Big 12 preseason poll: Texas is significant favorite to win conference title before SEC exit
Texas is the favorite to win the Big 12 in 2023, according to the conference’s preseason media poll.
Texas, in its final season as a Big 12 member before departing for the SEC alongside Oklahoma, was voted atop the preseason poll while receiving 41 of the 67 first-place votes and 886 total points. It marks the first time that Texas was voted to win the conference since 2009, before the Big 12 got rid of divisions.
Kansas State, the reigning Big 12 champions, came in second but received only 14 first-place votes and 858 points. Next in line were Oklahoma and Texas Tech, which each received four first-place votes with 758 and 729 points, respectively. TCU, last year’s national runner-up, was down at No. 5 with three first-place votes and 727 points.
The only other team to receive a first-place vote was Oklahoma State, which was No. 7 in the poll behind No. 6 Baylor.
UCF, one of four newcomers to the Big 12, came in eighth in the preseason poll. The three other new arrivals — BYU, Houston and Cincinnati — were down at 11, 12 and 13, respectively. Those three were slotted ahead of West Virginia, which received only 129 points.
Here are the full results of the poll:
Texas (41), 886
Kansas State (14), 858
Oklahoma (4), 758
Texas Tech (4), 729
TCU (3), 727
Baylor, 572
Oklahoma State (1), 470
UCF, 463
Kansas, 461
Iowa State, 334
BYU, 318
Houston, 215
Cincinnati, 202
West Virginia, 129
Can Texas live up to expectations this time?
Texas has not won the Big 12 championship since 2009 but has been on the receiving end of yearly preseason hype. And there are plenty of reasons for optimism surrounding the Longhorns entering the 2023 season.
Texas went 8-5 last season, its second under head coach Steve Sarkisian, and there’s a boatload of talent returning to the field for the Longhorns. Quinn Ewers, the former No. 1 overall recruit, is entering his second season as Texas’ starting quarterback and will play behind one of the best offensive lines in the country. Texas lost running back Bijan Robinson to the NFL, but still returns a boatload of talent at the skill positions, particularly wide receiver.
There are some questions about the defense, but the unit returns star linebacker Jaylan Ford (voted the conference’s preseason Defensive Player of the Year), several key players up front and added some pieces to the secondary via the transfer portal.
There’s nobody doubting the talent of this roster, but whether that will finally materialize into a legitimate contender remains to be seen. We’ve certainly been fooled before.
What can TCU, Kansas State do for encores?
Texas finished third in the Big 12 behind TCU and Kansas State last fall. TCU had an undefeated regular season but fell to Kansas State in a thrilling Big 12 title game.
From there, TCU upset Michigan in the College Football Playoff semifinals before a blowout loss to Georgia in the national title game. Kansas State, after winning its first outright Big 12 title since 2003, lost to Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.
Entering 2023, both teams have significant pieces to replace. Most of the stars of TCU’s offense have moved on to the NFL, including quarterback Max Duggan, wide receiver Quentin Johnston and running back Kendre Miller. Additionally, offensive coordinator Garrett Riley left for Clemson and has been replaced by Kendal Briles.
Chandler Morris is set to step in as the Horned Frogs’ starting quarterback, but it’d be hard not to envision a bit of a drop-off with so much turnover on the heels of such a magical season.
For Kansas State, the biggest pieces to depart are running back Deuce Vaughn and pass rusher Felix Anudike-Uzomah. Vaughn rushed for 1,558 yards last year while Anudike-Uzomah combined for 25.5 tackles for loss and 19.5 sacks over the past two seasons. The addition of Florida State transfer Treshaun Ward should help fill some of the void at running back, but there are some questions about who’s next in line for the K-State defense.
What’s up with Oklahoma?
The first season of the Brent Venables era did not go well. Following the shocking departure of Lincoln Riley to USC, Oklahoma brought in Venables, the longtime Clemson defensive coordinator. His debut season in Norman had some significant growing pains as the Sooners finished 6-7, the program’s first losing record since 1998.
The Sooners look like a team with major bounce-back potential. The schedule is very forgiving, so the path to an improved record is very navigable. But if Oklahoma wants to contend for a Big 12 before it departs for the SEC, it will need many of its transfer additions to come through, particularly on defense.
