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Game 10 -- Baylor vs. Kansas State Game Thread

The Bears try to end a 3-game losing streak against the visiting Wildcats and their mysterious warlock of a coach.

By Mark C. Moore
Ray Carlin-USA TODAY Sports

vs.

NR/RV/NR BAYLOR (6-3, 3-3) vs. NR/NR/NR Kansas State (5-4, 3-3)
Nov. 19, 2016 | 11 a.m. CT
Waco, Texas | McLane Stadium (45,140)
TV: ESPN2
Watch | Listen | Gametracker Gametracker | Game Notes Notes


I have an odd excitement about this game; I can't lie. First and foremost, it's Senior Day for a group of guys that we owe a lot over the last year and years. Guys like Seth Russell, who will probably walk the sideline on crutches after last week's injury and the resulting surgery, Kyle Fuller, a mainstay of our offensive line for the last 4 seasons, and Shock Linwood, our all-time leading rusher. I don't know if that last one will play, but he's still worthy of the celebration that will go on around him on Senior Day, without a doubt.

All that will happen in the context of the official ascendancy of true freshman QB Zach Smith, who will start the first game of his career. He's coming into a situation of extreme uncertainty for the future with all of his current coaches likely to be gone in a matter of weeks, but he's got a chance to show the future of the program today, and I think he's going to do a great job. He'll be helped by guys like J'Mycal Hasty, Terence Williams (hopefully), Blake Lynch, Pooh Stricklin, Chris Platt and others that should be big parts of what we do going forward. I'm excited for them and for Baylor fans to get a look at our future.

Baylor is now a 2-point favorite (or thereabouts) after the original line opened at the opposite, KSU -2. That's not a huge number for a home team (home teams typically get 3 points from Vegas just for being at home), but the movement toward Baylor could be meaningful in what people think might happen. For me, I expect to see a somewhat more efficient (and desperate, which could be a good thing) Baylor offense today trying to salvage something of their season in these last three games. Zach has a big arm, undoubtedly bigger than Seth, and the team has so little to lose at this point that the training wheels, if they exist, should be removed quickly. We also have a few things we've seen used in recent weeks (Blake Lynch at RB being the biggest one) that could help spice things up. We'll see. The bigger question for me is how we'll fare against a KSU offense that will happily run the ball right at us for 60 minutes. We'll see about that, too.

MY PREDICTION: Baylor 38, KSU 31

Links Links Links Links Links:

Football Hosts Kansas State For Senior Day - Baylor Official Athletic Site
The Official Athletic Site of the Baylor University - After three straight losses, Baylor returns home to host Kansas State at 11 a.m. on ESPN2.

Embracing the moment: Baylor freshman QB taking keys early, raring to keep engine roaring - WacoTrib.com: Baylor Bears Football
Zach Smith didn’t want it to happen this way.

How the Bears match up vs. Kansas State - WacoTrib.com: Baylor Bears Football
Baylor offense vs. Kansas State defense

John Morris: Baylor’s veterans deserve to take a bow on Senior Day - WacoTrib.com: Baylor Bears Football
I hope Baylor fans will make the effort to come to Saturday’s game against the Kansas State, especially for the seniors and what they’ve been through. What they’ve accomplished these past four years is really unparalleled – 38-10 with two Big 12 championships. Then you consider what they’ve been through off the field for the last year-and-a-half.

Baylor strives to send seniors out with win in final home tilt - WacoTrib.com: Baylor Bears Football
None of Baylor’s 13 seniors expected their final season to be so controversial and chaotic.

College football schedule: Your Week 12 Watchability Grid guide to the best games - SBNation.com
Good morning! This is the Read Option, your daily college football newsletter. On Thursdays, it's a useful, fun college football schedule!

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