Looking at what will hold each Big 12 title contender back in 2023
There are several Big 12 contenders heading into the 2023 season. We have identified nine teams who could compete for the title.
Texas and Kansas State lead the list of contenders as the safest picks after last year’s performance paired with what each team returns. The Longhorns and Wildcats are two of the more experienced teams in the conference to go with the talent each team presents.
Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Kansas and TCU could probably comprise another tier of challengers. All four had good offense and bad defense last season. We expect the Oklahoma defense to be much improved. The other three have significant defensive question marks across the board.
Central Florida, Baylor and BYU are wild cards who command plenty of mixed reviews heading into the 2023 season. The three teams had up and down moments last year, but all have high upsides.
Let’s look at every Big 12 contender’s primary area of concern.
Texas Longhorns
Off-script offense.
Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers is elite off-script. We saw his ability to improvise against Alabama and Oklahoma early last season. The Texas offense, however, is not so great off-script. By that I mean, when the team isn’t running Steve Sarkisian’s pre-planned offensive sequence the offense stalls. Either Sarkisian needs to get better at in-game adjustments, his team needs to execute better, or both.
Kansas State Wildcats
Defense.
Kansas State lost its top pass rusher in Felix Anudike-Uzomah. It’s unclear where the team will find a pass rush in 2023. The Wildcats defense was statistically above average last season, but against tougher competition they were more than vulnerable. Can the defense allow the offense to win games?
Oklahoma Sooners
Depth.
Oklahoma dramatically improved in talent acquisition this offseason, but the 2022 roster was bad. I’m not sure people appreciate just how awful the Sooners’ defensive roster was last season. Head coach Brent Venables brought in several starter caliber players this offseason, and that’s great. But last season’s Oklahoma defense had maybe three players who should ever start for the team in Norman. We haven’t even mentioned the Sooners offensive line or receivers for the upcoming season either. Even after all the great starter additions, the depth simply might not be there.
Texas Tech Red Raiders
Schedule disparity.
Texas Tech will compete with Oklahoma for a spot in the Big 12 championship. Albeit, the Raiders won’t be afforded a head-to-head battle. In addition, they’ll face Texas in Austin the day after Thanksgiving and BYU in Provo. Because of the tough draw, there’s a good chance Tech misses the Big 12 title game.
Kansas Jayhawks
Where’s the beef?
Kansas has the quarterback and skill players. One could even argue it will have a good offensive line. The other side of the football leaves something to be desired in the trenches. The Jayhawks are probably going to get dominated by several opponents when their defense takes the field. It could cloud just how great the offense will be in 2023.
TCU Horned Frogs
Discontinuity.
TCU loses several key players including Max Duggan, Quentin Johnston, Steve Avila, Kendre Miller and a host of other talented players. Continuity matters. The lack of familiar faces is a serious issue for the Horned Frogs regardless of the great players that it will have on the 2023 roster.
UCF Golden Knights
Meat and potatoes.
Head coach Gus Malzahn has no problem using trickery or ingenuity. What happens when it all runs out? UCF had the talent to win in its old conference, but jumping to the Big 12 could expose the lack of substance on the roster.
Baylor Bears
Talent disparity.
Baylor got throttled in its bowl game against Air Force. Talented teams don’t get bullied by Air Force. The Bears will have highly skilled players, but simply might lack the talent to consistently handle business in a Big 12 schedule.
BYU Cougars
Kedon Slovis.
Slovis is the problem and the solution for BYU. That’s plenty to put on the college journeyman quarterback who hasn’t been good since his freshman season at USC. If Slovis returns to that level of efficiency (30 touchdowns and nine interceptions), BYU is going to push for a Big 12 title. It’s unlikely he is that good again, but he could be due for better football in a new environment.
