Year after year, everyone is looking for that team that will finally end the SEC’s stranglehold on the National Championship. And every year, the team everyone picks to do it falls short of expectations. This year, Oregon, Clemson, and Ohio State were the early non-SEC teams that were considered “title contenders.” However, Baylor has emerged as a potential contender, because of an unreal offensive attack.

Baylor is currently averaging 713.8 yards per game, best in the nation and over 83 yards per game more than Oregon’s offense. They also still rank first in scoring offense at 63 points per game, despite only scoring 35 against Kansas State. The offense, quarterbacked by Bryce Petty, has a plethora of offensive weapons, including running back Lache Seastrunk (643 rushing yards, eight touchdowns) and receivers Tevin Reese (23 receptions, 609 yards, eight touchdowns) and Antwan Goodley (26 receptions, 679 yards, eight touchdowns). And their offense is only going to get better as running back Glasco Martin gets more involved in the offense after being held out early in the season due to injury.

So the question is, “Can Baylor ride their offense to the BCS National Championship Game?”

The answer: Yes.

However, in order for Baylor to have a chance at a national title appearance, they will need to go undefeated, due to their early poor strength of schedule and because of early losses to Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. So looking at their schedule….

Iowa State-- This matchup was discussed earlier this week in eDraft’s Big XII Week 8 preview. The Cyclones have the potential to do what Kansas State did and possess the ball and minimize the amount of time Baylor gets the ball. Unfortunately, they don’t have any defensive backs near the caliber of Ty Zimmerman, so they will not be able to keep up with Tevin Reese and Antwan Goodley.

Kansas-- The Jayhawks have not won a Big XII game since 2010. Smart money says that streak does not end against the Bears.

Oklahoma-- The Sooners present the toughest matchup moving forward for Baylor. However, Texas was able to run for 255 yards on Oklahoma with Jonathan Gray and Malcolm Brown. Lache Seastrunk and Glasco Martin are equally talented, while Baylor has a bigger mauler on the offensive line in guard Cyril Richardson to open run lanes. Unless Blake Bell pulls himself together, this game may not be as exciting as originally projected.

Texas Tech-- The Red Raiders have proven to have the offensive firepower and matchup nightmares to give Baylor a run for their money on the scoreboard. Unfortunately, the quarterback play has been up and down and inconsistent, which can’t happen against a Baylor team that does a great job capitalizing on mistakes.

Oklahoma State--O Another team that could go point for point with Baylor. Unfortunately, their offense has been inconsistent at times, which showed against West Virginia, a team that Baylor set offensive records against this season.

TCU-- The Horned Frogs have the best pass defense in the Big XII. They have shut down multiple passing games this season. Unfortunately for them, their offense does not have the ability to capitalize on this. Baylor’s balanced offense should allow them to score enough points for them to keep a safe distance from Trevone Boykin & Co.

Texas-- The Longhorns are still undefeated to this point in Big XII play, but Baylor’s strong running game and up-tempo offense are two things Texas’ defense has struggled with this season (see: BYU and Ole Miss).

After looking through the rest of the schedule, it is very possible that Baylor could end the season 12-0. However, even that will not be enough for Baylor to get to the National Title. They will need many of the teams above them to lose.

Baylor is currently ranked 12th in the country behind the following teams: Alabama, Oregon, Clemson, Ohio State, Florida State, LSU, Texas A&M, Louisville, UCLA, Miami (FL), and South Carolina. They will need almost all of these teams to lose at least one more time and still keep up their offensive pace and racking up the style points to prove they deserve to be at the top of the polls.

All in all, Baylor’s offense alone makes them a contender for the National Title. Whether or not they would be able to win the National Title, especially if an SEC team or Oregon is their opponent, with defenses that are fast enough to keep up with the Bear’s speed, is another story. But for now, Baylor’s focus needs to remain on winning the Big XII, as they still have some tough opponents that could derail their national title hopes completely.