At the Baylor Lariat Sports Desk
Baylor football will face its former team for the first time since becoming a Bear as LSU in the Green and Gold Battle in Houston on Dec. 31 at 2:30 p.m. Head coach Dave Aranda will host the Kinder’s Texas Bow ​​He has his sights set on creating a sensation in the world.
The Bears (8-4) are 3-4 against LSU (8-4), their last meeting being a 21-7 win in the 1985 Liberty Bowl. The Bears are undefeated against the Tigers in bowl matchups, including a 14-7 victory in the 1963 Bluebonnet Bowl.
Does the Baylor Lariat Sports Desk think this trend will continue, or will LSU win its first bowl game against BU? Here’s what our six staffers think.
Foster Nicholas | Sports Editor
Prediction: Baylor 35, LSU 24
The Bears are the hottest team in the Big 12 and will face an injured LSU team that lost 13 players to the transfer portal on opening day. Both teams enter the second half of the season with less-than-ideal defenses, but while they do have key starters, LSU will be more vulnerable than a veteran Baylor defense that has several stars playing in its last game. appear. I expect points to come in by the evening, but some timely stops from the green and gold and superstar play from redshirt junior quarterback Sawyer Robertson give Baylor its first win since 2021. It would bring us a bowl game win.
Jackson Posey | Sportswriter
Prediction: Baylor 31, LSU 24
The last time Brian Kelly won less than 10 games, Barack Obama was president. But here Kelly stands now, coaching a team that looked woefully mediocre after a rocky start to the season (a loss to USC in Las Vegas and a win over South Carolina in Columbia). Since then, they are 6-3, with only one of those wins, an overtime win over Ole Miss, coming against a team with a winning record.
With three straight conference losses and a total difference of 55 points, the Tigers were eliminated from the SEC championship race. They’ve been solid and Garrett Nussmeier has talent, but losing star edge rusher Harold Perkins to injury has taken a toll on their sails.
Baylor University is peaking at just the right time, while LSU is slumping and in danger of losing in the Texas Bowl for the second time in three years. These aren’t Joe Burrow’s Tigers. Baylor is in prime position to win a bowl game in the Lone Star State for the third time in the last 30 years.
Grant Morrison | Sportswriter
Prediction: Baylor 38, LSU 34
Baylor’s offense has looked nearly unstoppable over the past six weeks, but I think Sawyer Robertson and the Bears can translate that momentum into postseason wins. LSU certainly has a stouter defense than most Baylor schools it has faced this year, but its run defense has been broken many times, averaging 146.5 yards on the ground to opponents. Baylor will be very happy going into this game under these conditions. Running back duo Bryson Washington and Dawson Pendergrass are averaging 136.3 and 70.7 yards, respectively, in the second half of the season.
LSU, on the other hand, will likely move away from the run game as it ranks 101st out of 134 FBS programs with 121.5 yards per game. The Tigers’ high-flying passing attack will be the biggest challenge for Dave Aranda’s defense. The Tigers have the eighth-highest passing yards per game behind redshirt junior quarterback Garrett Nussmeier. I see him throwing for three or four touchdowns and about 300 yards.
Another benefit for Baylor going into this game is the expected attrition from transfer portal entries and NFL Draft hopefuls that LSU could opt out of this game. Some may try to downplay Baylor’s chances of winning because of this, but all the Bears can do is play the game in front of them, with a high score with plenty of fireworks on both sides. It should be a shootout.
Brayden Murray | LTVN Sports Director
Prediction: Baylor 33, LSU 30
On a six-game winning streak, Baylor football is clearly one of the hottest teams in America. Closing out the season with a win in a bowl game against a decent SEC team would be great for the future of the program. Robertson and Baylor’s offense are firing on all cylinders, and I don’t expect them to have a hard time scoring. What I’m concerned about is the Bears’ defense. They have conceded 30 goals in six games this season. I can see this game being close in the final stages, but I think this Baylor defense will make another timely stop. This game could have gone the other way if LSU was at full strength, but with 13 players in the portal, you can’t honestly pick on them.
Aidan Pham | Sports reporter
Prediction: Baylor 32, LSU 28
All three phases of the ball looked great in Baylor’s 45-17 win over Kansas to close out the regular season. Voted one of the worst teams in the Big 12 preseason poll, Baylor finished the year with a great win and I think they want to carry that momentum into next season. Led by redshirt junior quarterback Sawyer Robertson, the Bears should have no problem scoring points with a strong run game. LSU is not the same team as 13 transfers have hit the portal so far, but that will be too much for the Tigers to overcome in this game.
Ashlyn Beck News Editor
Prediction: Baylor 31, LSU 17
I think LSU will score two touchdowns and one field goal and Baylor will score four touchdowns and one field goal. Baylor’s biggest advantage is morale from six straight wins. In contrast to LSU’s relatively disappointing two-game losing streak to No. 11 Alabama, Florida and Texas A&M, the Bears will take the field with an energy that can’t match an inferior Tigers team.
