Football Picked Second in Media Preseason Big 12 Poll
Two-time reigning Big 12 champions selected to finish as runner-up in league.
IRVING, Texas – The back-to-back conference champion Baylor football team ranked second in the 2015 Big 12 Football Preseason Poll, as voted on by media representatives who cover the league.
BU tallied 384 points and 10 first-place votes to finish as the projected runner-up to TCU, which received 408 points and the remaining 32 first-place votes.
The Bears were chosen to finish in front of Oklahoma (312), Oklahoma State (289), Texas (245), West Virginia (204), K-State (201), Texas Tech (139), Iowa State (83) and Kansas (45).
The Big 12 Conference had two six-team divisions for its first 15 seasons, and Baylor was never picked to finish in the top half of a division during that span. This year's second-place projection ties 2014 as the Bears' best since the league switched to the 10-team format in 2011. BU was picked sixth in 2011, seventh in 2012 and fifth in 2013.
Despite being picked fifth and second in the past two seasons, Baylor ended 2013 and 2014 as the top team in the league.
On Wednesday, Baylor led the league with seven selections to the preseason All-Big 12 team.
Last season, the Bears produced an 8-1 record in conference play to win its second straight Big 12 title.
The Bears will open the 2015 season on Sept. 4 by taking on SMU in Dallas.
Head coach Art Briles enters his eighth season in Waco and his 2015 Baylor squad returns 51 lettermen from a team that tied a school-record with 11 games won and played in the Cotton Bowl, the school's record fifth straight bowl appearance.
Briles and select players will head to Dallas on Tuesday for the annual Big 12 Football Media Days. Live video coverage, including press conferences and one-on-one interviews with a variety of guests, will be featured on FOX Sports 2.
Keep up with the Bears all season long by following @BUFootball on Twitter, Instagram, Periscope and Snapchat.
2015 Big 12 Football Media Preseason Poll
1. TCU (32) 408
2. Baylor (10) 384
3. Oklahoma 312
4. Oklahoma State 289
5. Texas 245
6. West Virginia 204
7. K-State 201
8. Texas Tech 139
9. Iowa State 83
10. Kansas 45
first-place votes in parentheses
