The ranking of Baylor’s final three football games according to difficulty
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The Baylor Bears are coming off a 27-point victory over UCF last Saturday as they enter into a bye week. The next three games (two of which are at home at McLane Stadium) will prove challenging as the Bears are looking for at least one more win to become at least bowl eligible, but have their sights on loftier outcomes.
Here we take a look at these final three games of the season for Baylor, ranked according to “difficulty.”
No. 3 Houston Cougars (Nov. 29)
The Cougars are 7-2 on the season in coach Willie Fritz’s second season in H-Town. In the preseason prognostications and rankings, the Cougars were picked to finish 11th in the Big 12 Conference. Houston is currently fourth in the conference standings with a 4-2 record, but are coming off a 45-35 loss to West Virginia. It was the Mountaineers' only win in conference play so far this season.
The Cougars’ offense is led by quarterback Conner Weigman. Weigman has accounted for 2,176 total yards and 25 total touchdowns. He has thrown only four INTs this season. Weigman’s top two receivers, Amare Thomas and Tanner Koziol have combined for 88 catches for 1,138 yards and 12 touchdowns.
.@MareThomas2 🎯🎯🎯 pic.twitter.com/d7ytWBM1n4
— Houston Football (@UHCougarFB) November 1, 2025
No. 2 Arizona Wildcats (Nov. 22)
Baylor will travel to the desert to face off against the Wildcats. The offensive skill positions are talented, led by quarterback Noah Fifita. Fifita has passed for 2,042 yards, 21 TDs and only four INTs. Arizona’s top three receivers have combined for 13 receiving touchdowns.
The defense is elite. The Wildcats will challenge Baylor QB Sawyer Robertson as they rank No. 6 in the FBS in passing defense. They have allowed an average of 155 yards per game through the air. In addition, Arizona ranks in the top ten in INTs (12) and turnover margin at +8. The Wildcats picked off three passes in the win over Colorado.
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— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) November 2, 2025
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^ that's a 4x turnover sword fam#BearDown pic.twitter.com/ge4uD69iSB
No. 1 Utah Utes (Nov. 15)
The Utes are ranked No. 17 in the current Associated Press (AP) Top 25 football poll. Head coach Kyle Whittingham has a balanced team this season and rank in the top ten in offensive and defensive categories:
No. 11 Total offense= 477 yards/game
No. 3 Rushing offense= 267.11 yards/game
No. 10 Scoring offense= 39.6 points/game
No. 17 Total defense= 301 yards/game
No. 8 Passing defense= 156.8 yards/game
No. 11 Sacks= 25
No. 14 Opponents’ 3rd down conversions= 31.50 percent
Quarterback Devon Dampier leads the Utes on the field and has accounted for 2,108 total yards and 20 touchdowns. He has thrown only five INTs and has completed 66 percent of his passes. Dampier’s favorite target, Ryan Davis, has 56 catches for 650 yards and four TDs.
📺 @ESPNCFB | #GoUtes pic.twitter.com/5mDLtKeHCi
— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) November 2, 2025
The Utes will be a disruptive force in Robertson’s passing game and the Bears' rushing attack. Robertson is coming off a three-touchdown performance in the win over UCF. Utah will be in the face of Baylor running backs Bryson Washington and Caden Knighten. Knighten is coming off 104-yard rushing performance against UCF.
Final Thoughts
In each of these games, Robertson will have to be surgical and ball security will be of the utmost importance. The Bears' defense will need to be equally disruptive, especially against Utah. Baylor must get off the field on 3rd down. The Utes alone rank fifth in the FBS in 3rd down conversions, converting about 53 percent of the time. A dominating performance by the Bears vs Utah coming off of a bye week in front of the home crowd, would catapult the Bears to where they want to be-bowl eligible and possibly on their way to an eight-win season.
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Tony comes to On SI with six years of experience writing about sports online. His work has been published on such sites as The Gridiron News, Mike Farrell Sports, YardBarker, Athlon Sports and College Football Backers. Tony is a U.S. Air Force veteran and is a member of the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA).
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