Re-Ranking the Big 12 Teams

The 2011 college football season is almost here and it’s time to start thinking about where your favorite teams are going to end up when it’s all said and done.  Some Big 12 teams are looking to be better than they did last year and come into the new season with hopes of breaking into the top 25 or, at the very least, getting to a bowl game.

Perennial winner Texas took a fall last year and has a lot of ground to make up in order to get back towards the top of the conference.  The Oklahoma Sooners are being tabbed by many to be the best team in the Big 12 and possibly the best team in the nation.  The Iowa State Cyclones will look to improve upon their better season next year and both Kansas and Kansas State will try to improve themselves after spending a lot of time in the Big 12 basement.

So where does your favorite Big 12 team rank heading into the 2011 season?  Let’s find out as we take a look at all ten teams in the conference and see where they stand heading into the upcoming season.

10. Kansas State Wildcats

The Wildcats will continue to sit in the basement of the Big 12 but they will be able to give some teams a run for their money this season.  They are bringing back some good talent but can they overcome the loss of two of their top players in quarterback Carson Coffman and running back Daniel Thomas.

The Wildcats are predicted to have a down season but they could surprise some depending on how well they are able to do things at the quarterback position.  Keep an eye on them because they could surprise in 2011.

8. Texas Tech Red Raiders

There are some that feel that Texas Tech could be at the bottom of the Big 12 next season and there are some good reasons as to why they think that.  Now that head coach Tommy Tubberville and his team has had a year to learn the new system and understand it, it’s possible that Tech could have a much better season than some experts predict.

There has been some turnover on offense for the Red Raiders and they will need to find a way to overcome those losses this season in order to have success.

Don’t look for a strong performance out of this team just yet but perhaps in a couple seasons the Red Raiders will be much more competitive winning more games.

7. Iowa State Cyclones

The Cyclones had a good season last year compared to their usual standard season and the question now is can they build off of that success?  With a new quarterback coming in, things may be a little rocky to start but their quarterback does have some experience and things could work for him and the Clones.

Could Iowa State continue on their rise or will they take a fall this year?  With the rest of the Big 12 seemingly getting better, the Cyclones could run into a brick wall in some of their games next season and struggle.  Still, you may see this team to at least perhaps be a little bit better than they were in 2010.

6. Baylor Bears

Like Iowa State, the Bears had a bit of a resurgence last season and even got to a bowl game.  How well they play this year will depend on how well quarterback Robert Griffin plays as he was one of the biggest reasons as to why the Bears had success in 2010.  The defense also lost some key performers and if they can’t be effectively replaced, the Bears will revert back to the way things were prior to last year.

The offense will be good as long as Griffin is good and they should be able to help the Bears win some games this year.  Expect them to either improve slightly on what they did last season or go 5-6 just missing another shot at a bowl appearance.

5. Texas Longhorns

The Longhorns are going to want to forget the season that they had last year and try to move on.  The biggest issue in regards to their ability to move forward lies in just how good their offense will be.  That will depend a lot on how well quarterback Garrett Gilbert performs this season.  Can he overcome the struggles that he had last year and help get the Longhorns towards the top of the Big 12?

Texas’ defense appears to be primed for a big season in 2011 even though they have a new defensive coordinator.  There is plenty of talent on that side of the ball and they should play even better than they did last season.

The Longhorns are not used to being down like they were last year so you can bet that they are going to play hard and try to get back to their usual winning ways.  A lot of their potential for success depends on how well Gilbert does and if falters so will the Longhorns.

4. Oklahoma State Cowboys

Is it possible that the Cowboys could build upon the success of last year and do even better this year.  This means that they may give the Sooners a run for their money.  The offense is returning several key starters including quarterback Brandon Weeden and wide receiver Justin Blackmon.  This alone should help the Cowboys win a few games in 2011.

The defense may be an issue next year after the loss of several starters.  The Cowboys have some decent enough talent at all positions on defense but they don’t have a lot of experience and that could give them problems.

3. Texas A&M Aggies

The Aggies have a chance to be a solid team in 2011 and can build off of a strong performance from the previous season.  The good thing is that they will be bringing back some of the same talent from last season.

The defense did take a step back with the loss of linebacker Von Miller and hopefully someone will be able to step up in his absence. 

Running back Cyrus Gray, wide receiver Jeff Fuller and quarterback Ryan Tannehill are back for another season and that gives the offense continuity which means they should be able to play well this coming season.  But can they be good enough to win a lot of games in 2011 and come in third place in the Big 12 next season?

2. Missouri Tigers

Even the loss of quarterback Blaine Gabbert shouldn’t stop the Tigers from having a solid Big 12 season and earn themselves the second spot in the conference.  Hopefully their new quarterback will be able to step up and get them back towards the top of the conference.

Luckily, a lot of the offensive stars are coming back so as long as the Tigers can get some stability at the quarterback position then they shouldn’t have much trouble maintaining some of the momentum that they had.  And they should be able to win a lot of games this year.

1. Oklahoma Sooners

Many experts predict that the Sooners will not only win the Big 12 this year but will also end the college football season as the top team in the nation.  Looking at the Sooners on paper, you would probably think those experts are right.  They appear as if they could be unstoppable but no team is ever truly unstoppable.
If the Sooners are to have any kind of success this season they will need to keep the consistency from their offense that they had last year and improve on defense.  Oklahoma had their struggles on defense and hopefully they will be able to get that taken care of for the new season.

With many of their starters returning this season there is no reason to think that the Sooners won’t be able to play strong this year and end up being one of the best teams in college football.  There is no doubt that this team will win the Big 12 and might just end up being the best team in college football.