2016 Baylor Bears Football Predictions and Season Win Total Picks

by Robert Ferringo - 8/16/2016

2015 Record: 10-3

2016 Las Vegas Season Win Total: 9.5

2016 Season Win Total Picks NCAA Football: 'Under'

I don't know if any program in the country had a worse offseason than Baylor. Lack of institutional control and a litany of sexual assault allegations and cover-ups doomed Art Briles, who was fired this spring. Now Baylor, whose ascent from laughingstock to college power over the past 10 years has been remarkable, enters the 2016 with a major black cloud over its head.

Jim Grobe, former miracle worker at Wake Forest, has been brought in as an interim head coach. Grobe's style is almost diametrically opposed to Briles', though, and I don't see a smooth transition at all. The players don't know him. He has no connection to the school. And his traditional football approach doesn't really jibe with how the Bears have played the past few seasons.

Art Briles' son, Kendal, is the team's offensive coordinator, so I'm sure Art will have a behind-the-scenes role with the offense. They key will be the healthy and effective return of quarterback Seth Russell. Explosive running back Shock Linwood and No. 2 receiver K.D. Cannon solidify the skill positions. But the offensive line will have four new starters and will have to get on the same page early if Baylor wants to average more than 44 points per game for the sixth straight season.

Despite nine returning starters last year, Baylor's defense took a major step back from the Top 20 groups it fielded in 2013 and 2014. The Bears have just five starters back, three of whom are in the secondary. Fortunately, the Bears have their patented soft early season schedule, so this defense will have a chance to gel.

Baylor's schedule is absurdly easy through the first two months of the season. In fact, that's been the dirty secret about this program over the last several seasons (they don't play anyone.) Their toughest early-season game is at home against Oklahoma State. The Bears also have two byes in a three-week period that will give them extra time to prepare for homecoming and an Oct. 29 trip to Texas.

But the last month of the season is pretty rugged for Baylor. They have trips to Norman and Morgantown, and their "home" game against Texas Tech will actually be played in Arlington. Add in visits from TCU and Bill Snyder's Kansas State team, and there are pitfalls everywhere. I think that a few losses will rattle the team's faith in Grobe and the coaching staff. I think Baylor will be strong early but collapse late, and I see this as a pretty easy 'under' call as bad karma envelops this season.

2016 Baylor Bears Schedule - CLICK HERE

Robert Ferringo has been the top football handicapper in the country the past five years, earning nearly $13,000 in total football profit with four of six winning seasons. Robert tallied over $20,000 in football profit between 2011 and 2016, including his amazing 2013 NFL season in which he hit 62.1 percent (95-58). Robert has produced 14 of 22 winning football months and an amazing 37 of 57 winning football months over the past decade. Robert has eight of nine winning NFL preseasons and he is at nearly 60 percent winners over his last 750 totals picks. Also, Robert's proprietary KING College Football Betting System has posted three of four winning seasons and is 122-92 over the last three years (57.0 percent).

We are offering new clients $60 in free college football picks for Robert's picks or any Advisory Board handicapper of your choosing. Get your free college football picks now!

Start:	November 23, 2024 @ 3:30 PM
Expert:	Scott Spreitzer
Free $60 Account Sign Up

Most Recent College Football Handicapping