.vresize.36.36.medium.0.png){kind=small}
.vresize.36.36.medium.0.png){kind=small}
Baylor has risen to the Big 12's upper echelon after struggling at the bottom for more than a decade.
Some Texas players still don't see it that way.
The seventh-ranked Bears will look to continue their impressive start and command more respect from the rival Longhorns on Saturday in Austin.
Baylor (4-0, 1-0) went 43-117 overall in its first 14 seasons in the Big 12. The Bears turned the corner, however, in their third year under coach Art Briles in 2010 and have since gone 40-16. They clinched their first Big 12 title with a 30-10 home victory over then-No. 23 Texas on Dec. 7 - their third win in four meetings after losing 12 straight in the series.
The Longhorns (2-2, 1-0), who are 32-23 since 2010, hold a 74-25-4 all-time edge.
"They're still Baylor," said John Harris, who leads Texas with 336 receiving yards. "Just because they started playing better, that's good for them. We're still Texas."
Those remarks came about six months after Longhorns linebacker Steve Edmond was reprimanded by the Big 12 for his disrespectful comments toward the Bears after spring practice.
"I really don't like Baylor. I still feel they're trash," Edmond said. "Y'all think it's funny, but I'm dead serious. They've had some good players. But I don't understand how we lost to Baylor."
Bears quarterback Bryce Petty and his teammates have refused to directly answer questions regarding any of the Longhorns' jabs.
"People have questioned Baylor ever since I've been here. I think every game is a statement game," he said. "... It's not up to me to try and silence the critics or disprove what anyone else thinks."
Petty helped the Bears lead the nation in scoring for the third straight season in 2013 and has them back atop the FBS this year with 56.8 points per game and 641.0 yards per game - 44.2 more than the next team.
The offense could become even more potent with its receiving corps getting healthier. Antwan Goodley and Corey Coleman combined for 268 yards on 18 catches in their returns from injury in last Saturday's 49-28 win at Iowa State.
Goodley caught 71 passes for 1,339 yards and a Big 12-best 13 TDs last year, while Coleman racked up 527 yards on 35 receptions.
"It's just about rhythm and timing," said Petty, who owns a 162.2 passer rating and has yet to be sacked. "But these guys have a chance to break it every time they touch it. I love having them out there."
Levi Norwood has also been cleared to play for the first time since suffering a wrist injury in the opener. Norwood made 47 receptions for 733 yards and eight TDs in 2013.
These weapons join KD Cannon, who ranks fifth in the FBS with 129.8 receiving yards per game.
"We have a lot of playmakers in our receiving room," Goodley said. "We've got the best guys in the country. There's no doubt in my mind."
The Longhorns bounced back from two straight losses with last Saturday's 23-0 win over Kansas, their first Big 12 shutout since a 62-0 win at Baylor in 2005. They're seeking home redemption in their first game in Austin since a 41-7 loss to BYU.
First-year coach Charlie Strong opted for a more grounded approach than Harris in a game Baylor is favored to win by more than two touchdowns after outgaining Texas 508-217 last year. The Longhorns converted only 2 of 17 third-down chances.
"We're going to have to play above our heads," Strong said. "They (Baylor) deserve every bit of it. If you watch their team, it's amazing to see how it's developed over the last three or four years."
Strong's defense, though, could present a challenge to Petty and the Bears. Texas is eighth nationally in passing defense (140.5 yards per game), ranks second with nine interceptions and has 16 sacks.
The only Big 12 team with more sacks is the Bears (18), whose defense has held its own but gets overshadowed by the offense. They're limiting opponents to 250.5 yards per game, which ranks sixth nationally.
"I think our defense is easily one of the best in the nation," Petty said. "To go up against them every day has made us a lot better offensively. We've had to start scheming against our defense when we play them, and anytime you have to do that, that's when you know you've got a great defense. We make each other better."
