Five Questions :: Preseason Big 12 Thoughts

1. I think Nebraska is overrated. They’re getting all the love for one good game last year, the conference championship. Last year they had possibly the worst offense I’ve ever seen on a division 1 football team. A&M is the Okie State pick for this year. Okie state didn’t quite challenge last year like they were expected to. I don’t expect the Aggies to make much noise either.

2. Tech is underrated every year except 2008. Had we won the Cotton Bowl game we would have been underrated that year too. Instead we choked & finished at #12 where we started the preseason. I think Tech will finish in the top 20 this year. The Texas game will set the pace. If we win that one at home & don’t choke vs. our north opponents we could finish with 1 loss. That’s Top 5 stuff there. If we do drop 2 more (A&M, Colorado or Missouri the most likely stumbles) that is still good enough for a Top 20 finish (assuming a bowl game win). As for the North, the best team in the division has 0 offense. Hard to pick a challenger from the rest of the field.

3. That depends on Texas. If they go win 11 or 12 games again, The Big 12 has a place in the BCS title game again. One of these years the SEC will lose that game.

4. UT wins the south, Nebraska wins the north & UT wins the title game

5. Hot Seat: Hawkins at Colorado (hard to believe they won a national championship in the 90’s & have been awful for a full decade now). In the south, Gundy may be wearing out his welcome with T Boone Pickens. I suspect Pickens wants more for his money. If the Aggies finish sub .500 for the 3rd year in a row under Sherman, how much longer does he get?

1. Mizzouri has to be overrated right #21, what does Pinkel have dialed up this year ?

2. Tech is underrated simply because of the unknown factor, new coaching staff, new defense etc. Also you have to realize that in all this for-profit media there is a bit of pandering to the fan base, since ours is smaller more dispersed and less represented in the gen pop we therefore end up underrated. The dark horse will be AM, although ranked higher than us I think they will seriously challenge for the title in the South.

3. I do think it will be a down year, considering we had lots of PS hype in 08 and 09 with the rise of us and OSU. The powers that be I think want the Big 10 to face off against the SEC in this years NC game.

4. Nebraska wins the north this year until the end of the Big 12 North as we know it. I think we win at least a share of the South, possibly a three way with OU and AM.

5. Mangino and Leach, wait how about Gundy, im sure Jerry Jones of the north is getting impatient he doesnt have too many years to live and see his dreams come true. I dont see KSU, ISU, or CU caring enough about footall to really make any changes! Baylor is happy, Kansas has a new guy,

1. I think if Neb can pass the ball, they will be really good. They seem to have found that old Osborne era swagger, in my opinion. Will it translate? Not sure. I think aTm is probably vastly overrated. They have a good QB, and lots of young guys who gained a lot of experience last season, but they remind me of a 2002 Tech team – no defense, all offense. They won’t stop anyone at all.

2. I have no idea why, but I think Colorado may make some noise this year. I have nothing but a hunch to base that on. I don’t think they’ll be in the mix for a championship, division or otherwise, but I think they’ll make a bowl game. Tech is, per usual, just outside of the mix when talk turns to championships. There really isn’t a south darkhorse to me. It wouldn’t shock me if Tech, Texas or A&M won. OSU will be interesting, but I don’ t think they’ll get more than 7 wins.

3. This is a critical year for the Big XII with expansion talk floating around. If the conference tanks, we may not have the perceived internal strength to fight off any defections. In the end it’s all about money, but if the big boys see us as having a dog in the national hunt consistently, we’ll be okay. I think it will be a very positive year for the teams. We could have as many six top 25 teams at the end. (Texas, OU, Tech, A&M, Mizzou, Neb, and mayyybe KState/Colorado – laugh now)

4. Texas wins the south, Mizzou wins the north. I think the Tigers will be good.

5. Hot seat…the obvious is Tuberville being new and expectations are not being lowered. He really needs to win now. But he won’t be fired if he doesn’t. Truly on the hot seat is Mike Sherman in the south. He has to win this year. In the north, Hawkins is the obvious pick but I also think Gundy at OSU has a bit of pressure to do well with all the money pumped in to the program that always has promise and never delivers.

