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| Sam Ehlinger (San Antonio Express-News) |
The Longhorns are almost completely new on defense, but return most of their vital pieces on offense, including quarterback Sam Ehlinger. Though maligned, Ehlinger is a baller, accounting for 41 touchdowns a year ago to help Texas average 31 ppg. The talent is improving, and it will be interesting to see if a Sugar Bowl upset over Georgia becomes a benchmark victory for Tom Herman's bunch.
Until it is knocked off the mountain, Oklahoma is still the big dog in the Big 12. Working on a string of four straight league titles, the Sooners will be better on defense, simply because it would be nearly impossible to be worse. The offense has put up video game numbers in the first two years of Lincoln Riley's head coaching tenure, helping Sooners QBs Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray to consecutive Heismans. While there has been talk that Jalen Hurts has improved his passing, we are skeptical, and don't expect the offense to be as wide open and explosive as it has been in recent seasons. But Oklahoma will be a player on the national scene as long as Riley is around.
TCU had high expectations coming into 2018, and then the injuries started. Gone were the starting QB and RB and numerous bodies on the O-line. Every level of the defense felt the injury bug, too, so Gary Patterson is moving on quickly from last year. While there are questions at quarterback, the Horned Frogs D could be the best its been in Patterson's 20 seasons. There are stars at all three levels, and a schedule that shouldn't pose many problems until an early October jaunt to Ames to take on Iowa State.
Speaking of Iowa State, the Cyclones should have one of their best teams in years. Brock Purdy was a revelation as a freshman at quarterback and should be even better this time around. Bruiser David Montgomery is gone from the backfield, but a pair of decorated freshmen should keep the ground game humming. A three game stretch of Oklahoma State, Oklahoma and Texas late in the season will determine whether or not ISU is truly a contender or a step or two away.
It was hard to figure out Oklahoma State last season. The Pokes upset Boise State, Texas, West Virginia and Missouri, and lost by a point in a wild Bedlam game with Oklahoma as a late two-point conversion failed, but fell to Texas Tech, Kansas State and Baylor as favorites. Inconsistent quarterback play was a big part of the problem, as was a porous defense. The former should improve with redshirt frosh Spencer Sanders throwing to star Tylan Wallace, but the defense could again be an issue with just four starters back. Still, it wouldn't be a shock to see Okie State improve.
Matt Rhule made a tremendous improvement in year two at Baylor, going from one win to seven. Look for the momentum to continue behind standout QB Charlie Brewer and a lethal corps of receivers. The defense should be the best in Rhule's tenure, led by standout DT James Lynch. A closing stretch of TCU, Oklahoma and Texas will be tough.
Texas Tech begins anew after the departure of head coach Kliff Kingsbury to the NFL. He is replaced by Matt Wells, who won at least nine games three times in six seasons at Utah State, and Wells will be able to lean on Alan Bowman at quarterback. The sophomore missed half of last season with injury, but should be ready to battle in 2019 and will have an excellent group of receivers on hand. The defense has experience, led by All-Big 12 candidate Jordyn Brooks at linebacker.
It's a new day in the state of Kansas, for both of the state's football programs. Gone are legend Bill Snyder (Kansas State) and non-legend David Beaty (Kansas), replaced by uber-successful Chris Klieman and Les Miles. Kansas State may take some time to get going as Klieman tries to instill the same culture that won four national titles at North Dakota State, but it helps to have a fairly solid, experienced defense, led by end Reggie Walker. The offense has experience but is largely an unknown.
While it may not result in many victories, fun is back in Lawrence as Miles is set to lead Kansas to what he hopes are better days. The Jayhawks are slowly increasing the talent level, most notably on offense. There is experience up front, which should help JUCO QB Thomas McVittie gain his footing. The Jayhawks will run the ball more this year, and with good reason -- Pooka Williams is one of the most dynamic backs in the Big 12. He'll miss the opener after an off-field domestic violence incident, but rest assured that Miles will lean on him and Khalil Herbert a ton. An improvement over last year's three wins is not out of the question.
Neal Brown will get it done in Morgantown, folks. He will. Just not this year. West Virginia will have to rely on defense if success is to come, and fortunately for new DC Vic Koenning (who led very good Ds at Troy the last four seasons) there is talent to work with, especially in the back seven. The offense lost a ton of firepower -- QB Will Grier and WRs David Sills, Gary Jennings and Marcus Simms -- and could find tough sledding with an almost completely rebuilt unit. Austin Kendall transferred from Oklahoma and will start at quarterback for WVU, which has a murderous middle season run of Texas, Iowa State, Oklahoma and Baylor.
