Poor ‘D’ hinders Baylor

When former Pittsburgh defensive coordinator Phil Bennett took the same job at Baylor, he was taking on a tall task. But Bennett probably had no idea his mission was virtually impossible.

The Bears' inept defense was exposed again last week when Oklahoma State cruised to a 59-24 victory. The final score was misleading, though, as the Cowboys led 49-3 late in the third quarter.

Not even a dynamic quarterback such as Robert Griffin III can overcome his team's defensive shortcomings. Griffin has 23 touchdown passes, but Baylor is 4-3 overall and 1-3 in the Big 12 Conference.

The Bears' atrocious defense is the reason to back Missouri as a 2½-point underdog today in Waco, Texas. It's surprising Baylor is favored in the game.

I thought I was being respectful to coach Art Briles' slumping team when I made the Tigers 3-point road favorites. Missouri is coming off an overtime win at Texas A&M, where Baylor suffered a 55-28 loss on Oct. 15.

With the win over the Aggies, Missouri improved to 3-0 against the spread as a road underdog. James Franklin, the steadily improving Tigers quarterback, will lead his team to a double-digit triumph.

Four more plays for today (home team in CAPS):

■ Texas Tech (+14) over TEXAS -- The Red Raiders fell victim to the classic letdown spot in last week's loss to Iowa State. However, the thinking here is that this Jekyll-and-Hyde team will look more like the outfit that upset Oklahoma two weeks ago.

Texas Tech is 3-0 straight up and ATS on the road. Don't be surprised if quarterback Seth Doege leads the Red Raiders to another upset as a double-digit underdog.

■ South Carolina-ARKANSAS (Under 52½) -- Without injured running back Marcus Lattimore and dismissed quarterback Stephen Garcia, the Gamecocks have a pedestrian offense that has scored only 14 points in each of the past two games.

South Carolina's stout defense is led by All-America candidate Melvin Ingram and future NFL first-round draft pick Jadeveon Clowney. The Gamecocks' stop unit has allowed 37 total points in the past five games. I'm not sure this total even reaches the 40s.

■ Louisiana State (+5) over ALABAMA -- Being on the road is not a big deal with this veteran LSU squad. The top-ranked Tigers are 3-0 ATS on the road, and that doesn't include a 40-27 victory over Oregon in Arlington, Texas. LSU senior Jarrett Lee has thrown only one interception, and speedy receivers Rueben Randle and Russell Shepard will get plenty of one-on-one opportunities. Look for Lee to take advantage and for coach Les Miles' team to win a close game in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

■ Lsu-ALABAMA (Over 41) -- The Crimson Tide has averaged 39.4 points per game, and LSU has scored at a 39.2 clip. Both defenses are going to key on stopping the run, opening up big-play chances for quarterbacks Lee and AJ McCarron. It's not as if we need a shootout for this game to get over the low total.

Last week: 3-1 against the spread

Season: 23-13-2

Brian Edwards of VegasInsider.com and BrianEdwardsSports.com is providing college football analysis for the Las Vegas Review-Journal.