Aside from any team goals, it appears Art Briles' largest priority for the 2014 season is getting Bryce Petty a Heisman Trophy, or at least getting him to New York for the ceremony.
At Monday's Big 12 Media Days, Briles said that Petty's numbers were good enough to get him to New York, he just didn't have the requisite name recongition to garner an invitation. There's no denying Petty certainly had numbers worthy of a seat at the Downtown Athletic Club. The junior ranked second in the nation in passing efficiency - trailing only Jameis Winston, the man who took home the trophy - after completing 62 percent of his throws for 4,200 yards (10.4 yards per attempt) with a ridiculous 32-3 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Compare that with the 4,293 passing yards, the 10.7-yards per attempt average and the 37-6 touchdown-to-interception ratio of 2011 Heisman winner Robert Griffin III, and it appears Briles has a point.
Petty's advantage in 2014, Briles reasoned, is that his senior signical caller is now a known commodity. Walk into a Dairy Queen in Salem, Ore., said Briles, and the people there will know Bryce Petty.
Oregonian columnist John Canzano took Briles' word for it, and called all six Dairy Queen locations in Salem. None of them had heard of him.
"I've never heard of him," said one.
"I have no idea. I don't know," said another.
Hear the whole thing for yourself:
So Baylor took it upon itself to educate the people of Salem on the quarterback of college football's most productive offense:
Very nice work by the Bears spinning a one-off comment into a piece of publicity. Social media was a key factor in winning Baylor its first Heisman, and the Bears are ready to give it a go again.