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ESPN’s Max Olson relayed the “chaos scenario” for the Big 12 that could see Kansas State make the conference championship game along with Baylor; which is 6-4 and just decided to bring Dave Aranda back as the Bears’ head football coach. The Wildcats just fell to 7-3 on the season after a Week 12 loss to Arizona State.
“There’s still a total chaos scenario in the Big 12 where 8 teams finish 6-3 and it’s Baylor vs. Kansas State in Arlington. OK, goodnight gang,” Olson wrote.
The Big 12 was thrown into flux on November 16. Not only did ASU upset KSU, but Kansas upset BYU. The B12 now has no undefeated teams and could face more losses to top teams in Week 13; with BYU or Arizona State assured a loss and the Jayhawks in prime position to upset Colorado in Lawrence.
Baylor bringing back head football coach Dave Aranda for the Bears’ 2025 recruiting prospects
As CBS Sports’ Shehan Jeyarajah reports, Aranda will be brought back to Waco in the hopes of solidifying the Bears’ 2025 recruiting class.
“Dave Aranda will return as Baylor head coach in 2025, a spokesperson for the football program tells CBS Sports. The news comes on the heels of a 49-35 win at West Virginia on Saturday. The win gave Baylor a 6-4 mark with two contests left, good enough to clinch a bowl berth with room to spare,” Jeyarajah wrote.
“After (his 3-9 record in 2023), Aranda was aggressive. He hired offensive coordinator Jake Spavital and flipped out several other assistants. The Bears also became far more aggressive on the NIL front, which has paid off in both transfer and high school recruiting. Baylor is projected to post its top recruiting class since 2018. The decision to confirm Aranda’s retention helps solidify the program as a target for prospective recruits and transfers in 2025.”
Aranda is part of a trend of programs choosing to prioritize stability and future recruiting over losses, both on the field and on the books with their buyouts, in the immediate future. Florida’s Billy Napier, FSU’s Mike Norvell, and Auburn’s Hugh Freeze are three other coaches benefitting from this psychological shift from Power 4 schools.