1) Baylor is breaking in a new secondary, and there are a lot of unknowns around SMU's receivers. It is an unknown at this point which unit is better. I also think the RBs at SMU are probably better than the Baylor LBs (outside of Hagar). In order to even see how these matchups evolve, it is imperative that the oline perform well. Our o-line is young, but should be better than the last two years. They are going against one of the best d-lines in the big 12, and probably the best we will face all season. If the o-line can do a decent job, it allows the team to try and win some of the other matchups. If not, the offense is really going to struggle, which will allow Baylor to get a lot of possessions and potentially run up the score. Specifically, take a look at the middle of the line. If they are getting pushed back into Burcham, a young qb is going to panick and make a lot of mistakes. If they can hold their own, it bodes well for the passing game as well as the delayed runs we execute.
2) Defensively, there is no way our secondary can perform against their wide outs or LBs in the running game if the d-line doesn't do a great job. Again, this is probably the best o-line that they will face all year. If they can hold their own and allow LBs to make plays, it really bodes well for the rest of the season. The key person to watch defensively is the NT position. If whomever is playing NT can demand a double team, and we are blitzing a linebacker, it allows Wood, Minor, and that Linebacker to be single teamed. Last season, Wright did not demand a double. So, when we didn't blitz anyone, both ends were double teamed and the opposing QB had all day to pass. Wood, Minor, and several backups have the ability to win individual matchups. The question is whether or not Wright can demand the double and provide them those winnable opportunities.