Baylor Should Rest DT Andrew Billings vs Iowa State for Daunting Home Stretch

The No. 2 Baylor Bears have the inside track to the Big 12 title and a spot in the College Football Playoff, but they have many more tests to pass in conference play before they get there. With the big picture in mind, Art Briles might think about sitting All-Big 12 defensive tackle Andrew Billings this weekend when the Iowa State Cyclones come to Waco to allow the star defender’s injured ankle ample time to heal ahead of their daunting November stretch that includes the Oklahoma Sooners, Oklahoma State Cowboys, and TCU Horned Frogs.

There is no doubt about the impact that Billings has on the Baylor defense. He currently leads the team with 8.0 tackles for loss to go along with 21 total tackles and a sack. This follows up his strong 2014 campaign when he racked up 37 tackles with 11.5 tackles for loss and two sacks, earning him all conference honors. His presence in the middle has helped the Bears to the No. 3 total and scoring defense in the Big 12 and earning them some respect as a legitimate contender in 2015. After spraining his ankle last week against the West Virginia Mountaineers, however, Billings has been limited in practice and has had to wear a boot on his injured foot.

Heading into this matchup, Billings’ services likely aren’t going to be necessary for Baylor to come out ahead of the 2-4 Cyclones. Iowa State ranks as just the No. 7 total offense in the conference and the N0. 8 scoring offense, averaging nearly 40 points less than Baylor so far this season. Their one win against an FBS opponent this season came against the Kansas Jayhawks, arguably one of the worst teams in the country this season. With the Bears offense clicking on all cylinders (and Iowa State ranking as the No. 7 defense in the conference), Baylor has every advantage in this matchup, with or without Billings.

Looking ahead, however, Billings will be a very important piece of the Bears’ Big 12 title run in November. After Iowa State, Baylor has a bye week before entering the teeth of their schedule. Baylor goes on the road to Manhattan to take on the Kansas State Wildcats before playing Oklahoma, at Oklahoma State, and at TCU in a three week stretch that will make or break the Bears as a title contender. For Baylor to get through this daunting November stretch, they will need a healthy Andrew Billings anchoring their interior defense.

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