Score Prediction: #9 Baylor Bears vs #21 BYU Cougars

One of just three games between ranked opponents is a battle between future Big 12 opponents as the 9th-ranked Baylor Bears head to Provo, Utah to take on the 21st-ranked BYU Cougars. This is the last year for BYU as an independent, and the Bears will look to build on their outstanding 2021 season.

BRYAN DRISKELL PUBLISHER

Prediction: BYU 30, Baylor 20

I absolutely love what Dave Aranda is building at Baylor, but he just lost too much for his 2021 squad that won the Big 12 title and the Sugar Bowl. His first full recruiting class are just sophomores, so he'll need time to completely rebuild his roster.

BYU is a veteran team and the addition of Cal transfer running back Christopher Brooks looked to be big time in the opener after Brooks racked up 135 yards on just 13 carries. BYU as a team rushed for 314 yards against South Florida in the opener, and they didn't even get much on the ground from quarterback Jaren Hall, who is a weapon as a runner.

BYU will get some redemption after getting smacked by the Bears a season ago, and I think for awhile this game will be close, but the Cougars are going to pull away in the second half due to their balanced attack and Hall's playmaking ability.

VINCE DEDARIO, FOOTBALL ANALYST

Prediction: BYU 27, Baylor 17

This is a sneaky good game with Notre Dame implications. From an Irish standpoint you want BYU to get as many wins as you can to bolster that SOS. BYU is a favorite in this game but it is the three points you get for being the home team so this is a pretty evenly matched game according to Vegas oddsmakers. I am a big fan of Dave Aranda and what he is doing at Baylor but I worry about the trenches for the Bears. I think that and being at home will push BYU to a victory. QB Jaren Hall just has to be efficient to be effective in this one and let the big uglies take it over.

SHAUN DAVIS, RECRUITING ANALYST

Prediction: BYU 34, Baylor 28

The Bears are trying to prove that their program is ascending and still one of the top programs in the Big 12. A late night game in Provo will test their mettle as well as their lungs. This might be the type of game with early haymakers from both combatants that slows to a crawl and gives viewers a classic finish while most are fast asleep.

BYU has this test and the matchup with Notre Dame in the desert standing in the way of a possible College Football Playoff berth. Jaren Hall and his efficiency will be tested by a stout Baylor defense, and the performance of the Cougar offensive line could be a determining factor. This is the toughest game to pick in my opinion, but I’m going to roll with the Cougars at home to set up an undefeated foe for the Fighting Irish down the road.

SEAN STIRES, STAFF WRITER

Prediction: Baylor 27, BYU 23

This game serves as an entrée for when BYU and Baylor will meet as conference foes when the Cougars join the Big 12 next season. It’s one of several games BYU challenged itself with this season. They play Oregon next week, Notre Dame in about a month and Arkansas the week after that. Meanwhile, BYU is one of just two currently ranked teams on Baylor’s schedule all season. Dave Aranda’s Bears have won six straight going back to last season. They’re a 3.5 point underdog in this one.

ANDREW MCDONOUGH, IB CONTRIBUTOR

Prediction: BYU 27, Baylor 24

#9 Baylor travels to Provo to take on #21 BYU in a game that features two stingy defenses. In a game that will be tight into the fourth quarter, the advantage goes to the team with the better QB, and that gives BYU QB Jaren Hall and the Cougars playing at home the advantage. Baylor QB Blake Shapen is making only his fourth start, and though he has played in some big moments, this will be his first time starting a game on the road, and he will do so without his leading rusher and two leading receivers from last year. The BYU victory sets up a massive game next weekend for the Cougars at Oregon - get through that, and they should head to Las Vegas undefeated to face Notre Dame on October 8th.

RYAN ROBERTS, DIRECTOR OF RECRUITING

Prediction: Baylor 23, BYU 20

It’s tough to pick against Dave Aranda and the job he is doing with Baylor. Ultimately I believe that the BYU experience wins out. They are a tough football team that wins a little bit of an ugly one here.

IB STAFF STANDINGS

T-1. Vince DeDario - 3-1
T-1. Sean Stires - 3-1
T-1. Bryan Driskell - 3-1
T-4. Shaun Davis - 2-2
T-4. Ryan Roberts - 2-2
T-4. Andrew McDonough - 2-2

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