1.Nebraska will improve on offense but they are ranked way too high based on the graduation of Mr. Suh from the defense. The R.Helu / N. Pauls factor on offense can’t be discounted but they haven’t routinely stuck 30 plus points (except their bowl game) on anyone in over a year. That tall Texas recruit freshman – Green? now a sophomore QB looked pretty good against us in one series but I don’t know if he even gets on the field in 2010.
2. Kansas State will improve in the north. South who will be surprising? Either the Raiders or OSU. Cowboys based on their mass replacement of LBs, Def /Off Linemen and D backs. I think Dana Holgerson gets B. Weeden the new QB ( the ancient 27 year old base baller) to set several single season school passing records and perhaps a couple of Big 12 records as well.
3. I don’t see a down year for the Big 12. UT will be superb, ATM has the potential to be tough. Already stated the case for OSU. Nebraska they win at least 8 or 9 games. KSU gets 7 plus wins(goes bowling) Mizzou might surprise and win 9 as well. I say TTU is the kingmaker like Mbrown603 stated above. All depends on beating UT – Coach Willis getting the Raider defense to not vent its collective bowels in public with Baylor or Mizzou, then giving those people in Norman an apoplexy.
4. UT wins the south. KSU stuns Nebraska. Ut wins the Big12.
5. Hawkins is so easy. But G. Pinkel is trending downward and to slightly lesser degree Art Briles may have some trouble if they don’t get a bowl bid down in Waco. Turner Gill gets a pass and T. Tuberville has a real opportunity to exceed all expectations.

1. NU very over rated at #7. I would suspect them in the top 25 but not top 10. I’m actually fine with A&M at #25. They will drop out with an early loss to La Tech. UT and OU should and always will be top 10 schools heading into a season.
2. Obviously I’m going to say Tech is under-rated. I feel like we are an easy #23 or #24 team heading into the fall. I can understand the speculation among pollsters with Tech having a new coach and losing players on defense. Once again we just have to win our non conference games and beat UT early and A&M at Kyle. It won’t be easy but it is very attainable.
3. I see another log jam in the Big 12 south. I see OU winning the south after beating Tech in Norman. UT will lose 3 this season.
4. OU and NU in the Big 12 CG and OU wins to go to a BCS bowl.
5. Hawkins last season. I think Sherman needs to have a winning season in order to have a future. Mike Leach to be named head coach at CO at seasons end.

I believe rankings shouldn’t be released till a couple of weeks into the season. Like mentioned before, Nebraska is getting highly rated though they have lost they biggest play maker and really hasn’t showed how they could compete with the top teams. Anyways, these preseason rankings are a crapshoot, but they influence how every team is perceived throughout the year, and very rarely will the big name teams be dropped in their ranking after the ugliest of wins over nobody.

1. NU is overrated at #7 for reasons previously mentioned. They did have a solid effort in the B12 championship and their bowl game (if remember correctly). But, the most overrated team is UT in top 5 and it isn’t even close! If you look at what was lost on both O and D, it was their most productive players. True they typically reload, but lot of inexperience. Banking on a rookie QB who went 15-40 & 4 INTs in his only significant game he played. Also, talk is they are going back to more run oriented scheme and they have not shown the ability to be an effective ground team in several years.
2. Tech, no question about it. Gotta shore up the Defense some and the O-line has to gel, but most of our weapons return. And I think the lack of ability for opponents to study our defensive scheme will pay dividends this year.
3. who knows
4. I see OU winning South with victory over Tech in Norman and a log-jam similar to ’08 season. NU is my pick for North even though I would put them more in the 12-15 range nationally. OU wins B12 and goes to a BCS game, but not necessarily the NC.
5. Hawkins is pretty obvious, though I see them turning the corner this year. I think Gundy is the hot-seat coach not many people are talking about. Pretty strong move with them brining in D.H as the OC when Gundy was the play caller in the past. T. Boone might be getting wary.

Just to start I love Pre-Season Rankings. It gives us fans something to talk about help keep us going while we are waiting for the season to start. Now to the questions.
1) The only ranking i have a problem with is Nebraska. Until I can see a constant showing from the offense I cant put them that high. The offense is the reason they didnt win the Big 12 championship and get to go on the the Fiesta Bowl.
2) I dont think there is a dark horse in the North, it comes down to Missouri and Nebraska. Everyone else is playing for 3rd. As for the South as much as I hate to say it I think the dark horse is Texas A&M and the reason I call them the dark horse is because they havent done anything recently, but this year could be the one.
3) I dont think it will be a down year for the Big 12. Jerrod Johnson and Robert Griffin will keep people’s attention and by the end of the year the Big 12 will be right where it always is and thats near the top.
4) Big 12 North Winner – Nebraska
    Big 12 South Winner – Oklahoma
    Big 12 Champion – Oklahoma
5) Dan Hawkins & Mike Gundy

On the Athlon link, four of the last five teams are all Tigers:

Missouri
Clemson
LSU
Auburn

And the 5th team are the Penn State Nittany Lions.

