Five reasons Baylor football deserves to be in College Football Playoff"s top four

Baylor Football: Highlights vs. Kansas State

Baylor football is ranked No. 2 in both national polls, but the College Football Playoff rankings will have a whole different set of criteria. The latter version will be released for the first time this season at 7 p.m. on Tuesday live on ESPN.

Here are five reasons Baylor football deserves to be ranked in the top four in the first College Football Playoff rankings.

1. Complete dominance. The Bears have been one of the most dominant teams in football all season long. The Bears are outscoring teams by an average of 36.0 points per game. For however maligned the defense is, Baylor is outgaining teams by 303.7 yards per game.In fact, a double-digit win over Iowa State was the first time Baylor"s starters played their way through an entire game this season. Baylor has beaten teams in every phase of the game on the way to its 7-0 record. The committee should reward that, not penalize it.

2. Balanced offense. Baylor"s offense gets plenty of attention for its gaudy passing numbers, but the running game has been the driver of the offense this season. The Bears rank No. 2 nationally in rushing yards with 338.3 yards per game. The difference? The other four teams that rank top five in rushing yards per game average 94.7 passing yards per game. Baylor averages 347.9 passing yards per game. The Bears are far and away the most productive offense in college football, compiling more than 70 yards more per game than the next team. The ability to beat teams in both phases of the offense makes them that much more dangerous.

3. Elite weapons. Baylor has the most productive running back in the Big 12, the highest scorer in the Big 12, the second and eighth most productive receivers in the Big 12 and the most productive offense overall. Running back Shock Linwood has run angry this season and leads the conference with 974 rushing yards despite having played less games than all but one of the top 10 rushers. Corey Coleman is establishing himself as the Biletnikoff Award favorite, as he is on pace to break the all-time record for touchdowns in a season. Even with quarterback Seth Russell out for the season, Jarrett Stidham should be able to step in and not miss too much of a beat.

4. Potential for growth. Baylor football has put together some of the best performances in the country, but still has potential for growth across the board. Defensive end Shawn Oakman finally broke out of his slumber against Iowa State, while the defensive backs have showed steady improvement throughout the season. Safety Orion Stewart has struggled this season after being an All-Big 12 selection last year. There are clearly places where Baylor is underachieving. If the players can put stretches together, it will set itself apart.

5. Staying power. It may seem crazy at this point, but Baylor has been one of the most consistent teams in college football over the past three seasons. The Bears are the only one of two teams in college football who have won back-to-back conference championships. The other, Florida State, is ranked No. 17 in the AP poll after a loss to Georgia Tech. The Bears have also gone 29-4 the past three years, which ranks among the best marks and winning percentages in the country. This should serve Baylor well as expectations continue to rise.

On Twitter:@ShehanJeyarajah

Source: http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/college-sports/headlines/20151102-five-reasons-baylor-football-deserves-to-be-in-college-football-playoff-s-top-four.ece