Opinion: Baylor football back on top four years after sexual assault scandal rocked campus
Exactly four years ago, the nation’s premier college football matchup took place under a cloud of uncertainty and defiance when Baylor’s unbeaten team hosted Oklahoma. For a lot of people around the country, the game was secondary. In August of that year, details began to emerge about the widespread sexual assault scandal that would later consume the university. At the same time, questions about whether coach Art Briles and his staff enabled a culture of violent behavior in the football program started to gain momentum, creating an uncomfortable dynamic with many fans who refused to believe he had done anything wrong. Not many outside the Baylor community shed a tear when the Bears lost that night, 44-34, ultimately fading into irrelevance by the end of the season. And from a football standpoint, that’s pretty much where the Bears have remained — until now. For people who are immersed in college football, Baylor’s return to the national spotlight Saturday — once again unbeaten, playing at home vs. Oklahoma — seems like a feel-good story. Some of that is related to Matt Rhule, the coach who cleaned up the toxic culture left by Briles and spent much…