Baylor favored in every 2014 game except OU in Norman

The Golden Nugget in Vegas released its earliest lines for the biggest 200 CFB games of 2014 a few minutes ago, and RJ Bell, who writes for Grantland and hosts a radio show on ESPN, was kind enough to share them.  So you don't have to parse through for our games (site in last parenthesis):

Baylor (-3) vs. Texas (Austin)
Baylor (-16) vs. West Virginia (Morgantown)
Baylor vs. Oklahoma (-11) (Norman)
Baylor (-9) vs. Oklahoma State (Waco)
Baylor (-6.5) vs. Texas Tech (Arlington)
Baylor (-6) vs. Kansas State (Waco)

Couple of things to take away from this: 1) 6 of our 9 conference games are considered part of the biggest 200 this coming year, a relatively high number, and 2) 4 of the 6 take place outside of Waco, where even the most optimistic fan would say we are at our best.  The first is a good thing for program perception and strength of schedule (at least in how it is viewed).  The second is not so good, considering that if we are going to lose a game, it is extremely likely to happen on the road versus the friendly confines of McLane Stadium.  Also, as mentioned above, just 7 teams are favored in all but one of their listed games, the other six being Iowa, Georgia, BYU, Michigan State, Ohio State, and Wisconsin.  That's in addition to the 4 teams favored in all of their games: Oregon, Alabama, Oklahoma, and Florida State.  Considering each comes from a different major conference, meaning an undefeated season wins them their respective championship, those four would almost definitely make up the first-ever CFB Playoff should these lines bear out.

Of course, we're hoping that they won't in at least one instance: Baylor's Nov. 8 game against the Oklahoma Sooners in Norman.  I don't care about the rest as long as we win, and I'd be fine with Oklahoma winning as much as they choose, as well.  But for that game, which the Golden Nugget seems to indicate will be a matchup of undefeateds, we'll obviously be rooting for the Bears.

As for the others on the list, I'm not particularly surprised.  I'm happy to see that we're favored in Austin against Texas, even if it just by 3 points, and I agree with the oddsmakers that our next-hardest game after OU and Texas, assuming Texas deserves that descriptor in the first place, will probably be Kansas State.  The Snydercats are on the move, the Snydercats are LOOSE!