Big 12 Predictions and Power Rankings: Week 1
The concept here is pretty simple.
Every team in the Big 12 will play their first game between Thursday, September 2nd and Sunday, September 5th.
This article will hold one football fan's predictions as to who will be the favorite within each of those respective games, and some bottom-line reasons as to why.
The Big 12 teams will be ranked in order, from lowest to highest, of how they are expected to end their first weekend of college football 2010, power ranking style.
With any luck, there will be an article of this specific type each and every Monday of the college football season.
You are, by all means, encouraged to post your own predictions and rankings in the comments section and keep track of your success. It's always interesting to get different takes on topics as subjective as rankings and game predictions.
So, without further ado, here is the Week 1 edition of Big 12 Predictions and Power Rankings.
No. 12: Kansas State Vs. UCLA
1 of 12Don't expect Kansas State to fare too well in this one.
Daniel Thomas may be the best back in the Big 12, but this offense is still under some construction. Not even the most devoted fans know what to expect of the passing attack, and UCLA is no slouch defensively.
The biggest difference between this season's matchup and the last is that UCLA's offense will be better. With all those returners and a healthy Kevin Prince, it can't get too much worse.
Give me the Bruins in a ruined home-opener, 28-23.
On the bright side, Kansas State, UCLA is a good football team.
Upset Alert! No. 11: Iowa State Vs. Northern Illinois
2 of 12I love the look of Iowa State's offense. Austen Arnaud and Alexander Robinson really know how to grind, but the return of wide receiver Darius Reynolds should help Arnaud take another step as a quarterback, too.
I love the look of Iowa State's secondary as well. There's a lot of talented, returning experience back there, particularly in safety David Sims.
What I don't like is whatever remains of that front seven. The defensive line was beyond unimpressive last season, and the three starting linebackers from a year ago (the strength of the 2009 defense) are all gone.
In reality, an on-the-rise team of Cyclones led by a very solid coach in Paul Rhoads, coming off a big bowl win, will probably win their home-opener.
A good predictions article, on the other hand, always has at least one upset pick.
A quality running back like Chad Spann should have a hay-day against the Cyclone front seven, and that just might result in an upset, say, 23-20.
No. 10: Kansas Vs. North Dakota State
3 of 12To be upfront, Kansas will win this football game. Unfortunately for the Jayhawks, most of the Big 12 teams will win their openers, and the opponent in Lawrence, Kan., this weekend will be the weakest of the bunch.
North Dakota State was just 3-8 last season, and while boasting a decent rushing attack, I doubt the Bison will have too much success.
Even against an injury-depleted defense under a new coaching staff.
On the other hand, Kansas' front four is as small as NDSU could face in the Big 12. Maybe gouging out a few yards at a time all four quarters will be enough to keep the Bison close.
But maybe not. 34-13, Kansas.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
No. 9: Colorado Vs. Colorado State
4 of 12This is one of my favorite rivalries in college football. Period.
Why? Because it shouldn't even be a rivalry.
How can a team like Colorado State keep up with the financial resources of the athletics department at a (formerly, at least) football-kind of school like Colorado?
But somehow, in the Dan Hawkins' era, at least, the Rams seem to stay closer than they reasonably should, even defeating the Buffalo last season.
There is still enough talent available on Colorado's roster. Nate Solder, Scotty McKnight, Rodney Stewart, and a few others compose a decent offense, and I think that will be enough in game one.
Give me the Buffalo, 27-24 in yet another fun game to watch in this series.
No. 8: Baylor Vs. Sam Houston State
5 of 12People have talked about Robert Griffin III's return so much, you don't need to hear any more about it.
All you need to know is that if he's truly back at full strength and can pick up playing the fearless, electric style football that he left off so long ago, Baylor will be a dangerous dark horse.
If not, the Bears are in for a so-so-at-best season.
Kendall Wright is one of my favorite young receivers in the Big 12. He may not get all the catches with Griffin back in the fold, but he and Griffin are two guys that will do nothing but create space and favorable matchups for each other.
Sam Houston State isn't just a pushover team, but even without Griffin back, one could probably still take his or her chances on the Bears.
Give me the Bears, 34-16.
No. 7: Texas Tech Vs. Southern Methodist
6 of 12This matchup will, without a doubt, be one of the most exciting and underrated games to watch in Week 1.
June Jones is an established mastermind of the spread offense, while Tommy Tuberville is still learning the ropes.
How will the Mustangs fare without their two biggest playmakers in Emmanuel Sanders and Shawnbrey McNeal?
