Baylor vs. Auburn has '4th Quarter Chaos Written all Over it' — Here's Why
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On Josh Pate's College Football Show recently, Mr. Pate discussed the potential outcome for the Baylor vs. Auburn Aflac Kickoff Game this Saturday. Giving his thoughts in a fair and balanced manner, Mr. Pate spoke of the uncertainties on both teams, speaking not only to Baylor's defensive line, but to Auburn's offensive line as well as both teams have what could be labeled as completely different teams compared to last season.
Tale as old as Time
Mr. Pate's first point being one of "a story we've all heard a million times before" pointing out that DJ Lagway is/was a five star recruit, preseason SEC number one quarterback that didn't live up to the hype in Florida, "imploding like a dying star" as Pate put it.
Further adding (after a brief review of Baylor's recent past) that "that quarterback a year later, fulfills on that potential." Finishing his beginning statement that if Lagway were to come through on his potential that his story "would just be a million and one."
Tempo Will set the Tempo
Auburn's head coach Alex Golesh spent last season with USF where speed and tempo was the name of the game, and several players came along with him including quarterback Byrum Brown. All signs point to Golesh intending and planning on maintaining his same offensive coaching style at Auburn.
Baylor's head coach Dave Aranda hasn't been shy this preseason about how much faster this team is in overall speed in comparison to last season, saying as much during his week one media availability. Speed seems likely to be a large determining factor of how this game will go.
Playing with tempo could prove to be either a great success or an unfortunate mishap for both teams, especially unfortunate for one team if the other has managed to find themselves hitting their stride early in the game and not letting off the gas.
Momentum Will Play Heavy Factor
One bad drive or one three-and-out wouldn't necessarily be the worst thing, but this is college football after all, and while I can't produce an agreed upon metric, momentum will likely play a heavy factor in this game. When Mr. Pate speaks of "this game having fourth quarter chaos written all over it," I'm inclined to agree with his summation of this game.
And with all of that being said, Pate has Auburn winning the game, but not covering.
This is where I disagree with Mr. Pate. Although Pate and most people have the Tigers winning the game, I believe there is a way Baylor can pull this game out. The Bears will have to play nearly flawlessly in the game, but if Baylor can do all the right things, Dave Aranda can start 1-0 on the year.
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Brad is a writer and contributes to the Baylor Bears on SI, with aspirations to share his own unique thoughts and perspectives with fans. Whether through the facts and figures of the past or the untold potential and triumphs of the future, sports have always been a large influence on Brad's storytelling and life overall. His inspiration to write began while watching sports when he first noticed the highs and lows of each game, each quarter, each play; there's a story in each of them worth telling, and he wanted to tell them.
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