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Poll: Can the severely shorthanded Bears turn around bowl fortunes?
The Baylor Bears opened as a 3.5-point favorite over the North Carolina Tar Heels after the matchup for the Russell Athletic Bowl was announced. And that was with Baylor quarterback Jarrett Stidham's availability in question.
Now we know that not only will Stidham, who replaced injured starter Seth Russell in late October, miss the game, but so will 1,000-yard rusher Shock Linwood and Biletnikoff-winning star receiver Corey Coleman, who has already declared for the 2016 NFL Draft.
News that Baylor's top three offensive weapons are out affected the line, but the Bears (9-3) still remain a 1.5-point favorite. That fact can only be attributable to the respect coach Art Briles garners and the depth he's amassed at Baylor.
However, considering the Bears' three significant losses, it has to be surprising that they remain the favorite over an 11-2 North Carolina squad that gave No. 1 Clemson a run for its money in the ACC championship game. With third-string quarterback Chris Johnson starting in place of Stidham, Baylor is 0-2, losing in overtime at TCU and at home to Texas when Johnson got knocked out early with a concussion.
The Bears are seeking to end a two-game bowl losing streak. They fell to Central Florida in the Fiesta Bowl two years ago and blew a 20-point lead to Michigan State last year in the Cotton Bowl.
