Baylor opens its 2025 season at home on Friday, August 29, hosting the Auburn Tigers in a huge Big 12 vs. SEC showdown. The Bears are hoping to build off a 2024 campaign that ended with a six-game winning streak in the regular season, before falling to LSU in the Texas Bowl. Meantime, Auburn went 5-7 last year, losing to Alabama to end the regular season and miss a bowl game. Both Dave Aranda and Hugh Freeze enter needing to build on their 2024 campaigns, albeit for different reasons.
The game kicks off at 7:00 p.m. Friday on FOX from Waco, Texas. The Tigers are favored by -2.5 points and the over/under is set at 57.5 total points. Here are two key players to watch in this game, followed by the top storylines for each team, and a prediction from Heartland College Sports.
Two Key Players to Watch
Bryson Washington (RB, Baylor)
Bryson Washington enters the 2025 season as Baylor’s most dynamic offensive weapon not named Sawyer Robertson, and he could be the X-factor against Auburn. The junior running back racked up over 1,100 all-purpose yards last season and showed flashes of game-breaking speed that turned swing passes and outside zones into chunk plays. If Washington finds rhythm early, Baylor’s offense could be nearly impossible to slow down.
Jackson Arnold (QB, Auburn)
Can the former Oklahoma quarterback take that next step after losing his job in Norman? Arnold possesses dual-threat abilities, but he was very inconsistent at OU. If Jackson Arnold can find that magic under Freeze and OC Derrick Nix that made him a top high school QB recruit, Auburn might take that jump they desperately need for Freeze to feel good about his job prospects in 2026.
Two Key Storylines
Baylor’s Run Game vs. Auburn
Bryson Washington could become a household name across college football if he has a big game on Friday. Auburn has a lot of holes to fill in and questions in the front seven, which is where the Tigers are most vulnerable on defense. If Washington gets it going, it will open up the offense for Robertson and company and lead to a big night for the Bears offensive.
Arnold Finding His New Targets
Baylor’s defense was suspect at times last season, and it remains to be seen on if Aranda can turn around this side of the ball, which has more questions than the offense. Arnold will throw to an upgraded receiver group that adds transfers Eric Singleton Jr. (Georgia Tech) and Horatio Fields (Wake Forest), alongside talented sophomores Cam Coleman and Malcolm Simmons. Coleman tied for the team lead with eight touchdown receptions as a freshman. If Arnold finds some early success, it will be the confidence boost he needs taking over the program and could spell a long night for the Bears.
Prediction: Baylor 38, Auburn 31
Don’t kid yourself, this is a big game for the Big 12 Conference at a time in college football when the deck is stacked against the league. Baylor knows this. Dave Aranda knows this. Baylor may have the best QB-RB duo in the Big 12 and I believe this will be the reason Baylor wins the game over the Tigers. BU’s veteran offensive line will push around an Auburn front looking to plug some holes with new faces, and WR’s Josh Cameron and Alabama transfer Kobe Prentice will break out as well. Jackson Arnold may help Auburn’s offense eventually turn things around, but this is a tough road environment for a new QB with several new pieces around him. The home field will play a factor in Baylor holding on for this win in Waco.
