Here’s a quick and dirty look at how I see things playing out in the Big 12 this season:

#1 Oklahoma
In Sam Bradford, Gerald McCoy, Trent Williams, Jermaine Gresham, Keenan Clayton, Brody Eldridge and Dominique Franks, there’s no doubt that the Sooners lost a ton of talent from last year. However, this season is all about two names: Landry Jones and DeMarco Murray. Jones filled in admirably when Bradford went down last season, throwing 26 touchdown passes and gaining valuable experience throughout the year. Murray’s health history is a major concern, but if he can stay upright he’s scary good. He’s more versatile than Adrian Peterson was in that he can catch the ball out of the backfield or beat teams as a rusher. He’s big, he’s fast and he can get north and south in a hurry. He’s also going to get a ton of opportunities to shine this year as both a runner and a pass-catcher and again, if he can stay healthy he has the ability to be one of the best backs in college football. Defensively, Bob Stoops’ team has good depth and while the loss of McCoy hurts, don’t forget that Jeremy Beal was fifth on the team in tackles last season and first in sacks with 11. The linebacker corps has a chance to be special thanks to redshirt freshman Tom Wort and sophomore Ronnell Lewis. I know many pundits still like Texas in the South, but with Landry, Murray and nine starters returning on offense, I think Oklahoma reclaims the conference this season.

#2 Texas
Given the circumstances, I thought youngster Garrett Gilbert handled himself extremely well against Alabama in the national title game last season – especially considering his running game was non-existent. Now that Colt McCoy and Jordan Shipley have moved onto the NFL, we’re going to see a new-look offense in Austin this year. And ironically, Mack Brown and company will actually get back to what Texas football used to be: pounding the football. While there won’t be wholesale changes to the offense, we won’t see too much of the spread under Gilbert. The quarterback is likely to lineup under center more this year and UT will look to set up the pass with the run. Defensively, the Longhorns are thin on the line but the secondary may be even better than it was in ’09. As a group, the defensive backfield is fast and littered with guys that can cover. The schedule is somewhat favorable, although the Longhorns have a nasty four-game set starting in the middle of September when they travel to Lubbock to take on Texas Tech (remember what happened last time the Longhorns visited Lubbock), then play host to UCLA before taking on Oklahoma in Dallas and Nebraska in Lincoln. How Gilbert plays on the road might determine how good the Longhorns are this season.

#3 Nebraska
I almost ranked the Cornhuskers ahead of Texas but then I remembered the name Zac Lee. If Lee, who has been pushed by backups Cody Green and Taylor Martinez this spring, can’t play more consistent this year then he’s going to limit how good the Huskers will be in 2010. In the team’s four losses last season, Lee threw eight interceptions and no touchdowns. And while there’s no doubt Nebraska will rely on running backs Roy Helu and Rex Burkhead to carry the offense this year, Lee still has to step up and make plays in crunch time. There’s just no other way to say it – he has to be better. Defensively, replacing Ndamukong Suh, Larry Asante, Phillip Dillard, Barry Turner and Matt O’Hanlon will be tough and really, you can’t replace a guy like Suh. But with players like Jared Crick, Pierre Allen and Prince Amukamara coming back, Bo Pelini’s defense will be just fine. He has established great depth on that side of the ball and thus, once again, everything rides on Lee and the offense. Can this team avenge its loss in the Big 12 title game last year and beat Texas in Lincoln on October 16? If they can, there’s no reason to think that Nebraska can’t win the conference, especially considering they avoid Oklahoma on this year’s schedule.

#4 Missouri
After finishing 8-5 last season, MIZZOU is kind of flying under the radar heading into 2010. But I see you, Tigers – shaking that ass. I know with quarterback Blaine Gabbert coming back this year that you’re probably headed for your seventh straight winning season. After throwing for over 3,500 yards and finishing second in the Big 12 in pass efficiency, Gabbert is due for another great year and there’s no reason the Tigers can’t compete with Nebraska in the North. Defensively, Aldon Smith (11 sacks as a freshman) is a freaking pass-rushing monster and as a whole, the defense has a ton of speed. The only thing that keeps me from growing a pair and ranking this team ahead of Nebraska heading into the season is that opponents completed 64% of their pass attempts against MIZZOU’s defense last season. Ouch isn’t even a good starting point for how bad that stat hurts.

