College Football 2011: Big 12 Insider, Which Teams Will Be Ranked in 2011

If you have taken a look at your calendar recently, you will see that there isn’t much time until the 2011 college football season starts.  Spring practices have come to a close and teams are shaping up their rosters and lineups in preparation for what they hope is a strong 2011 season.

The teams in the Big 12 appear to be ready for the next season.  After watching some of the spring practices, there are several teams in the Big 12 that are poised to have good seasons in 2011 while there are some others that look like they still have some issues to work out.

The following is a look at those teams in the Big 12 that should start the season ranked when the first polls come out.  We will also take a look at what they should be ranked as and why they should be ranked where they are at.

Oklahoma Sooners: 1st

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GLENDALE, AZ - JANUARY 01: Travis Lewis #28 of the Oklahoma Sooners reacts at the end of the game against the Connecticut Huskies during the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl at the Universtity of Phoenix Stadium on January 1, 2011 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Ro

There are several experts out in the world of college football media that feel that the Sooners are poised to have an outstanding campaign in 2011 and could easily be the top team in college football. 

The Sooners will be getting quarterback Landry Jones back and he figures to be one of the best quarterbacks in college football next season.  Wide receiver Ryan Broyles will be Landry’s biggest and best target in 2011.  The running game might be a little suspect but the Sooners will find someone to replace the departed DeMarco Murray.

Oklahoma State Cowboys: 8th

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STILLWATER, OK - NOVEMBER 27: Receiver Michael Harrison #7 of the Oklahoma State Cowboys pulls in a pass against defensive back Demontre Hurst #19 of the Oklahoma Sooners at Boone Pickens Stadium on November 27, 2010 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The Sooners

The Cowboys were primed for a good season in 2010 but they fell short a bit and didn’t live up to their own expectations.  With 10 starters returning on the offensive side of the ball, this team is ready to contend this season and they should be able to do that.  Hopefully their offense will be up to the challenge.

But, they have some concerns on defense—especially on the defensive line and the linebacker positions, which may keep them from having a successful season in 2011.  If they can overcome their problems there, they should remain highly ranked during the season.

Texas A&M Aggies: 11th

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ARLINGTON, TX - JANUARY 07: Wide receiver Jeff Fuller #8 and Uzoma Nwachukwu #7 of the Texas A&M Aggies celebrate a touchdown against the LSU Tigers during the AT&T Cotton Bowl at Cowboys Stadium on January 7, 2011 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald

The Aggies are losing some key talent on both sides of the ball (quarterback Jerrod Johnson and Von Miller) but have what it takes to make up for these losses.  Their running game will be bolstered by potential NFL-draftee Cyrus Gray but their passing game may struggle without consistency at quarterback. 

They also need their defensive players to step things up in order to have success in 2011.

Nebraska Cornhuskers: 20th

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ARLINGTON, TX - DECEMBER 04: Quarterback Taylor Martinez #3 of the Nebraska Cornhuskers fumbles the ball under pressure from defensive back Demontre Hurst #19 of the Oklahoma Sooners at Cowboys Stadium on December 4, 2010 in Arlington, Texas. The Sooners

The Cornhuskers will be part of the Big Ten as of July, so we still have some time to talk about them as part of the Big 12. 

They get quarterback Taylor Martinez back this season and with a year of experience under his belt, the Cornhuskers offense should be even better.  Martinez will start the season without the targets that he will need to make the passing game work, so there will need to be some players that step up and lend a hand. The Cornhuskers also lost some of their starters on the offensive line so there will need to be some rebuilding done there. 

Their defense did lose a key member of the secondary in Prince Amukamara and they will have to overcome that in order to see success on defense.

Moving into the Big Ten will also be a tough test for the Cornhuskers.  Depending on who you listen to, there are some that say that Nebraska is already the best team in the Big Ten and will have no problem winning the conference, while others feel they will struggle. 

It will be interesting to see how well they do in their new conference but one this is for sure: They will be missed in the Big 12.

Missouri Tigers: 22nd

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TEMPE, AZ - DECEMBER 28: Runningback Henry Josey #41 of the Missouri Tigers dives into the endzone to score on a 10 yard rushing touchdown against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the second quarter of the Insight Bowl at Sun Devil Stadium on December 28, 2010 i

The Tigers are a favorite to be a contender in next year’s polls and in the Big 12 but like most every other team in this article, they have some things to work on.  The nice thing is that they have a stout defense (despite the loss of defensive end Aldon Smith) and that defense should be able to help keep Missouri winning games next year.

Where the Tigers might end up struggling is on offense, where the loss of starter Blaine Gabbert is going to force them to try James Franklin at the quarterback position.  How Franklin and the rest of the offense go in 2011 will dictate just how well the Tigers do.

Texas Longhorns: 25th

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LINCOLN, NE - OCTOBER 16: Quarterback Garrett Gilbert #7 of the Texas Longhorns during first half action of their game at Memorial Stadium on October 16, 2010 in Lincoln, Nebraska. Texas Defeated Nebraska 20-13. (Photo by Eric Francis/Getty Images)

Was the horrible season that the Texas Longhorns had last year a fluke?  The coaching staff and the fans certainly hope that it was and it looks like early pollsters feel the same way. 

It will be a new Big 12 next season with no Nebraska to worry about, but they'll have to contend with improved Oklahoma and Oklahoma State teams.

The Longhorns looked nice in their spring game and it appears as if quarterback Garrett Gilbert could be on his way to becoming a better Big 12 quarterback.