Where Baylor ranks in national college football polls
The Baylor Bears got back in the win column this past weekend with a 45-27 victory over the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Despite the 18-point margin of victory, this win was not nearly as convincing as it seems. While Baylor's offense was impressive, its defense left a lot to be desired against one of the worst offenses in the FBS.
Sawyer Robertson showed out once again, throwing for 393 yards and four touchdowns in the victory. Bryson Washington carried the ball just 10 times, but gained 77 yards and scored a touchdown on the ground, but it was Caden Knighten who really showed out, rushing for 81 yards on five carries.
Defensively, the Bears were very disappointing. They did a good job against Sam Leavitt and Arizona State a week ago, but gave up 27 points to Oklahoma State, which is tied the most the Cowboys scored all year. Their only other 27-point game came against UT-Martin in Week 1.
A win is a win, but Baylor's defense is holding them back. If they want any shot of winning the Big 12, they need to get better on that side of the ball.
Here's where Baylor ranks in national college football polls after their victory over Oklahoma State.
AP Top 25
For the second consecutive week, the Baylor Bears did not receive a single vote to be ranked. With two losses on the resume already, it would take a big win streak to start receiving more votes.
AFCA Coaches Poll
Just like in the AP Poll, the Bears are not ranked in the AFCA Coaches Poll.
ESPN SP+
ESPN's SP+ has the Bears ranked 56th in the nation after their 45-27 win over Oklahoma State. Their offense ranks 26th in the country, but their defensive ranking of 86th completely tanks their overall ranking.
ESPN Football Power Index
With their win over the Cowboys this past weekend, the Bears rose four spots in ESPN's Football Power Index, jumping from No. 45 to No. 41. They're projected to go 6.5-5.5, have a 0.9% chance to win the Big 12 and a 0.8% chance to make the College Football Playoffs.
CBS Sports
CBS Sports has been much higher on Baylor than most other sites this season, but after a not-so-convincing win over Oklahoma State, the Bears fell 10 spots to No. 47 in their power rankings. They now rank below Boise State, Duke, Minnesota and Auburn.
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Luke is a writer for the Baylor Bears On SI. He's an LSU graduate and previously covered the Tigers for two years. He also covers the New Orleans Saints and Formula 1. Luke's passion for sports and storytelling led him to become a sports writer.