Honestly, if you looked at the Baylor football schedule 2024 back in early October, you probably thought Dave Aranda was packing his boxes. The Bears were sitting at 2-4. They had just been bullied by Iowa State in a 43-21 blowout. Fans were restless, the "hot seat" talk was deafening, and the season looked like a total wash.
But then, something shifted.
College football is weird like that. One week you're the basement dweller of the Big 12, and the next, you’re on a six-game tear that flips the entire narrative of the program. Baylor didn't just crawl to bowl eligibility; they sprinted there, finishing the regular season 8-4 before a tough outing in the Texas Bowl.
The Brutal Start and the Mid-Season Pivot
The 2024 campaign started with a predictable win over Tarleton, but the wheels started wobbling fast. A 12-23 loss at Utah—where the offense looked completely stuck—was followed by a heartbreaker in Boulder. That Colorado game was particularly painful. Letting a lead slip away in overtime to Deion Sanders’ squad felt like a gut punch that usually ends a season before it really begins.
After a home loss to BYU and that drubbing in Ames, the vibe in Waco was heavy. Most people assumed the Baylor football schedule 2024 would just be a long march toward a coaching change.
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Then came the Texas Tech game.
Baylor went into Lubbock and dropped 59 points. 59! Sawyer Robertson, the Lubbock native himself, went back to his hometown and absolutely carved up the Red Raiders. It wasn't just a win; it was an exorcism. That game changed the trajectory of the season and arguably saved Dave Aranda's job for the 2025 and 2026 seasons.
Key Results from the 2024 Regular Season
- Aug 31: Tarleton State (W, 45-3)
- Sept 7: at Utah (L, 12-23)
- Sept 14: Air Force (W, 31-3)
- Sept 21: at Colorado (L, 31-38 OT)
- Sept 28: BYU (L, 28-34)
- Oct 5: at Iowa State (L, 21-43)
- Oct 19: at Texas Tech (W, 59-35)
- Oct 26: Oklahoma State (W, 38-28)
- Nov 2: TCU (W, 37-34)
- Nov 16: at West Virginia (W, 49-35)
- Nov 23: at Houston (W, 20-10)
- Nov 30: Kansas (W, 45-17)
The Revival of the Ground Game
You can't talk about the back half of this schedule without mentioning Bryson Washington. The redshirt freshman running back became the heartbeat of the team.
During that three-game home stretch against Oklahoma State, TCU, and Kansas, Washington was a force of nature. Against TCU—the game every Baylor fan circles in red ink—he found the end zone four times. It was the kind of performance that reminded folks of the 2021 Sugar Bowl team.
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Sawyer Robertson’s emergence was the other half of that equation. He took over the starting role from Dequan Finn and finished the year with over 3,000 passing yards and 28 touchdowns. He brought a level of stability and "gamer" energy that the offense desperately lacked in the first month of the season.
The Postseason Reality Check
Baylor headed to the Texas Bowl in Houston on New Year's Eve to face LSU. It was a homecoming of sorts for Aranda, who was the defensive architect for LSU's 2019 national title run.
The game was a shootout. LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier threw for over 300 yards, and despite Robertson’s best efforts—he actually threw for 445 yards in that game—the Bears fell 44-31. A high snap on a crucial fourth down late in the game essentially killed the comeback bid.
Still, finishing 8-5 (6-3 in the Big 12) was a massive overachievement considering where they stood in October.
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What This Means for the Future
If you’re tracking the Baylor football schedule 2024, you’re really looking at a tale of two seasons. The university recently confirmed they are retaining Aranda through 2026, citing the "excellence and competitiveness" shown during that late-season surge.
The stability is a big deal. With the Big 12 constantly shifting and the NIL landscape getting more chaotic, Baylor chose continuity. They’re betting that the version of the team we saw in November is the "real" Baylor.
Actionable Insights for Fans
If you're looking to follow the Bears as they transition into the next cycle, keep an eye on these specific areas:
- Roster Retention: The transfer portal is the biggest opponent now. Keeping guys like Bryson Washington and Josh Cameron (who had 111 yards in the bowl game) is priority number one.
- Defensive Identity: Aranda took a more "hands-on" approach with the defense this year. Watch to see if they can maintain that aggressive scheme without falling back into the soft zones that plagued them early in 2024.
- Recruiting Momentum: Winning six of your last seven is a great pitch to high school seniors. Check the 2025 and 2026 commit lists to see if the "Waco is back" narrative is sticking.
The 2024 season proved that in the new Big 12, no one is ever truly out of it. One good Saturday in Lubbock can turn a disaster into a bowl trip.