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Baylor is coming off a season in which it was the only Big 12 school that failed to notch a conference victory.
The 0-8 conference mark signaled the end of the five-year reign of Guy Morriss, who made strides as Baylor’s head coach. He led the Bears to three conference victories in 2006 but failed to make big enough gains to see Baylor reach the .500 mark in conference and overall.
In fact, Baylor has never played .500 football or made a bowl game appearance since the Big 12 started in 1996.
It doesn’t help that the Bears play in the South Division that has two teams — Oklahoma and Texas — that are perennially mentioned as national title contenders. And three other teams — Texas A&M, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech — that all believe they have the resources to win a national championship.
Where does that leave Baylor? The Bears are in the world of positive thinking.
“If you don’t believe you’re going to succeed,” head coach Art Briles said, “then you’re going to have a hard time doing that.
“We’ve got to make sure that our players believe that, we’ve got to give them a reason to believe. We can operate on faith and hope for a little while, but it has to turn to reality at some stages in the game.”
Briles brings the credential that he might be the one that makes Baylor a factor in the South one year. He’s coming off a successful, five-year run at Houston in his first college head coaching position.
Before leading Houston to four bowl appearances in five years, Briles spent three seasons as Texas Tech running backs coach.
“He brings a lot of excitement,” Baylor senior wide receiver Thomas White said. “I’m excited to play for coach Briles. He motivates you.
“You hear the cliché that I want to win for this guy. That’s something he definitely motivates inside his players. I really want to win for him.”
From early appearances, Briles combines a no-nonsense approach with a nice mix of realism and a sense of humor.
At the Big 12 media day on Wednesday, Briles opened with this statement: “As far as Baylor, you know, if I walked through the room and 11 other head coaches from the Big 12 walked through the room, there probably wouldn’t be a whole lot of people pointing at me, saying, ‘There goes Baylor football.’ So that’s what we are out to change.”
And when Briles was asked about the Bears’ tough nonconference schedule that includes games against Wake Forest and Washington State, he said Baylor wanted to be first in one thing in the Big 12: toughest schedule.
Briles, though, already has his players believing that they will be ready to compete and win some of those tough games.
“Once you cross that white line, you got to strap it on and be ready to go,” senior defensive tackle Vincent Rhodes said. “I have never been one of those players who just goes out there and plays. Since I can remember I always play the game to win.
“When I strap on that chin strap that’s what I’m there to do.”
Baylor coach Art Briles at Big 12 media days
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