Where Baylor football ranks in ESPN’s latest Big 12 power rankings
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ESPN has put out its latest football power index rankings for each team in the Big 12. No. 1 and No. 10 on that list will battle under the lights on Saturday night.
The Baylor Bears (5-4) are ranked 10th among the Big 12 teams and, coming out of the bye week, have been preparing for the arrival of the No. 1 team in the conference, the Utah Utes (7-2).
The Bears are playing for bowl eligibility and are coming off a 27-point victory over UCF in their last time out. Baylor quarterback Sawyer Robertson threw for 267 yards and three touchdown passes in that game.
Robertson is a big reason why Baylor has a fighting chance against the Utes, even though most college football pundits think otherwise. Utah is a -7.5-point favorite over the Bears.
On the season, Robertson leads the FBS in touchdown passes with 26 and has talented skill players around him to counter what will the best defense Baylor has faced all season.
BRO TRIGG WHAT 🤯#SicEm | #SCTop10 pic.twitter.com/XC5N0iMY1k
— Baylor Football (@BUFootball) November 1, 2025
The Utes boast the sixth-ranked pass defense in the country. Opposing quarterbacks have not fared well against this unit. Through nine games, Utah has allowed just six touchdown passes, picked off eight passes, and allowed a completion rate of 50 percent.
Baylor offensive coordinator Jake Spavital will have to dial up some hellacious plays to execute their vertical passing game to move the ball, and the chains, against the Utes,
Awarded to the most outstanding college football player who began his career as a walk-on.@Josh_Cameron34 has been named one of 10 semifinalists for the Burlsworth Trophy.#SicEm pic.twitter.com/JuFGsRiEsg
— Baylor Football (@BUFootball) November 11, 2025
Baylor’s perimeter weapons, consisting of tight end Michael Trigg, and wide receivers Josh Cameron, Ashtyn Hawkins, Kole Wilson and Kobe Prentice will show up and must show out. Trigg will need to make more of those incredible one-handed catches on balls that, at first glance, look uncatchable.
The Baylor defense, led by linebacker Keaton Thomas (79 tackles), must stop a devastatingly effective rushing attack that leaves scorched earth in their wake on their way to 267 yards per game on the ground.
Can Baylor stop the Utes and get an upset win? Absolutely, they can. Any given Saturday, anyone can be beaten. If the Bears can rise above their current station as the 10th-ranked team in the Big 12 and limit the mistakes and explosive plays, while posting some big plays of their own, then the Bears will get their sixth win of the season. Baylor can then don their favorite bowling shirts as they wait for a post-season invite.
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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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