This is my first conference that I will be previewing. You can read my first college football preview here. So heeeere we go.
The Big 12 had a good year last year, with two teams making BCS games and one team winning, but they have not had a National Title player for a while. That could very well change this year. Oklahoma and Missouri are the leading contenders in the Big 12, but Texas, Kansas, and Texas Tech could also compete for a national title bid.
This league is full of offensive talent across the board. Texas Tech led the nation in many offensive categories last year, and like always, they should be at the top again. Missouri's high-powered offense from last year should be very good too.
Kansas' offense will have to prove that they can do it again against better competition, but they should be pretty good. Oklahoma has Sam Bradford, the most efficient passer in the nation—and he's only a sophomore.
Nebraska started to get better on the offensive end last year with Joe Ganz at the helm, and he'll be back. Even Baylor may have a decent offense with Art Briles' running-style spread offense. The other teams should have some good offenses also.
The league's defense won't be too shabby either, with many teams returning lots of starters.
So without further ado, here are the team by team previews for the Big 12.
Baylor
On offense, the Bears may not be too shabby. They have four options at QB and a pretty good backfield, although they need a go-to guy at receiver if their offense is going to be able to compete. David Gettis appears to be this candidate for the Bears if he can be consistent.
The offensive line returns four starters with good depth at all positions, so they have the foundation of a good offense. They just need to find out if they have the rest of the pieces.
On defense, Baylor has not been very good for the last decade. Art Briles is trying to fix that. They are trying to be a lot more physical than last year's team and make more plays. They were dead last in turnover margin, and if they want to compete in the Big 12, they need to take care of the ball and take it away more from their opponent.
The Bears' linebackers should be the backbone of the defense. They have depth and talent at the position. The D-line has good starters but is not very deep.
We know: That Baylor is not going to become a Big 12 power overnight. This will take more than a year to turn around.
A surprise: Is that the Bears should not be looked at as an easy win on the schedule anymore. Art Briles is changing the attitude at Baylor—and if they have the attitude, they can win some games in the conference.
Predicted Record: 4-8
Colorado
Offensively, Colorado brings back QB Cody Hawkins, who will only continue to improve. They need some wide receivers to step up and help him out though.
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