Bold Predictions for Big 12 Football in 2016
The 2015-16 season may be over for the Big 12, but it's never too early to start looking ahead to next season and what it might bring.
We're out here making bold predictions for 2016, and the sting of Oklahoma's Orange Bowl loss to Clemson hasn't even subsided for Sooner fans.
What will next season hold for the Big 12?
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Let's look at returning players, coaches, schedules and more to make five predictions that take some confidence to get behind but could also happen under the right circumstances.
Here are the five bold predictions for the Big 12 in 2016:
1. Your 2016 Heisman Trophy Winner Will Be...Baylor Quarterback Seth Russell
Which means that it will not be Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield, an early favorite on Adam Kramer's Heisman big board.
Another Bleacher Report colleague, Bryan Fischer, was ahead of the curve on Russell before the start of the '15 season. As it turned out, Fischer was right. Before sustaining a season-ending neck injury, Russell accounted for 35 touchdowns in just seven games.
Jarrett Stidham may be the future, but he's not playing at the same level as Russell yet.
Fischer may have called his Heisman shot too soon, but that doesn't mean he won't be right. With Russell fully healthy for '16, Baylor's offense should be potent again.
Receivers Corey Coleman and Jay Lee will be gone, but KD Cannon will be back, along with a whole crop of pass-catchers ready to step up. Depending on his decision regarding the NFL, leading running back Shock Linwood—an underrated piece of the offense—should be back as well.
| Rushing Yards | Passing Yards | Total Touchdowns |
| 402 | 2104 | 35 |
The one thing standing between Russell and a season prolific enough to win the Heisman is the offensive line. It's being almost completely rebuilt, and it was one of the strongest individual units on the team this past season. Spencer Drango and Blake Muir will be gone.
However, Baylor's softer schedule through the first six games should help the new-look O-line to come together without too much difficulty (a Sept. 24 game against Oklahoma State will be the biggest test).
If there's one thing head coach Art Briles has shown us, it's that we shouldn't sleep on anything he puts together. When one player is lost to injury or departs, there's a backup ready to go.
Baylor's offense will have plenty of new faces around Russell, but getting the senior quarterback for 12 full games would produce eye-popping numbers.
2. Kansas State Head Coach Bill Snyder Will Retire at the End of the Season
Doug Samuels of Footballscoop.com reported in November that Snyder planned to return to the sidelines in 2016. So far, nothing's happened to the contrary.
Snyder's situation with K-State is obviously unique. He has such a rapport that his decision to retire will be on his terms alone.
When he does decide to hang up the headset, it won't necessarily be because of the product on the field. As Samuels noted, "Snyder believes that as long as he’s making an impact in the lives of his players and staff, and the team is responding to his leadership, he wants to continue coaching."
Snyder's old-school like that. However, he'll also be 77 this year. There's only so much longer anyone is willing to stay in a profession as draining as coaching. Is Snyder at that point yet? Who knows for sure, but the chatter is only going to grow from this point forward.
Unless that chatter becomes too much of a distraction that Snyder feels the need to address it, a midseason retirement announcement (a la Steve Spurrier and Frank Beamer) doesn't seem like his style. Snyder always has his players' interest in mind, and a midyear announcement could make the '16 season a farewell tour he really doesn't want.
Plus, it's well-known that Snyder wants his son, Sean, to take over the program. By doing a midseason announcement, Snyder wouldn't be giving K-State a head start on a coaching search—at least in his eyes.
3. Freshman Quarterback Shane Buechele Will Start For Texas
Realistically, it's possible Buechele will get a start sometime in September if Texas' quarterback situation remains problematic. But these are bold predictions, and there's no room for halfhearted statements.
Put simply, head coach Charlie Strong will go all-in on Buechele from Week 1 to revive the Longhorns offense.
Redshirt freshman Jerrod Heard is a gifted athlete and led the team with 139 rushing attempts. However, he hasn't developed as a passer to the extent Texas needs to create real balance on offense.
New offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert has been tasked with orchestrating a quick turnaround. At every position, jobs will be on the line. That will include quarterback. And you know Buechele is ready to compete.
Buechele will have the advantage of enrolling early and making his way through spring drills to get acclimated. While he may not win the starting quarterback job right away, it could be a different story by preseason camp.
Texas' coaching staff won't put Buechele in if he's not ready, but if he shows flashes in the passing game while Heard continues to develop, the urge to play him may be too much. Patience, at this point, is thin.
4. Kliff Kingsbury Will Get Not One But Two Much-Needed Signature Wins
Kingsbury knows how to recruit, and he definitely knows how to call plays. What he hasn't been able to master yet as a young head coach is fielding a competitive defense and winning the big games.
His last signature victory—the only one, really—was against Arizona State two years ago in the Holiday Bowl. To date, he hasn't won a major Big 12 game, though he's come close a couple of times.
That will change in 2016.
Texas Tech gets Oklahoma at home and will play Baylor in Arlington as usual. Some potential opponents to watch which could count as signature wins include Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas and West Virginia, the latter two of which Tech also gets at home.
Remember: There's weird, and then there's Lubbock weird.
Obviously, the Red Raiders must improve in two crucial areas: defense and mental errors. Those have been brutal over the past couple of seasons. However, quarterback Patrick Mahomes II is a rising star in the Big 12. His blend of athleticism and passing skills make him difficult to stop. Without a doubt, he'll challenge for Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year.
By no means is Kingsbury on any sort of hot seat, but entering Year 4, there will be pressure on him to win some big games. He'll come through.
5. Oklahoma Will Lose To Houston in Week 1
The year of Tom Herman at Houston will continue in the first week of the '16 season against Oklahoma. Coming off a Peach Bowl victory over Florida State, Herman's Cougars will pull off another upset—this time against the Sooners.
Oklahoma loses centerpieces Ty Darlington and Sterling Shepard but brings back many contributors from an offense that finished fourth nationally in points per game. However, the defense is being rebuilt thanks to numerous graduations and departures for the NFL draft.
This is the perfect time for Houston and Herman, an offensive guy, to exploit those new faces. Do-it-all quarterback Greg Ward Jr. returns to lead a veteran group. Win this game, and the Cougars will once again find themselves in for a huge year, as Matt Prehm of 247Sports tweeted:
The highlight of Oklahoma's non-conference schedule is the Sept. 17 game against Ohio State in Norman. That, like the Tennessee game this past year, will be the game circled in red. Don't overlook the Houston game, though. The Cougars are fully capable of tripping up the Sooners before the big showdown with the Buckeyes.
Ben Kercheval is a lead writer for college football. All quotes cited unless obtained firsthand.
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