Baylor does have one of the nation’s most exciting players and a Heisman candidate in quarterback Robert Griffin III. After missing most of the 2009 season with a knee injury, Griffin last year threw for a school-record 3,501 yards and 22 touchdowns and added another 635 yards and eight TDs rushing. His 318.2 yards of total offense per game ranked sixth nationally. Griffin already owns or shares 30 school records including 14 career passing marks. He's also one of only five returning FBS quarterbacks with career totals of 5,500 passing yards and 1,500 rushing yards. There is a big hole at running back as Jay Finley broke the program's single-season record with 1,218 rushing yards in 2010 but is now gone. The Bears are loaded at receiver, with five returning players who had at least 40 catches last season. Kendall Wright (78 catches, 952 yards) is the best of the bunch. Eight starters are back overall on offense.

The defense was the weak link last year as Baylor allowed 188 total points in that four-game losing streak. So Baylor brought in a new defensive coordinator in Phil Bennett, the former SMU head coach who concluded last season as the interim head coach at Pittsburgh after Dave Wannstedt's dismissal. Baylor finished 10th in the Big 12 in total defense (435.4 yards) and within half a point of second to last in scoring defense at 30.5 in 2010 so Bennett has his work cut out. Five starters are due back on this unit.

Baylor opens the season Sept. 2 against TCU and has an over/under Bodog win total for 2011 at 6.5

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