LSU began the season hopeful of qualifying for the expanded College Football Playoff.Baylor found itself scrambling just to get bowl eligible after a 2-4 start.The Tigers (8-4) didn’t come close to the CFP, but the Bears (8-4) have won six straight heading into the Texas Bowl in Houston, where the teams will meet Tuesday afternoon.Dave Aranda became Baylor’s head coach in 2020. As LSU’s defensive coordinator, he helped the Tigers win the CFP championship following the 2019 season. In his second season with the Bears, he led them to the Big 12 title and a victory over Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl.But after a 6-7 record in 2022, a 3-9 mark last season and a 2-4 start this season, Aranda’s future at the school appeared uncertainThen Baylor came out of an open date to whip host Texas Tech 59-35 in Lubbock, Texas, on Oct. 19 and hasn’t lost since.”There wasn’t any panic,” Aranda said of the poor start. “There wasn’t any doubt. There wasn’t any disbelief. There’s wasn’t any, ‘We have to throw this whole thing out and do something new.’ I think everybody knew that we had a good team and that we had to do X, Y and Z better, and these are the steps that we’ve got to do to do that.”Sawyer Robertson finished the regular season third in the Big 12 in passer rating (155.0) and in touchdown passes (26). He said he’s eager to face a team from the SEC, which sent three teams to the CFP.”It’s going to be good for me just because I get to see where I’m at. I get to just play against elite competition,” Robertson said. “That’s why you do what you do. That’s why you want to be in these types of games.”