BIG 12 PREDICTIONS
1 Texas (12-1, 8-1)*R
2 Oklahoma (10-3, 7-2)*R
3 TCU (9-3, 6-3)*R
3 Iowa State (8-4, 6-3)*R
5 Oklahoma State (8-4, 5-4)*R
6 Baylor (7-5, 4-5)*R
7 Texas Tech (5-7, 3-6)
8 Kansas State (4-8, 2-7)
8 Kansas (4-8, 2-7)
8 West Virginia (3-9, 2-7)
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Texas over Oklahoma
* Bowl participant
R CFB Focus Top 40 team
ALL BIG 12
FIRST TEAM OFFENSE
QB Sam Ehlinger/Texas
RB Kennedy Brooks/Oklahoma
RB Pooka Williams/Kansas
WR CeeDee Lamb/Oklahoma
WR Tylan Wallace/Oklahoma State
WR Jalen Reagor/TCU
TE Grant Calcaterra/Oklahoma
OT Terence Steele/Texas Tech
OT Lucas Niang/TCU
OG Parker Braun/Texas
OG Marcus Keyes/Oklahoma State
C Creed Humphrey/Oklahoma
FIRST TEAM DEFENSE
DE JaQuan Bailey/Iowa State
DE James Lynch/Baylor
DT Ray Lima/Iowa State
DT Corey Bethley/TCU
LB Mike Rose/Iowa State
LB Jordyn Brooks/Texas Tech
LB Kenneth Murray/Oklahoma
CB Adrian Frye/Texas Tech
CB Jeff Gladney/TCU
S Caden Sterns/Texas
S Greg Eisworth/Iowa State
FIRST TEAM SPECIALISTS
K Cameron Dicker/Texas
P Kyle Thompson/Kansas
RS Jalen Reagor/TCU
SECOND TEAM OFFENSE
QB Brock Purdy/Iowa State
RB Chuba Hubbard/Oklahoma State
RB Keontay Ingram/Texas
WR Collin Johnson/Texas
WR Denzel Mims/Baylor
WR TJ Vasher/Texas Tech
TE Charlie Kolar/Iowa State
OT Sam Cosmi/Texas
OT Julian Good-Jones/Iowa State
OG Jack Anderson/Texas Tech
OG Josh Sills/West Virginia
C Zach Shackelford/Texas
SECOND TEAM DEFENSE
DE Reggie Walker/Kansas State
DE Ronnie Perkins/Oklahoma
DT Darius Stills/West Virginia
DT Ross Blacklock/TCU
LB Calvin Bundage/Oklahoma State
LB Marcel Spears Jr/Iowa State
LB Garret Wallow/TCU
CB AJ Green/Oklahoma State
CB Corione Harris/Kansas
S Brandon Jones/Texas
S Innis Gaines/TCU
SECOND TEAM SPECIALISTS
K Evan Staley/West Virginia
P Ryan Bujcevski/Texas
RS CeeDee Lamb/Oklahoma
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Tylan Wallace
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Mike Rose
COACH OF THE YEAR: Tom Herman/Texas
TOP NEWCOMER: QB Jalen Hurts/Oklahoma
TOP FIVE GAMES (NONCONFERENCE)
Houston at Oklahoma (Sept. 1)
LSU at Texas (Sept. 7)
Iowa at Iowa State (Sept. 14)
Oklahoma at UCLA (Sept. 14)
TCU at Purdue (Sept. 14)
TOP FIVE GAMES (CONFERENCE)
Iowa State at Baylor (Sept. 28)
Texas vs Oklahoma (at Dallas) (Oct. 12)
Texas at TCU (Oct. 26)
Iowa State at Oklahoma (Nov. 9)
Texas at Iowa State (Nov. 16)
TOP FIVE INCOMING FRESHMEN
WR Theo Wease/Oklahoma
RB Breece Hall/Iowa State
CB Kenyatta Watson/Texas
DT Karter Johnson/TCU
LB DeGabriel Floyd/Texas
TOP FIVE TRANSFERS
QB Jalen Hurts/Oklahoma (Alabama)
DE Shameik Blackshear/TCU (South Carolina)
OT Parker Braun/Texas (Georgia Tech)
WR McLane Mannix/Texas Tech (Nevada)
RB Jordon Brown/Kansas State (North Carolina)
TOP FIVE JUCO TRANSFERS
QB Thomas McVittie/Kansas
DT LaRon Stokes/Oklahoma
LB Caleb Jones/Texas
DE Parker Workman/TCU
DT Sione Asi/Oklahoma Stat
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