With its College Football Playoff hopes all but dashed with a stunning 35-34 loss at Texas last week, Baylor tries to refocus and make a run for another Big 12 Conference championship when it hosts TCU on Saturday (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX).
The No. 17 Bears (6-1, 3-1 Big 12), who play conference leading Oklahoma (6-2, 5-0) next week in Norman, had what might best be described as a rough 48 hours last weekend.
Last Friday, on the eve of the Bears' game at Texas, the Wall Street Journal reported specific numbers that have come out of the school's investigation of its Title IX problems which cost coach Art Briles his job last May. The story attributed Baylor regents in reporting that 19 football players were involved in 17 reports of sexual or domestic violence, a statistic that included four alleged gang rapes.
Then on Saturday in Austin, Texas defeated the Bears to put an end to any CFP hopes.
Acting coach Jim Grobe, whose key job function it seems this season is to smile during press conferences and attempt to say the right thing, did more of the same at his weekly presser Monday.
"What we try to do, as much as anything, is just stay positive," Grobe said. "Going forward, we can only control day-to-day and week-to-week and try to get ready every week. Try to avoid distractions and stay focused on winning."
To Grobe's credit, he's stuck to his role, keeping focus on the positive aspects of the Bears' program, sidestepping tricky questions and maintaining his smile. It's not his fault that the Baylor athletic department hasn't shown contrition among ever-worsening reports.
"Really, really disappointed. Really down," Grobe said of his team's mood after its first loss. "It's funny (but) I think players bounce back a little quicker than coaches do. Coaches might have been a little bit more down even than the players. I just told the guys, I thought we lost our focus a little bit. I think we got concerned with officiating and that's not our job. Our job is just to play."
The good news for the Bears is that they get to return home to McLane Stadium, where they are 14-2 with an average scoring margin of 27 points. And they face a TCU (4-4, 2-3) squad that has its own share of issues after losing three of four games, including surprisingly at quarterback.
Starting quarterback Kenny Hill was pulled in favor of sophomore Foster Sawyer from last week's 27-24 double-overtime loss to Texas Tech after throwing his 10th interception of the season and coach Gary Patterson confessed that it wasn't he who brought the hook.
"I didn't pull him," Patterson said at a press conference. "Sonny did."
Sonny would be co-offensive coordinator Sonny Cumbie, who doubles as quarterbacks coach.
Scoring has been a problem of late as the Horned Frogs are averaging just 19.3 points over their last three games. Hill was 16-of-29 passing for 160 yards with a long of 19 when he was removed against the Red Raiders. Sawyer's accuracy was even worse as he completed 6 of 17 passes for 86 yards and one touchdown.
"We weren't playing very well," Patterson said of the quarterback switch. "Both guys have got to play better. When they turn you loose, you've got to make plays."
Hill is expected to remain the starter this week.
The Horned Frogs got some good news on the injury front. Running back Kyle Hicks, who injured his left ankle in the loss to Texas Tech, was listed as probable by Patterson. Hicks has carried the ground game with 597 yards and seven touchdowns so his absence would have been a huge blow for the Horned Frogs. Hicks also is tied for the team lead with 31 receptions.
Baylor quarterback Seth Russell also expects to play Saturday but will continue to be monitored for potential concussion-like symptoms throughout the week.
Russell began feeling nauseous and groggy about 90 minutes after the loss to Texas. His CT scan for concussion-like symptoms was negative.
"I feel great," Russell told the Waco Tribune. "(Sunday) I felt a little groggy just from a hard fought game for the most part. But I woke up this morning with a lot of energy. I definitely feel like I'm going to play. I'm going through concussion protocol, that's what everybody wants me to do."
Russell, who missed the last six games of the 2015 season with a broken neck, took numerous hard hits from the Texas defense. In 15 career starts he has thrown 52 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions while compiling a 14-1 record.
The series is tied 52-52-7.