Can Tuberville bring an SEC defense to a Texas Tech offense? Is he going to use that defense to slow the game down or his offense to speed the game up? Can the two concepts mesh?
Any fan can say what they want, but all we can do is wait and see.
I think overall talent and athleticism win out in this Week-1 exciter. Give me Texas Tech very tentatively, 38-34.
No. 6: Oklahoma State Vs. Washington State
7 of 12I'm worried about Oklahoma State. They lost a decent bit of talent in 2010 and never quite got over that hump in the Big 12 South last season.
I don't think they will this season, either.
Still, they have plenty of young talent leftover to work with. I think Brandon Weeden could be a very quality quarterback, and who doesn't love the idea of seeing Kendall Hunter as the starting running back again (other than defenses)?
Mike Gundy's teams just seem to take steps forward each season, too. 2010 will really test his abilities as a coach when trying to win games without the experienced playmakers he's been used to in recent seasons.
The Cowboys will have more than enough to smash the patooty out of the Washington State Cougars in Week 1, regardless, 37-17.
No. 5: Missouri Vs. Illinois
8 of 12Maybe it's just me, and I know the scores haven't been terrible, but the Illinois vs. Missouri rivalry thing just hasn't been as exciting as I expected it to be.
Not a lot will change in 2010.
Missouri seems to have found replacements for the playmakers it lost on offense, at least, and the defense will be more than adept. I think Missouri's secondary will be one of the Big 12's top two or three secondaries overall.
Missouri shouldn't have many problems with Illinois, 38-20.
No. 4: Texas A&M Vs. Stephen F. Austin
9 of 12As a football fan, it's hard not to like Texas A&M.
The offense can smash you on the ground or burn you through the air. The brand of defense played in College Station is among the most exciting styles of 'D' you'll see in college football.
Still, the Aggies need to back it up. Johnson hasn't performed quite well enough in the biggest games to receive all the national attention he's getting from college analysts and pro scouts alike.
The defense will be tested immediately against an exciting Lumberjack offense, but for game one that will be about the extent of the anxiety for the Aggies.
Give me Texas A&M, 45-24.
No. 3: Oklahoma Vs. Utah State
10 of 12Oklahoma is, talent-wise, at least the second best team in the conference.
They lost some key pieces to the draft, but Bob Stoops has plenty of young athletes with which to fill in the gaps.
Landry Jones, DeMarco Murray, and Ryan Broyles may be among the overall-most-dangerous offensive three-some in college football, period.
I have only two problems with this team: injuries and coaching.
Bob Stoops' teams have not gotten better in past seasons; they've slowly regressed a bit here and a bit there.
Also, the two more-dangerous playmakers mentioned above in Murray and Broyles have injury histories. In fact, the Sooners seem to be becoming notorious for injury problems.
A healthy team of Sooners is a Stoops-to-the-National-Championship-again caliber team. An injury-plagued team of Sooners is the second best team in the south again.
No worries in week one against Utah State, though. Oklahoma fans will shed their nightmares of Utah-based universities when the Sooners smash the Aggies, 34-13.
No. 2: Nebraska Vs. Western Kentucky
11 of 12Nebraska should end the season as the best team in the Big 12, but they won't start the season there.
Replacing Ndamukong Suh and Barry Turner up front (the key to this team's success) will take some development.
Even more importantly, letting a new quarterback step in (if the battle works out that way) probably won't result in instant, Oklahoma-in-2008 offensive success. There will be all sorts of experience around whoever starts at quarterback, but if it's either Cody Green or Taylor Martinez, getting used to starting on game-day is still an obstacle.
Fortunately, starting the season with a game against Western Kentucky seems like the right way to get a new quarterback on track and your defense into full swing.
Give me the Huskers, no question, in a 34-9 win that's even more devastating than the scoreboard shows.
No. 1: Texas Vs. Rice
12 of 12As stated in the last slide, Nebraska will end the season on top of the Big 12.
However, Texas gets the early benefit of the doubt. If the two teams were to play today, the Longhorns would probably have the advantage.
Football fans have to be impressed with Garrett Gilbert's storied entry into the college football world and with the seemingly bottomless pit of young talent and athleticism Texas has stacked up on both sides of the ball.
As for Rice, they should be better than last year, but I doubt they'll be anywhere near good enough to stack up against Mack Brown. Experience will take you a long way in life, but experience combined with a load of natural ability and inhuman athleticism usually takes the cake.
Give me the Longhorns, who will enter week two as the top team in the Big 12 Power Rankings, over the Rice Owls by a score of 35-10 in a game that will be uglier than the score shows.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
