Normally, pregame routines are very structured and meant to get the blood flowing and allow players to build confidence leading up to the first snap.
During Baylor's pregame routine before kicking off against Duke last Saturday, Matt Rhule continued an unconventional approach that has served him well in the past by gathering his players in a giant circle and then two at a time, calling out a number of guys to the center to face off against each other in a modified Oklahoma drill of sorts.
.@BUFootball bust out the Oklahoma Drill at midfield before today's game against #DukeFOOTBALL. #CollegeFootballpic.twitter.com/JSEwF38xPt
— FOX Sports South (@FOXSportsSouth) September 16, 2017
For Rhule, it was nothing new. He'd done the same thing during his very successful run as the head coach at Temple, and now, with some urging from his captains, felt it necessary to give his 0-2 team a jolt before taking on the Blue Devils. However, there were no shortage of critics on social media.
Afterwards, Rhule defended the unconventional addition to pregame, saying that “It’s a great opportunity to come together and establish our physicality as a team before games," according to Baylor DieHards.
“It’s something I’ve always done. We try to do it before Tuesday and Wednesday practices too. Our team hasn’t always embraced it, so I don’t force them to do something.”
This weekend, 0-3 Baylor welcomes undefeated Oklahoma to Waco, so it will be interesting to see if the captains want to do the same before taking on the Sooners.