We need some bears now. Oh My!!

1) Nebraska is way over-rated and may turn out to be this year’s version of the 2009 Georgia Bulldogs
2) North – Kansas: this may be a stretch but I believe Turner Gil will have the Jayhawks ready to go
    South – Tech: most writers don’t believe we will have defense and think the offense will be as plain as a TCBY yogurt napkin.
3) Not a down year for the Big 12 but the out of conference wins or losses will be what create the perception of the Big 12
4) South – OU (I hope I am so wrong but I am trying to not to be a homer)
North – Nebraska
Big 12 Champ – OU
5) Dan Hawkins and Mike “Sonic the Hedgehog” Gundy

IMO, all team rankings preseason are overated. In particular Texas and aTM.
Nebraska will probably have the best record in the north, but then, who cares?
If there were a year that TTech outshined OU, Tsip, and aTM, then it would be a “down” year in the eyes of the WWL and other “talkng heads”
My prediction is that we will be in Jerry world meeting the Huskers………..I of course will be in the parking lot eating brauts and consuming copious amounts of adult beverages.
No doub that Sherman and Hawkins have the most at stake this year……………but Katfish…..I have my eye on you as well.

However, just to get in on the fun, here we go:
1. Athlon Sports:Nebraska ranked #7, Texas ranked #8, Missouri ranked #21. ESPN’s Mark Schlabach: Texas #4, Nebraska -#7, Oklahoma -#12 and Texas A&M – #25. All of these teams are over-rated. Why? Because there are still too many questions to be answered for them all, as well as most of the Big-12 teams. Plus, Schlabach is just a total id-t no matter what he says, writes or does.
2. Tech & Okie State are underrated, maybe K-State, too.
    The darkhorse teams in the Big-12 South (Baylor-Griffin??) and
    Big-12 North (Iowa State-unknown material could surprise).
3. It will be a down year for the Big 12 because way too many top players left?
4. Tech wins the Big 12 South, surprising everyone, even themselves.
    Mozzou wins the Big 12 North and Tech takes the championship game!
       (I know, just call me “Homer”)
5. Two Big 12 coaches on the hottest seats are mentioned above: Sherman and Hawkins.
     No one else is close.

1.) A&M by far. For a team that finished under .500 sure is getting a lot of love. A team that got smashed by a HORRIBLE georgia team. I have no doubts about their offense, but their D has to stop people. Their season will hinge our how their D performs….as do ours.

2.) Id say we are underrated because im a homer. Its still a two horse race between Mizzou and NU in the north. Its either UT or A&M winning the south but dont count out us or OU. As far as im concerned, i think the south will be decided when we go to Norman to play.

3.) It may or may not be a down year for the big 12. Any team can be beaten on any given saturday.

4.) B12 South-OU(most likely) or Tech(REALLY crossing my fingers)
     B12 North- Nebraska( if they can figure whats a foward pass)

5.) The easy choice is Dan Hawkins. If Sherman doesnt win this season, i think he’s gone. I really dont think Mike Gundy’s seat is all that hot imo. I think OSU likes what they have.

This might be a stretch, but if OU has another sub par year, Stoops might start feeling the heat. I think some fans in Norman might be getting a little restless with the BCS bowl losses and flirtations with Notre Dame.

1) Until Nebraska gets an offense and A&M gets a defense, they are the two most overrated schools in the conference. As Tech proved last year, get ahead of Nebraska early and they are toast. Of the two, I would fear A&M more because they have the potential to outscore you.

2) As far as underrated, I would go with Kansas State and Iowa State. It would not surprise me if Iowa State made a bowl this year and if K-State won the North. Hey they were one win away last year.

3) The national perspective may be that it will be a down year, but a look at it as a wide open year, especially in the South. I think you have four teams with young talent (A&M, Texas, Tech and OU) that could wide up between ranked any where from the 1 to 30 depending how all the chips fall.

4) I’ll go with UT in the South and Kansas State in the North.

5) Dan Hawkins is obvious, but for number two I will go with Gary Pinkel at MU. If Missouri does make the move to the Big 10, maybe they look at the opportunity to hire a big time coach if Pinkel can not take MU to the next level.

Question for all, If Baylor does not make a bowl in the Robert Griffin era would they dare fire Art Briles?