Big 12 South Preview: Sooners, Longhorns Vie for a Title

Texas' secondary and left side of the offensive line are the team's biggest questions. The secondary won't be tested in the first month of the season, but the offensive line will in their 2nd game of the year when Texas plays host to TCU. TCU will be laying it all on the line in this one, as they hope to start their quest for the Fiesta Bowl and their defense will test the Texas running game and offensive line. If Sweed and Pittman can't go, or aren't 100 percent, the Longhorns title hopes might be derailed early on. They get Kansas State preceding Oklahoma, which ordinarily might be a trap game, but the Horns have revenge on their mind, they won't lose to KSU in Austin. Texas only has 3 home losses the past 7 years, and two of them came last year (Ohio State, Texas A&M), so you can pretty much mark the Horns for at least 5 wins in their home games, though the Nebraska game is no gimme. Texas doesn't have any real tough road games until November, which is good considering some of the questions they want to answer first. By the time Nebraska comes calling at the end of October and the Horns hit the road to Stillwater and College Station in November, this team will probably be playing it's best football. At this point will they still be in position to win the national title? Quite possibly yes. I don't think they will have gelled enough in time to beat Oklahoma, but an 11-1 season is a very distinct possibility. Then again, if the secondary doesn't come around, this Texas time, à la last year's team, could flounder in November against the Pokes and the Aggies...and the Horns could find themselves 4th in the division.

3. Oklahoma State

So they allowed 25.6 points per game last year (only Iowa State and Baylor allowed more)?

So they allowed over 30 points per game in conference?

So if not for three games against Missouri State, Arkansas State, and Florida Atlantic the defensive stats would have been much worse?

So what.

The Oklahoma State offense brings back 8 starters to a unit that put up over 35 points per game, averaging over 200 on the ground and through the air. The result is a team that will play in plenty of exciting games, a team who won't be out of any game they play, and team who with just marginal improvement on defense might surprise a ton of people and wind up playing football on New Year's Day.

You're currently logged into Facebook

Do you want to share your Bleacher Report activity on Facebook?