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Bears incredible run at heart of changing perception of Texas football
When the Southwest Conference died and the Big 12 emerged, the lowly Baylor Bears weren't exactly a welcomed entity. It took a little political muscle from the late governor of Texas Ann Richards, a Baylor alum.
In the first 14 seasons in the Big 12, the Bears won 14 games. Coaches with grand plans came and went and nothing changed. Then Art Briles, born in Rule, Texas, played at Houston, dominated Texas high schools as a visionary offensive coach, came to town and changed everything.
The Big 12 is upside down, with Baylor and fellow private institution TCU taking over for the big, bad state universities in Austin and Norman, Okla.
"What is ain't," Baylor coach Briles deadpanned in his vintage Texas twang to ESPN. "Just because something has been a certain way doesn't mean it's going to stay that way. That to me is the thing that's most inspiring about what we've done here. You don't have to go with the good ol' boy theory that that's the way it's always going to be."
What Briles has done at Baylor since his arrival in 2008 is produce a Heisman Trophy winner in Robert Griffin III, win consecutive Big 12 titles and send numerous players to the NFL. Baylor routinely wins recruiting battles that it never used to stand a chance.
That Baylor is in the national playoff conversation while Texas has fallen and hasn't quite gotten up is something many Texans, most Texans, never fathomed they'd see in their lifetimes.
Read the full story at ESPN.
Photo Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
