Big 12 Media Days: Baylor Coach Dave Aranda Talks Defensive Identity in the Big 12

The Baylor Bears and Dave Aranda won the 2021 Big 12 Championship after knocking off both Oklahoma schools down the stretch. Now, an offseason later, the Bears have been dubbed the preseason media favorite in the conference.

The Bears' stifling play on the defensive side of the ball allowed them to cruise to a 21-7 Sugar Bowl victory over Ole Miss. Baylor projects to be dominant up front, but has some tweaking to do in the secondary after graduating four key contributors.

Over the course of his two year stint in Waco, Aranda has seen a seismic shift in the landscape of the conference.

Once thought to be a conference known for its high-powered offense and faulty defense, the Big 12 has since gained a reputation for defenses on the rise. The Bears put the product on the field last season, displaying one of the most dominant units in all of college football.

“When I first got in the league there was a bunch of stunts, movements and pressures,” Aranda said. “Really, in a way, it was high risk, high reward.”

As the identity among conference teams continues to evolve, Aranda attributed some of the change to the increase in stunts and twists. He also mentioned how Iowa State’s willingness to play multiple tight ends has caused defenses to rethink coverages. With the confusion of so much movement on the defensive side, it has forced teams to add extra blockers on the field.

The Big 12 boasted three defenses ranked in the top 30 of total defense categories, including Oklahoma State at No. 5 and Iowa State at No. 9.

Now that the defenses are starting to temper the high-scoring contests, offensive coaches in the conference are going to be brainstorming different ways to regain an edge.

“I think there's going to be a more spread offensive league with some coaching changes this year,” Aranda said. “So I think some of those twists, stunts and pressures are going to be more of the rage. You're gonna very much have one week it's this, and the next week it’s the exact opposite.”