Baylor offensive tackle Jason Smith has the school's symbol and mascot tattooed on his right arm to show how proud he is to play for his team.
With Baylor's history in the Big 12 Conference, some may laugh at the 298-pounder for having a symbol that has been identified with failure on his arm.
With a 2008 season that could be the turning point for the program, what is no laughing matter now is Baylor.
Although a 4-8 season is not ideal, it still puts the Bears in fifth place in the Big 12 South - only their second fifth-place finish in the division since the Big 12 was created in 1996. The other came in 2005 as the result of a 5-6 season.
This season, wins over Texas A&M and Iowa State are conference victories the team has after going 0-8 in Big 12 play last year. What probably overshadows that are three-point losses against non-conference opponent Connecticut and Big 12 North foe Missouri.
The latest what-if moment comes in the form of a 35-28 loss to No. 7 Texas Tech after the Bears led the Red Raiders for two quarters and was tied after another.
Baylor coach Art Briles said he could not be any prouder of his players' performance against a team such as Tech.
He said this game and this season proved that the Bears are no longer the Big 12's doormat.
"We liable to play somebody, they better buckle 'em up because we're gonna play," Briles said. "We're going to get after 'em. We're going to expect to win. I think we've created a little bit of respect through that standard. Now we just gotta cross the bridge and not be close and win."
The belief that this team can win may have started with one player.
Briles said he believes Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin is the type of player who will always give the Bears a chance to win anytime they step on the field.
Griffin proved his coach right Saturday.
Completing 12-of-15 passes for 91 yards along with 99 yards rushing for three total touchdowns, Griffin had Baylor in position for an upset.
Griffin, along with running back Jay Finley, used the Bears' ground attack to convert third downs and put Baylor in a position to beat Tech. Baylor was 9-of-12 on third-down conversions and outgained Tech on the ground with 229 yards compared to the Red Raiders' 56. Finley had a game-high 105 yards rushing on 15 carries.
As a true freshman, Griffin may have given a glimpse of what to expect from him in the coming years.
With his season total now at 13, Griffin tied Baylor's single-season record for rushing touchdowns - a record that has stood since 1973. He is now fourth among all Baylor quarterbacks in touchdown passes in a season with 15, tying Larry Isbell's 1950 mark. Griffin also is fourth on the school's season points list with 78, the most by a Baylor quarterback since Steve Beaird's 96 points in 1974.
But this season, Griffin believes he has done more than just set records.
Griffin said his growth from the beginning of the season to now is based on one of the more important aspects of a quarterback and a teammate.
"Coming in that first game against (Wake Forest), I'm kinda the new kid on the block still," he said. "I had the respect of my teammates, but I didn't have the respect of anybody else. Players don't talk about gaining respect outta Baylor football, but teams - when we get on that field, they know we're coming to play."
Smith, a senior, was disappointed with the outcome, considering Baylor went into the fourth quarter with a seven-point lead and came out with a seven-point loss.
As far as his tattoo is concerned, Smith has no regret, as he said soon he will be even prouder to show it off.
"We got one goal in mind: Take over the Big 12," he said. "That's what we plan to do. Everybody else is eating; it's time for us to eat."
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