Dave Aranda and his struggling Baylor Bears are getting set to face off against Scott Frost and his surprisingly interesting UCF Knights team. Neither one of these teams are all that impressive, but one is at the start of a tenure (even if Frost returned, it still kind feels a little like a nice reset for Frost and UCF) and the other feels like it’s at the end of a coaching era.
I do think this game will be of interest for Texas Tech fans, but I don’t think it’ll be because of anything that happens on the field for either of these teams. Rather, it’s more of a hypothetical based on the thought of the Bears losing this game.
But first, how to watch.
How to watch UCF Knights vs. Baylor Bears?
- Who: UCF Knights vs. Baylor Bears
- Where: Waco, Texas
- When: 11 a.m.
- TV Channel: ESPNU
- Live stream: ESPN
Does UCF vs Baylor actually impact Texas Tech in any tangible way? Should Red Raider fans keep up with this one?
Will this game impact Texas Tech in any way? Great question. Let’s focus first on if there will be any sort of direct impact because I think the indirect impact is something that most Red Raider fans will want to keep an eye on.
Will there be a direct impact from this game on the Red Raiders and their pursuit of the Big 12 championship? Absolutely not. Texas Tech is tied for third in the Big 12 standings right now and both the Baylor Bears and the UCF Knights are STRUGGLING this season. There is not direct impact from this game at all.
Indirectly? Yes. I suspect a loss here for Baylor would put an end to the Dave Aranda era of Baylor Bear football. And I think the folks over in Waco will be paying pretty close attention to a coordinator on Texas Tech’s coaching staff.
Mack Leftwich would be a fascinating replacement for Aranda for the Bears.
If Baylor wants to go all in on modernizing their approach to college football, Leftwich is the right guy for that. He’s got great recruiting connections throughout Texas, has been all over the state at various different stops from both his coaching and playing days, and he’s played a key role in elevating the Texas State football program into what it’s become.
Plus, while offense isn’t exactly Baylor’s issue, I think the Bears might want to go in a direction that is a bit different from what they did last time as they picked up a defensive coordinator to be their head coach. But that’s just a guess.