Big 12 college football conference preview: Oklahoma, Texas ready to ride off into sunset
It's a season of transition in the Big 12 with Brigham Young, Central Florida, Cincinnati and Houston entering the league and Oklahoma and Texas playing their final seasons before departing for the Southeastern Conference.
The Sooners and Longhorns would love to ride off into the sunset with a final conference championship. History is working against them.
While Oklahoma has won or shared 14 championships in the 27 seasons since the Big 12 was established, they've failed to reach the championship game the past two years. Texas hasn't won the league since 2009.
The reigning champion is are Kansas State, and other contenders lurk in what is probably the most-balanced Power Five conference. There should be lots of unpredictability along the way.
A breakdown of all the teams entering the season:
1. Texas
Will the Longhorns finally end their Big 12 title drought in their final season in the league? There is enough talent in place with QB Quinn Ewers and WR Xavier Worthy capable of being one of the top passing combinations in the country. The only concern is finding a replacement for RB Bijan Robinson. LB Jaylan Ford should lead a solid defense that has gotten better each season under coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski. Texas still needs to find a way to win the close games.
2. Kansas State
While TCU made all the noise nationally in the Big 12, the Wildcats enter the season as the league’s reigning champions. The offense should see a bit of conversion with running back Deuce Vaughn gone and QB Will Howard's passing ability more featured. The running game is still in good shape with holdover DJ Giddens and Florida State transfer Treshaun Ward. The biggest hits for K-State came on defense. But Chris Klieman finds a way to win games and this season should be no different.
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3. Oklahoma
How bad was the first season for Sooners coach Brent Venables? Oklahoma had its first losing record since 1998 and its worst loss ever to rival Texas. However, there is reason for optimism. The last four losses were each by three points, and a host of transfers on defense – especially up front – should bring massive gains to Venables’ area of expertise. QB Dillon Gabriel will likely be better after an inconsistent junior season, and a run in the Big 12 seems possible.
4. Texas Tech
It was quite the debut season for coach Joey McGuire as the Red Raiders knocked off Texas and Oklahoma. The trick will be to carry the momentum with QB Tyler Shough in control of the offense after three signal-callers saw significant time last year. Jerand Bradley has the makings of an elite receiver, and the offense should be one of the best in the Big 12. Defense is always a question mark in Lubbock, but the group quietly led the conference in sacks.
5. TCU
Sonny Dykes had one of the best debut coaching seasons in college football history by leading the Horned Frogs to the national title game. Now he must figure out how to navigate increased expectations with significant losses from last year’s group. Chandler Morris should slot in at quarterback for Max Duggan but finding replacements at running back and receiver won’t be as easy. Johnny Hodges and Josh Newton will be two of the best defenders in the Big 12.
6. Oklahoma State
Usually, a program as stable as the Cowboys doesn’t experience much upheaval. However, Mike Gundy’s team will see a lot of new faces in new places, starting with quarterback Alan Bowman, who arrives as a transfer from Michigan after Spencer Sanders held down the position for four years. The defense brought in coordinator Bryan Nardo, an unconventional hire, to fix a unit that was well below its usual standard.
7. Baylor
For a coach whose background is defense, the implosion on that side of the ball last season had to be particularly difficult for Dave Aranda. How quickly a fix can be found will likely determine whether last year’s slump was a blip or a trend. Also of concern is the need to rebuild an offensive line that was full of experience last year. RB Richard Reese shined as a freshman but he’ll need some help to create holes and quarterback Blake Shapen will need time to throw.
8. Brigham Young
After 12 seasons as a football independent, the Cougars return to conference play. The adjustment will be bumpy with serious upgrades needed across this roster. RB Aidan Robbins arrives from UNLV after a 1,000-yard rushing season and should anchor the ground attack. Another transfer solves the quarterback situation with Kedon Slovis joining from Pittsburgh. There’s talent on defense returning to work with new coordinator Jay Hill.
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9. Central Florida
QB John Rhys Plumlee’s dual-threat ability makes the Knights difficult to defend, and the return of RB RJ Harvey and receivers Javon Baker and Kobe Hudson provide an excellent group of skill players to build the offense around. With scoring seemingly not an issue, the decisive area that will determine if UCF can contend in its new league looks to be defense. Tre'Mon Morris-Brash had six sacks to lead the team and could push for double figures.
10. Cincinnati
After making the College Football Playoff in 2021, the Bearcats took a step back last season and now must deal with a big cultural change after coach Luke Fickell left for Wisconsin. In comes Scott Satterfield, who failed to find big success at Louisville and now must transition his new school into the Power Five. His key move in the offseason was bringing in Arizona State transfer QB Emory Jones. Defense was Cincinnati’s calling card, and there’s a strong line with DL Dontay Corleone leading it.
11. Iowa State
Two years ago, Matt Campbell was a hot candidate for NFL jobs and the Cyclones were ranked in the preseason top 10. Things are much different after consecutive disappointing seasons and major uncertainty entering this fall. Returning quarterback Hunter Dekkers is part of a gambling scandal that has impacted multiple other starters. Their status for part or all of the season is uncertain.
12. Kansas
Not many teams would feel great coming off a season where they lost seven of their last eight games. But the Jayhawks famously started 5-0 and rose to No. 17 in the coaches poll before QB Jalon Daniels was hurt and missed three of the subsequent defeats. He returns with RB Devin Neal to form one of the Big 12’s best backfields that should key an explosive offense. Kansas may have to outscore opponents, however, after the defensive line took some big losses after a season where the team allowed 35.5 points per game.
13. Houston
The Cougars spent nearly 30 years hoping to return to a major conference and now have their opportunity to compete in a Power Five league. Donovan Smith, a transfer from Texas Tech, appears to the be the new starting quarterback and he’ll have Matthew Golden and a group of talented receivers to throw to in Dana Holgorsen’s offense. The defense had major departures, though after allowing more than 32 points per game that might not be the worst thing. Still, the unit needs to show improvement against a more difficult schedule.
14. West Virginia
The situation is simple for Neal Brown. He has to win games or he’s not going to make it until the end of the season as the coach of the Mountaineers. The path to success will be paved by an offensive line that includes Zach Frazier and several other veteran standouts. Who plays behind the unit is uncertain. The defense ranked 115th in scoring and needs to have major gains.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Big 12 college football preview: Oklahoma, Texas seek final title
