Art Briles on Baylor's pursuit of perfection: 'I don't want to bowl a 294'
Baylor's performance so far this season has done nothing but solidify the fact that the Bears are one of the premier teams in the nation.
Bolstering the most emphatic 4-0 record in college football this season, Baylor's closest margin of victory this season was 28 - last week in a 63-35 drubbing of Texas Tech.
Needless to say, head coach Art Briles has his sights set on a bigger goal than just beating up on opposing teams. For him, it's about the road to perfection.
"I've told the players that my only anxiousness comes from making sure we fulfill what we're capable of," Briles told ESPN on Thursday. "You don't get many chances to bowl a 300 game. I don't want to bowl a 294 and almost be there. I want to be there. That's my anxiety because we're good."
How good exactly?
"It's the best team we've had in my eight years here, and I don't think it's even close," Briles said.
So far this season, the Bears have scored at least 56 points in every game, en route to leading all FBS schools in one-minute touchdown drives (11) and two-minute touchdown drives (23).
But the special part about this year's edition of the Bears isn't offense - Baylor has always been able to run up the score. Instead, taming the opposing offense has made this team a double-edged sword.
"Defensively, it's the best we've been," Briles said. "Talent-wise, I don't even think it's close. We've finally got guys on that side of the ball who are dynamic. We've got some playmakers over there."
There was some question as to whether quarterback Seth Russell would be able to fill the shoes of point-hungry Bryce Petty. But Russell has put himself in Heisman Trophy talks, throwing for 1,281 yards and 19 touchdowns, while adding three rushing scores on 172 yards.
"We can certainly spread it around, and having a mobile quarterback gives us other options," Briles said. "It's a whole different deal with a guy at quarterback who can move the way he can.
"That's what I think is going to help take us to the next level offensively. I really do."