Preseason polls spark a lot of interest for college football fans. They allow fans to see who coaches rank as the best teams to start the season and open up speculation around who has the best chance to win the national championship. Unfortunately, these early polls can cause problems for many teams ranked lower to start. If a team plays a weak non-conference schedule, they have little chance to move above teams with stronger schedules, and can even be jumped by teams who have bigger signature wins. One of the teams that is having problems moving up is Baylor who, despite being undefeated and averaging 70 points per game, have not moved past 19th in the polls, being passed by teams like Miami (FL), who upset stronger teams. However, despite their current ranking, Baylor deserves to be, and has played like, a Top-10 team.
Like many of the teams currently ranked in the Top-10, Baylor, especially their offense is full of talent. They are led by running back Lache Seastrunk, who could potentially be the first running back off the board in the 2014 NFL Draft. Quarterback Bryce Petty has shown he is the perfect quarterback to run Art Briles system, which is built around speed and the ability to drive the ball down the field. He is helped out by receivers Tevin Reese and Antwan Goodley. This offense has performed on an elite level this year.
Has Baylor only played lesser opponents this year? Yes. Wofford, Buffalo and Louisiana-Monroe are not the highest caliber teams Baylor could schedule. However, did Baylor win like elite teams should? Definitely. Baylor’s points scored in each of their first three games: 69, 70, and 70. They are putting opponents away as a Top-10 team should. They are 1st in total offense, averaging over 750 yards per game, 78 yards per game more than Oregon. Petty and Seastrunk are among the nation's offensive statistics leaders, even though they are pulled well before the game is over. Petty has already thrown for over 1,000 yards on only 67 pass attempts. He has also thrown for eight touchdowns, with no interceptions. Seastrunk has 417 yards and six touchdowns this season, and is among the Top-10 in yards per carry (10.97).
Moving forward, Baylor has a strong chance to move into the Top-10, as they open Big XII play against West Virginia, Kansas State, Iowa State, and Kansas, while many of the teams ahead of them, specifically the SEC teams, are likely to start falling as they start their conference schedules. With these factors, Baylor has a great chance to be undefeated by the end of October, which will balloon them over many other teams with losses before they enter a tough three-game stretch against Oklahoma, Texas Tech, and Oklahoma State.
Finally, they have a tremendous coach leading the program in Art Briles. Since his arrival in 2008, Briles has turned the program into Big XII contenders through the implementation of a spread system similar to many of the other successful Big XII teams, and through recruiting to fit that system. And as Baylor continues to get better, Briles has led the charge in upgrading the football facilities and the new stadium, that will open in 2014.
All in all, Baylor has everything necessary to be a Top-10 team. They have strong coaching, top-notch players, and an incredible, high-flying offense that lights up the scoreboard. They may not be ranked there now due to early polls and a weak early-season schedule, but it will surprise nobody when Baylor is ranked in the Top-10 by the end of October.