2012 Big 12 Football Schedule: 5 Storylines to Watch

The Big 12 schedule was finally released after several delays and a lot of patiently waiting fans counting the days. 

We've already broken down several of the key matchups, including week by week and all of the key conference games. But this is all about the top storylines that everybody will be talking about during the offseason and as we get closer to opening weekend. These are the main questions that every Big 12 fan wants to know the answer to.

Here are the top-five storylines in the Big 12.

Can David Ash Really Lead the Longhorns?

The Longhorns have an extremely talented team heading into next season, but at the most important position, there are questions. Who's going to play quarterback, and can he play well enough to get the job done?

The likely front-runner heading into this long offseason is David Ash, who was a freshman last season and split time with Case McCoy. He finished the year completing 56 percent of his passes and threw eight interceptions to his four touchdown passes. He does have a strong arm, can make nearly every throw and has great running mobility, but just needs to limit his mistakes.

Bad decisions with the ball are expected with a young player, but if the Longhorns are trying to get where they want to go, Ash has to step up quickly.

What Happens to Baylor with Superman Gone?

What the Baylor Bears did last season was beyond incredible, and you'd hate to see this program just fade away because the best player they ever had moved on to the NFL.

Quarterback Robert Griffin will now be playing football on Sundays, which means senior quarterback Nick Florence is likely to take over. He hasn't had much playing time the last two years, but in 2009, he completed a solid 62 percent of his passes and threw for over 1,700 yards. In the only game he played against Texas Tech last year, he completed 75 percent of his passes and totaled three touchdowns.

The sad thing is that changing a quarterback doesn't help improve a defense that was ranked 113th in scoring defense.

The Bears head into next year with a lot of questions, and hopefully, they have a few answers.

How Will TCU and West Virginia Hold Up?

It's exciting to add some fresh blood into the conference, regardless of whether traditionalists like it or not.

TCU and West Virginia are two very solid programs with very bright futures.

The Horned Frogs have been dominating the MWC for several years now and have a very young team to become instantly competitive in the Big 12.

And there are very few teams you should be more excited about than the Mountaineers. This team can flat out score with anyone, and if they play the way they did against Clemson last year, they'll return to a BCS bowl.

But on the other hand, this conference is not the Big East or the MWC, and the schedule is going to become a little more difficult. We'll all be watching to see just how these teams are able to adapt to the change.

Bob Stoops and Mack Brown Feeling Heat?

The Big 12 has a few great coaches running some of these programs, but two of them may be feeling the pressure heading into this year.

Bob Stoops absolutely collapsed at the end of the year after having a team that was capable of winning the BCS national championship. And Mack Brown has finished the last two seasons with a combined 13-12 record. Neither is acceptable at the universities they coach, as the fans and students expect BCS bowls and national championships—not sub-par seasons. 

These are two fantastic coaches with great players, but if they don't turn things around quickly, the seat may begin to warm up a bit.

Can Dayne Crist Turn Around Kansas?

Notre Dame transfer quarterback Dayne Crist is now a member of the Kansas Jayhawks. In his three years with the Irish, he threw for over 2,900 yards, completed around 59 percent of his passes and had 16 touchdowns to nine interceptions.

Can he possibly turn Kansas into a respectable program and make them competitive in the Big 12?

Only time will tell. What we do know is that he is arguably the best player this football program has ever had, and they were also able to pick up BYU-transfer Jake Heaps. With Charlie Weis running the show and two talented quarterbacks on the team, things may be changing for the Jayhawks really soon.

At the very least, it'll be fun to watch.

Randy Chambers is a B/R featured columnist that covers college football and the NFL. You can contact him @Randy_Chambers or [e-mail].