With Week 8 of the college football season approaching, Baylor is halfway through their season. Currently sitting at 4-2 overall and 2-1 in the Big 12, the Bears currently have as many questions as they do answers about their season. A gut-wrenching loss to TCU has changed this from originally being a hype-piece about Baylor's potential to an acknowledgment that something needs to change or the season may be lost.
Defensive Coordinator Joe Klanderman: A
While the offense has had its moments of success this season, they've been on the sporadic side. Joe Klanderman's defense though, has seen the biggest and most consistent turnaround from last season. In his first year as DC, Baylor has already surpassed last season's mark for sacks (12 in 2025, 22 already in 2026), tackles for loss (48 in 2025, 52 already in 2026), and are on their way to matching and surpassing their interception total (9 in 2025, 6 currently in 2026).
Offensive Coordinator Jake Spavital: C
Flashes of brilliance on the offensive side of the ball, seemingly in spite of the offensive line's play. The running game, outside of the big runs in the ASU game has been abysmal this season as no running back has truly established themselves. Ryelan Morris and Caden Knighten may be fast, but without a line to block for them, they've both got little chance of breaking through a line that provides no push against the defense and running to the outside isn't always an option.
Every pass play is starting to look like every other pass play that Baylor runs. Yes, Gavin Freeman may be a ridiculously good football player, but he's far from the only receiver that the Bears have. There's got to be a happy medium somewhere between throwing the ball away and every play being a 20+ yard route down the field. Where are the screens, the slants, the wheel routes? Where are the quick-strike plays?
Head Coach Dave Aranda: D
I'm as much a defender of Coach Aranda as one can be, but not even I can find an excuse for how bad the TCU game was. 40,000+ in McLane Stadium for Blackout on the Brazos looked like they were attending a funeral for Baylor's season. I don't like blackout-themed games for that very reason (among others).
Coach Aranda isn't the play-caller for Baylor as Coach Spavital and Coach Klanderman have those roles for their offense and defense, respectively. As the head coach though, Aranda has the players support as each of them, when asked, has only spoken positively about their time with him. A nice guy Dave Aranda may be, but the reality is that the fan base wants a head coach who wins their home games against their rivals; after this past Saturday, Coach Aranda is 1-6 against TCU.
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