Big XII Prediction Cop Out

I’ve been crunching the numbers on Open Office’s Calc for the past couple of days, and all I’ve figured out is that the Big XII is going to be one tough cookie to crack this year. I’ll be trying to guess more accurately in the fall, but for now I can say that 2008 may not look that different from the 2007 final standings. Hopefully, I can be objective when it comes to the Huskers abilities this year - it’s difficult trying to analyze if you’re giving too much or not enough credit to your team.

First of all, let’s look at the Big XII South. By the end of the year, it should look like this:

1. Texas
2. Oklahoma
3. Texas Tech
4. Texas A&M
5. Oklahoma State
6. Baylor

Mack Brown’s “down year” is the type of year that some coaches only dream about. Of anyone in the Big XII, they have the best chance of going undefeated, but could easily see one loss next year. Oklahoma should keep dominating the Big 12, but if Stoops loses another big game, Norman, OK is going to be grumbling next year. Tech should have the edge over A&M by the sheer fact that the Aggies had a mini-upheaval this year. A&M never seems to finish their seasons strong, either. Tech will continue to throw out “Playstation” numbers and keep them in the race.

Here’s where my “Cop Out” comes into play. Nebraska, Kansas, and Colorado could be tied for second, or there could be a separation of only one game. Either way, the Big XII North Division should be pretty close to this at the end of the year:

1. Missouri
2. Kansas (3-way tie)
3. Nebraska (3-way tie)
4. Colorado (3-way tie)
5. Kansas State
6. Iowa State

In the North, Mizzou should continue with their success of the previous year, if not build on it. Kansas has a schedule that is more difficult this year, so it becomes a chore to compare past results with the 2008 games. Nebraska and Colorado are both looking to improve in the hopes of catching the other teams off their guard on any given Saturday. Kansas State is going to slip into the mediocrity that so many fans dread. Ron Prince is Kansas State’s Solich. With a new AD leading the charge, he could look to make changes after this season.

Near the fall, I’ll be making another semi-educated guess, but don’t see too much changing. Of course this means that at the end of the season, I can point to whichever of my predictions was closest and say “See, I was right!” I am looking forward to a very exciting year of college football and only hope the Huskers live up to Bo Pelini’s expectations.