ATLANTA — Whenever Baylor has to make the ultimate call on Dave Aranda, it is unlikely to be clear-cut. He is too competent to crater and too well-liked to author his own demise, working at a school that would prefer not to buy out a football coach unless it has to.
But it is not a secret, least of all to Aranda, that his seventh season will be defined by decisions: The little ones he makes every week, followed by the big one his employer must render.
After the first of 12 data points is now in the rear-view mirror, it's imperative to start thinking about the question that can bring some of these fine margins into leader focus: How much credit does a coach get for doing the right thing but getting the wrong result?
Though perhaps not every fan would agree, you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone within the Baylor program who disagreed with Aranda's decision to go for two and a victory over Auburn on Saturday night after his quarterback, DJ Lagway, fought through an ankle sprain and threw a touchdown pass with nine seconds remaining.
Analytically, it was the right call. Emotionally, it was a risk worth taking. Practically, it was a no-brainer.

#every #though