Big 12 Preview
Mike Gundy‘s unit will have one of, if not the, most powerful offenses in college football. Quarterback Mason Rudolph is coming off a season in which he threw for 28 touchdowns and only four interceptions. He also brings back almost all his weapons from last year, as well as adding a few contributors. The defense will be the worry for Cowboy fans, but this offense is talented enough to overcome lackluster defensive play.
The Sooners return a lot of starters on offense, but the three that they did lose were critical. Dede Westbrook, Samaje Perine, and Joe Mixon left for the NFL and took over half of the offensive production with them. This will also be their first year without head coach Bob Stoops. Oklahoma will still be good enough to compete in the Big 12, but they will have trouble overcoming their losses to beat their cross-state rival.
Some might be surprised to see the Mountaineers this high after losing 14 starters on offense and defense. However, they did a great job of adding transfers and JUCO talent to overcome their losses. Transfers, like former Florida Gator Will Grier, will join last year’s Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year, running back Justin Crawford. If this team gels under Dana Holgorsen and Grier reaches his potential, this team could be dangerous.
The end of the Charlie Strong era gives way for the start of the Tom Herman era. Herman inherits a great young quarterback, a DEEP offensive line, and (what should be) a decent defense. However, he will need to find weapons on an offense that returns no starters at RB, WR, and TE. This first year Herman has a real chance to right the ship and get the Longhorns back to their winning ways.
Kansas State was one of the biggest surprises last season. The youngest team in Bill Snyder’s tenure went 9-4 and their only losses came against the top three in the Big 12 and Stanford. They return a lot of key pieces, which should make for a seamless transition into 2017. One of the most important pieces, quarterback Jesse Ertz, is coming off a great season and has the weapons around him to repeat that performance.
The Horned Frogs are running an Air Raid offense with a struggling quarterback and great running backs. Kenny Hill‘s 13 interceptions led the Big 12 last year. The wide receivers helped Hill have the most dropped passes in the country. The defense of TCU will be one of the best in the division. The running backs and defense will set the team up, but the passing game will keep them in the middle of the game.
The WR corps in Lubbock could rival that of Oklahoma State. The bad news is that is the only elite unit they have. The offense will likely put up big numbers in the Air Raid, but the defense will once again let this team down. Last year they gave up 42.9 points per game to conference opponents. This season the defense looks like it could be better. However, they will have to be drastically improved in order to climb any higher in the conference.
Last year’s Baylor team looked great in the beginning of the season. They handled the teams they should have and even notched a surprise win over Oklahoma State. In the second half of the regular season, however, their luck ran out. They rattled off six straight Big 12 losses. Going into 2017, the first year with Matt Rhule at the helm, does not have a lot of bright spots for the Bears. They are not truly deep at any position and lack the weapons to make up for that. Coach Rhule will have his work cut out in returning Baylor to what it was under Art Briles.
It has been a tough road for the Cyclones in recent memory. They have not had a winning record in the last seven seasons. Last year they only Big 12 wins came against Kansas and Texas Tech. This season, their offense could be improved even though they lost 9 starters. The defense, on the other hand, will be a liability. Having a weak defense in a conference known for high powered offenses spells bad news in head coach Matt Campbell’s second year.
Well, it is Kansas. They have as many games in the last six seasons as Oklahoma did last year. Their last bowl win was 9 seasons and 4 head coaches ago. This season will not break the mold. The Jayhawks will remain the in the basement of the Big 12, but there are a few reasons to be excited to watch a Kansas game (other watching your team win by 40). The defensive line, especially Dorance Armstrong Jr. is going to be very impressive. Outside of them (read: him), this will be another rough season for the long-suffering fans in Lawrence. Oh well, basketball season is not too far away.