros and cons of Jaden Daniels? Is there a Big 12 dark horse? We debate it all.

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1. This isn't exactly the rivalry game most were expecting coming into this year, with Baylor (3-7) and TCU (4-6) really not having good years, to put it mildly. Is there really any reason to watch this one at all?

2. We've talked a lot about Baylor's spiraling season, but TCU has had a pretty awful year, too, following up on last year's national title game appearance. What has gone wrong in Fort Worth and led to this erratic season for the Horned Frogs?

3. TCU may have won some close games to reach the CFP championship game last year, but Baylor is currently playing some not-so-close games. Dave Aranda always says the film is "humbling and frustrating to watch." The fans and media like us have banged on Aranda and the coaching staff plenty this year, but is it possible this version of the Bears just isn't talented enough, or doesn't have enough roster depth, to win? And how do the transfer portal and NIL play into that?

4. The big game this week is the Sunflower State Showdown, with Kansas State traveling to Kansas. The Wildcats are coming off an easy win over Baylor while the Jayhawks dropped a surprising one at home, 16-13 to Texas Tech. But it's still a big game: What's the likelihood of little-brother Kansas knocking off K-State?

5. Let's talk some Fort Worth eats: Here are our Trib traditions of can't miss-places when you head to Cowtown.

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

1. This is as big a mismatch as Baylor has had this year: The Kansas State Wildcats are the defending Big 12 champs, 6-3 overall despite an OT loss in Austin last week, and they still have a path back to Arlington. Baylor, on the other hand, will not be invited to Arlington and maybe not a bowl, either. Where would a Bears upset rank on the weird-o-meter for 2023?

2. We've talked about how disciplined and physical K-State is, with great fundamentals. Let's get some insight from Tim: What makes this team so tough?

3. Let's go down to Austin for a second — QB Quinn Ewers has been upgraded from questionable to day-to-day. How much of a difference can Ewers make for the Longhorns down the stretch?

4. The Sunflower State Showdown is next week: How big a game is Kansas vs. K-State this year, especially in the history of that rivalry?

5. Time for some Kansas/Kansas City food talk: Where are the good places to hit?

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