The end of last season left some question marks in the Baylor program. After being upset by Central Florida in the Fiesta Bowl, players, coaches, and fans alike were left asking "Where do we go from here?" Well, things are looking better now than they did back in January. They have a new stadium on the river and signed a top 25 recruiting class, according to ESPN. Not only that, but they return their quarterback Bryce Petty who decimated defenses last season. It will be interesting to see if Art Briles can keep this new Big 12 football power running.

2013 Baylor Bears Season

2013 was an historic season for the Baylor Program, finishing with an 11-2 record and winning the Big 12 Conference. The offense was of the most prolific in the country led by Petty, Lache Seastrunk, and Levi Norwood. The Bears averaged 52.4 points per game last season. What made the offense so explosive was the balance they had. While the Bears averaged 359 yards passing, they also put up 259 yards on the ground in a rushing attack led by Seastrunk and Shock Linwood.

Unlike many years, the defense was the big secret to Baylor's success. They were in the top 5 of the Big 12 in all defensive categories, but where they excelled the most was turnovers. The Bears defense was second in the league in forcing turnovers (29) and had a +13 turnover differential.

Despite having maybe the best season in history after thrashing Oklahoma, beating Texas, and winning the conference, the bowl performance left a lot to be desired. Penalties and inability to get stops hurt the Baylor in the Fiesta Bowl, as they gave up 52 points to the Knights.

Offense

The Bears offense will still be explosive this upcoming season. Not only do Petty and Linwood return, but so do five receivers from last season as well.

While there are plenty of quarterback questions for teams in the Big 12, Baylor is not one of them. Bryce Petty is back as a senior after a tremendous 2013 season. Petty threw for 4,200 yards last season and 32 touchdowns while also rushing for 14 touchdowns. His only major slip up came against Oklahoma State. Right now, Petty is far and away the favorite for Big 12 first team at the end of the season and a potential Heisman candidate.

For a returning quarterback, it helps to have receivers where there is already a connection. Baylor has that and more at the receiver position. Tevin Reese is the only receiver gone to from last season to the NFL, while Clay Fuller has a collarbone injury but will play eventually. The Bears do return 1,300 yards receiver Antwan Goodley and one of the better slot receivers in the leagues in Levi Norwood. Combine those two with young guns Corey Coleman, Robbie Rhodes, and Jay Lee, and that sets up a lethal group of weapons for Petty to go to. At the tight end position, Baylor will have to find themselves a new starter.

Shock Linwood was more than a decent replacement while Lache Seastrunk who battled injuries last season. Linwood rushed for a sixth best 811 yards as a freshman off the bench while finishing second in yards per carry at 6.9. Devin Chafin the only back outside of Linwood who has any experience with 51 carries last season. Freshman Johnny Jefferson impressed coaches in Baylor's spring game.

Just like the other positions on offense, Baylor returns guys with experience on the offensive line. Spencer Drango, Desmine Hilliard, and Troy Baker all started for the Bears in 2013. That leaves the center position and left guard to fill. Someone will have to try and replace Cyril Richards at the center position and that job might belong to Kyle Fuller. LaQuan McGowan could be a monster at left guard at 6 feet and 7 inches, while also weighing 385 pounds, but it will be interesting to see if he has the stamina required.

Defense

While the offense has plenty of starters and talent returning this season, the defense has lost a lot. The Bears are only returning four starters and Byron Bonds, who started 7 games, is listed as a back up on the team's depth chart this season.

The leader on the defensive line will be Beau Blackshear, the lone guy who started all 12 games last season. Blackshear finished with 33 tackles last season. Shaun Oakman and Jamal Palmer will also provide pressure after combining for seven sacks off the bench. Young players like Bonds, Javonte Magee, and defensive tackle Andrew Billings will also help the defense this season.

The linebacker position returns one starter from last season in Bryce Hager. Hager, a fifth-year senior, started nine games and totaled 71 tackles before suffering a season ending injury. Two years ago, Hager led the conference in tackles with 124. Unlike the middle linebacker, Phil Bennett suffered a big loss at the weakside position in Eddie Lackey. Lackey was an voted All-Big 12 First team last season with 108 tackles (13 for loss). There Bears do not have an experienced player to fill this position, but it looks to be Aiavion Edwards' spot to lose. Edwards played mostly as a reserve and on special teams while totaling 20 tackles.

The spot that took the biggest hit from last season was the entire secondary. They are filled with new faces this time around. K.J. Morton, Ahmad Dixon, Sam Holl, and Demetri Goodson are all gone from last year's team. Terrell Burt is the only starter coming back and will have to step up at safety. Burt had 61 tackles and two interceptions last season. Next to Burt will be the sophomore Orio Stewart. Stewart played as a back up last season (39 tackles) and nabbed a pick six against TCU, so he should fill Dixon's role from last season.

Two more sophomores are starting at cornerback from last season. Xavien Howard and Terrence Singleton take over the starting duties this season. Both guys played mostly on special teams last season and as backups. Colin Brence start at the nickelback position after also playing exclusively on special teams in 2013.

Special Teams

Redshirt freshman Chris Callahan will take over kicking duties this season for the bears. Spencer Roth returns this season at punter and is on the Ray Guy Award look list. Roth punted 52 times last season with a 45.8 yard average. Corey Coleman looks to come back as the main kick returner last season. Coleman recorded 483 yards including a 97 return for a touchdown. Levi Norwood also returned kicks last season, but made his name on special teams returning punts by returning two punts for touchdowns in 2013.

2014 Season Outlook

The schedule this season favors Baylor for the most part. The Bears should be able to handle their out of conference schedule rather easily with the likes of SMU, Northwestern State, and Buffalo. In the conference they have Oklahoma State and Kansas State at home while Texas Tech is at a neutral site. Texas and West Virginia can be tough places to play, but Baylor is the better team in both of those matchups. The big game of the season takes place on November 8th against the Oklahoma Sooners in Norman. This is a match that could have conference title implications at the end of the season. With the talent on offense, if the defense can step up and do its job, Baylor could win the conference once again.

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About the author
Austin Litterell
Professional Media Major at the University of Central Oklahoma. Love shooting sports and writing about them.