Baylor opens the season Friday night and no team is more anxious than the Bears to embark on a new normal.The season begins at McLane Stadium (7:30 p.m. ET, FSN) with a matchup against Northwestern State, a series the Bears have dominated to the tune of a 4-0 record.The opponent is almost a peripheral matter for the Bears, who might be glad to see anything but the usual around the program.Someone noted during Baylor interim head coach Jim Grobes first game-week press conference on Monday that Grobe was wearing the biggest smile anyone had seen from him since he was named head coach in a whirlwind summer for the program.Grobe again smiled at the question and replied, essentially, that football is the fun part of his job and hes happy to finally get to it.Its just good to get to football, Grobe said. Weve spent a lot of time talking about things that have to be talked about. Weve had to deal with a lot of serious issues. But now its kind of more lighthearted because were getting ready to play a game. For me its just exciting to get back into a football season and watch these guys perform.Grobe walked into an unusual situation in June when took the Baylor job.Baylor dismissed Art Briles, the coach that helped the Bears rise from the ashes to win two straight Big 12 titles, amidst the universitys major Title IX failings.Briles took the blame for a rash of rape cases involving Baylor players after an independent law firm, hired by Baylor, investigated the schools problems and determined Briles was culpable. Additionally, 16 players were deleted from the roster since the scandal began.Oddly, however, most of the rest of Briles staff remained at the school. Those are the coaches that Grobe is allowing to continue running the program.In the past I had more input as far as what we were going to do X and O wise, Grobe said. I had more input as far as what players were going to be first, second team. Ive had to rely on our coaching staff quite a bit. Ive relied on them to stack the guys up first, second, third team. I really couldnt do that until we start playing games. From that standpoint, Ive been really, really impressed. I think weve got a great group of coaches on both sides of the ball.It seems like Grobe was hired to speak at press conferences and let the same people who were running practice keep at it.Grobes results speaking to the media have been mixed.He drew the ire of regional media at Big 12 Media Days in July when he said that Baylor no longer had a culture problem on its team. That statement appeared all the more naive later in the summer as another couple of legal issues cropped up for Baylor players.But on Monday, Grobe met with mostly local media and was able to maintain his bright complexion throughout the presser. He handled a question about wide receiver Ishmael Zamora, who is in limbo after video of him beating and kicking a dog, got into the mainstream media. Grobes response was measured and appropriate to the schools current circumstances.Were just following the process, Grobe said. I think we were criticized in the past for not having a process. Its critical that were fair and reasonable in our decisions. I have no problem that its taking longer.Thats probably the right answer for Grobe in the long run as he will continue to field questions about issues other than football this season.Offense should be Baylors strength yet again, but the Bears are not in great shape defensively if you count only proven players.Points wont be an issue if health isnt. Baylors backfield is well-stocked with running back Shock Linwood, who gained 1,329 yards last season, back behind quarterback Seth Russell. In seven games before he was injured in 2015, Russell passed for 2,104 yards and an astounding 29 touchdowns.The one big name to replace on the offensive side of the ball is wide receiver Corey Coleman, a first-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft (Cleveland Browns). Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys China . They had already blown a double-digit lead, fans were hitting the exits, and a long seven-game road trip waited at the end. Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys http://www.wholesalenfljerseysofficial.com/ . The head of USA Boxing came out swinging Tuesday with an open letter to Tyson -- a former Olympic hopeful himself -- that accuses the former heavyweight champion of trying to poach fighters who might be candidates for the U. Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys . Just not the game. Kyle Palmieri scored two straight goals in the third period to rally the Anaheim Ducks past the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 on Tuesday night. Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys Authentic . -- Cam Newton pranced into the end zone, placed his hands over his chest and did his familiar Superman pose. The College Football Playoff field is set, along with the lineup for 41 bowl games.But before the postseason kicks off with six games on Dec. 17, lets take a look back at the best and worst from the 2016 season.Once again, there were plenty of surprises and disappointments:Offensive player of the yearSchlabach says?...?Lamar JacksonHis play (and his teams play) tailed off dramatically at the end of the season, but he still set school and ACC records with 51 total touchdowns (30 passing, 21 rushing), 1,538 rushing yards by a quarterback and rushing touchdowns by a quarterback.Defensive player of the yearSchlabach says?...?Jonathan AllenHe was the most disruptive force on the No. 1 defense in the FBS, finishing with 56 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 8? sacks, 15 quarterback hurries and two fumble recoveries. The Tide led the FBS in scoring defense (11.8 points), total defense (247.8 yards) and run defense (63.4 yards).Coach of the yearSchlabach says?...?Mike MacIntyreAfter winning only two Pac-12 games combined in his first three seasons at Colorado, MacIntyre guided the Buffaloes to a dramatic turnaround in 2016. Colorado finished 10-3, won the Pac-12 South and will play in a bowl game for the first time since 2007. The Buffaloes beat Oregon for the first time since joining the Pac-12 and defeated Stanford for the first time since 1990.Freshman of the year (offense)Schlabach says?...?Jalen HurtsThe first freshman to start at quarterback for Nick Saban, Hurts led the Crimson Tide to a 13-0 record and SEC championship. He completed 65.3 percent of his passes for 2,592 yards with 22 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Just as importantly, he brought a new dimension to Alabamas offense, rushing for 841 yards with 12 scores.Freshman of the year (defense)Schlabach says?...?Ed OliverOne of the most decorated recruits to ever sign with Houston, Oliver more than lived up to his billing this season. He had 61 tackles, 19? tackles for loss, five sacks, seven quarterback hurries and three forced fumbles. He was at his best in the Cougars biggest games, totaling four sacks in upsets over Oklahoma and Louisville.Comeback player of the yearSchlabach says?...?James ConnerHe was diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma in December 2015, then announced he was cancer-free on May 23. On top of that, he bounced back from a knee injury that caused him to miss most of the 2015 season. Conner ran for 1,060 yards with 16 touchdowns, leading the Panthers to an 8-4 record.Biggest surpriseSchlabach says?...?Penn StateAfter the Nittany Lions dropped two of their first four games, there were grumblings about coach James Franklins job security. But then Penn State won its final nine games, including a 38-31 victory over No. 6 Wisconsin in the Big Ten championship game. The Nittany Lions also upset then-No. 2 Ohio State 24-21. They will play USC in the Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Muttual on Jan.dddddddddddd 2.Biggest disappointmentSchlabach says?...?Notre DameThe Fighting Irish were considered a dark horse to make the College Football Playoff, but they finished 4-8, their worst record since going 3-9 in 2007. Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly fired defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder after only four games, and the NCAA announced last month that the Irish would have to vacate 21 wins from 2012-13 because of an academic scandal.Game of the yearSchlabach says?...?The GameThe Nov. 26 showdown between the No. 3 Wolverines and No. 2 Buckeyes was not only the game of the year, but it might have been the best game in college footballs most storied rivalry. The drama-filled epic was decided in two overtimes, after OSU picked up a controversial first down on fourth-and-1 and scored on Curtis Samuels 15-yard run. The win propelled Ohio State into the College Football Playoff and knocked Michigan out of the top four.Best finishSchlabach says?...?Georgia-TennesseeAfter the Volunteers rallied from a 24-14 deficit in the second half, the game ended with two Hail Mary passes for touchdowns. Georgias Jacob Eason fired a 47-yard touchdown to Riley Ridley to give Georgia a 31-28 lead. On the next play from scrimmage, Tennessees Joshua Dobbs threw a 43-yard touchdown to Jauan Jennings with no time left.Biggest upsetSchlabach says?...?Pitt over ClemsonThe Panthers were coming off back-to-back losses when they knocked off the No. 2 Tigers on Chris Blewitts 48-yard field with six seconds left. Clemson had won 21 consecutive home games -- the longest streak in the FBS -- and defeated unranked opponents in 46 straight games.Best momentSchlabach says?...?Nebraska remembers Sam FoltzThere were myriad tributes this season for Foltz and former Michigan State punter Mike Sadler, who were killed in a car wreck while returning from a kicking camp in Wisconsin on July 23. But Nebraskas tribute -- lining up with only 10 men and no punter on the first punt of the season -- was extra special.Best playSchlabach says?...?Noah Browns catchBrown was supposed to break through last season, but then he broke his leg in preseason camp and missed the entire 2015 campaign. He didnt wait long to re-emerge this season, with four touchdown catches in a 45-24 win at Oklahoma. His third touchdown catch was spectacular, as he leapt high in the air and somehow pinned the ball against OU cornerback Michiah Quicks back as they fell out of bounds.Worst playSchlabach says?...?Ray-Ray McClouds fumble.Our apologies to McCloud, but it was the first of what would be many bone-headed plays this season, in which players dropped the ball short of the goal line while running into the end zone. Its really pretty simple: Cross the goal line and hand the ball to an official. 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