The Baylor Bears aren’t coming in 2025 to play safe; they’re coming in with all they’ve got. Following a disappointing 3–9 season in 2023, where they struggled with the transfer portal, the Bears turned things around last year. Led by Sawyer Robertson’s solid play and Dave Aranda’s revitalized leadership, Baylor strung together six consecutive conference victories, ultimately finishing 8–5 last year. Now with that confidence, they have their eyes locked on their opening game against Auburn. As the message is clear: Baylor is entering this season to make an impact right from the start.

This matchup’s got serious old-school vibes—just four meetings in nearly 70 years, and now it’s back on the national radar. Auburn took the first one, but Baylor owns the momentum with wins in the last two. And now, in 2025, the Bears are kicking off the season by hosting Auburn, SEC swagger and all, right in Waco. It’s not exactly a cupcake opener—especially with a road trip to 2024 CFP team SMU right after—but Dave Aranda’s squad isn’t blinking. With confidence riding high and the roster looking deeper than it has in years, Baylor’s not easing into the season—they’re diving straight into the fire.

While talking about the locker room excitement, Dave Aranda clearly lays out his team’s mindset on SicEm365—Baylor Athletics News. “I think the team knows that there’s a chance to do some special things,” Aranda said. “But again, I think there has to be a level of accountability and discipline with this team in terms of doing all the things right—every little thing right—off the field, all of it. And I think some of our individuality has to kind of come together for a team purpose. And we’re in the process of doing that right now.” But with Baylor’s, it’s going to be a tough game for Hugh Freeze’s team too.

Auburn started last season by easily beating an easy opponent, Alabama A&M, with a 73-3 record. But then the very next week, they struggled and lost against California 21-14 with tons of turnovers. Now, that’s something they can’t repeat this season, as Dave Aranda’s team is more prepared than ever. They aren’t rebuilding; they’re reloading. Baylor welcomes back 9 of 11 offensive starters from a unit that ranked sixth nationally last season, averaging 440.1 yards per game. This level of offensive consistency provides a significant advantage as they look toward 2025, spearheaded by freshman All-American Bryson Washington, fresh off a 1,028-yard, 12-touchdown season.

Well, Baylor’s 2025 football schedule starts with a bang, featuring a challenging opening stretch. The first six weeks see them battling the likes of Auburn, SMU, Arizona State, Kansas State, and TCU. It’s a true gauntlet that will reveal their playoff potential early on, and they can’t afford a repeat of last year’s 2-4 start. These are no easy wins either, with Auburn and SMU bringing physicality and playoff aspirations, while Kansas State and TCU are Big 12 rivals hungry for success. If Baylor aims to enter the CFP conversation, a fast start is crucial.

But on the bright side, nine of their twelve games are in Texas, offering a significant travel advantage. And with only two of those first six games on the road, the Bears could build early momentum. Now that everything’s falling right into place for Dave Aranda’s team, off-the-field, there’s one last thing he addresses during the conference.

Dave Aranda’s apology after bold slur remarks

Dave Aranda’s appearance at the Texas High School Coaches Association convention took a weird turn, straying from what Baylor fans were hoping to hear. After addressing the coaches, Aranda spoke with the media, attempting to explain the difficulties of recruiting in today’s cutthroat college football landscape. However, rather than offering a straightforward explanation, he used a perplexing analogy involving a scene from The Wolf of Wall Street, which quickly sparked online controversy.

Aranda stated, “There’s a scene in The Wolf of Wall Street where they talk about throwing m—-ts,” and then, repeating the offensive term, elaborated: “It’s like, ‘Hey, this m—-t, can he roll there?’ And you go, ‘No, he doesn’t roll. You throw him. You know what I mean? And they’re made for throwing.’” While Aranda likely intended to illustrate a point about inclusion and how players are perceived during recruiting, his unfortunate choice of words and comparison immediately overshadowed his intended message. And cut to next, social media exploded with hate comments for Dave Aranda, backlashing his bold take.

But he made sure those slur remarks didn’t affect the Baylor Bears future, and that’s exactly why Aranda put out an apology for his remarks. “I wanted to say, you know, last time I spoke, I had a misstep and hurt a bunch of people. So, you know, I apologize for that. That was not what I intended to get across. So, I’m sorry for that,” he said. Aranda’s comparison of the manipulative movie scene to the recruiting process came across as insensitive and offensive. “And then after a while, they start talking, and they go, ‘Well, you know what? I think if you start talking, they may think they know we’re making fun of them. The m—-ts may think we’re making fun of them,” he said.

Look, Dave Aranda tried making a relevant point about contemporary recruiting—the deceptive dance between players and coaches. Players pursue lucrative NIL deals, switching schools readily, while coaches manage rosters transactionally—recruiting some, releasing others, and constantly reshaping their lineups. Aranda’s Wolf of Wall Street analogy highlighted this manipulation: creating a false sense of belonging. But though his message had weight, the way it came out, with use of offensive and outdated language, ended up putting Aranda in a tough spot.