#5 Texas A&M
The Aggies remind me a lot of Arkansas (whom they play on October 9 in Arlington) in that I probably have them ranked too high but I just can’t stop starring at their offense. They’re like that girl in the gym with the so-so face that your buddies warn you about because she flirts with everyone and has an IQ of 50 but you just can’t stop zeroing in on her body. That thing intrigues you and you can’t help but to move in closer for a better look. Thanks to Jerrod Johnson, Christine Michael, Cyrus Gray, Uzoma Nwachukwu and a slew of offensive playmakers, the Aggies are going to break scoreboards this year. Unfortunately, they’re also going to have to because their defense can’t stop a nosebleed. Aside from Von Miller (a phenomenal pass rusher who racked up 17 sacks last season) and Trent Hunter, there aren’t a ton of playmakers on that side of the ball. That said, and this might just be the body goggles talking again, A&M was incredibly young on defense last year and do return nine starters. So can they be better? Absolutely. Will they? Look at that ass…

#6 Texas Tech
Thanks to a coaching change, the Red Raiders might be the most intriguing team in the Big 12 this year. Out is Mike Leach and in is Tommy Tuberville, who is coming off a successful stint at Auburn (although his tenure there didn’t end well, as he resigned following a 5-7 season in 2008). While Tuberville is still expected to throw the ball plenty with quarterback Taylor Potts, there’s little doubt that he’ll run more than Leach did. The offense will still be exciting, but Tuberville doesn’t coach finesse – on either side of the ball. Defensively, the Raiders were improved last year but they need to take the next step if they’re going to challenge the big boys in the conference. As with any change, there will be an adjustment period on that side of the ball as former Alabama linebackers coach James Willis takes over as the new defensive coordinator. Can Tech adjust to the 3-4 or will they need a year to adapt to Willis’ scheme? Either way, change is coming in Lubbock and this team will get tested right away when they take on Texas in the third game of the year.

#7 Oklahoma State
If you can’t beat ‘em, hire ‘em. After watching his offense rack up 45 points on their defense last year, the Cowboys hired former Houston offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen for the same role in Stillwater. The Cougars led the FBS in scoring and pass offense last season, so the Cowboys should score plenty of points in 2010. Gone is Zac Robinson, but 26-year-old Brandon Weeden could wind up being the newcomer of the year in the Big 12. The former minor league baseball player certainly has the right work ethic to be a great college quarterback and he’ll have plenty of help from running back Kendall Hunter, who will get a ton of opportunities to make plays this season. That said, the big concern is the offensive line, which lost most of its starters from a year ago to graduation. If the O-line can’t gel quickly, then Weeden and Hunter will be limited. Defensively, the Cowboys improved dramatically under coordinator Bill Young, but the secondary is still a big question mark. This is an intriguing team on the surface, but there are some underlying issues that teams like Oklahoma, Texas, Texas A&M and Nebraska can exploit. That’s why expectations should be tempered a little.

#8 Kansas State
This team will challenge opponents every Saturday thanks to running back Daniel Thomas, who led the Big 12 last year in rushing. He has great vision, cutback ability and excellent burst. He’s also strong and when he gets north south on a defense – look out. That said, this isn’t a very deep team and while I expect the Wildcats to challenge for a bowl game, I doubt they have enough overall talent to finish any higher than third in the North. I think they top out at six wins – just enough to make a bowl appearance.

#9 Iowa State
With players like Austen Arnaud and Alexander Robinson returning, it’s hard to not get a little excited about the Cyclones in 2010 – especially after they beat Minnesota in the Insight Bowl last year. If Arnaud can be more accurate and make more plays in the passing game, then the sky is the limit for this dual-threat quarterback. Robinson became only the 12th player in Iowa State history to rush for over 1,000 yards last season and while he’s not a tall runner, he’s big and he always keeps his legs churning. That said, this isn’t a very experienced defense and while depth isn’t as much of a concern as it has been in year’s past, you always wonder whether or not a smaller school has enough overall talent to compete in such a competitive conference. Plus, with Iowa, Kansas State, Texas Tech, Utah, Oklahoma, Texas, Nebraska and Missouri on the schedule, the Cyclones have one daunting task ahead of them in 2010 as they try to make it back-to-back bowl appearances.

#10 Kansas
First and foremost, I love the hire of Turner Gill. He did wonders at Buffalo and he’s going to bring a sense of order back to Lawrence now that Mark Mangino is gone. I just don’t know how much success Gill will have in his first year. Players will certainly play hard for him, but gone are Todd Reesing, Dezmon Briscoe, Kerry Meier and Darrell Stuckey. Offensive lineman Jeff Spikes is also done for the year after suffering an Achilles injury this offseason and who knows what the team has in quarterback Kale Pick. I have little doubt that the Jayhawks will be competitive under Gill in time, but it’s going to take a couple of years.

#11 Colorado
The only reason I have the Buffaloes ranked higher than Baylor is because the experience they have on both sides of the ball. And even as I write this, I find myself more intrigued by Baylor’s chances of making a bowl than I am about the Buffs generating six wins. That may be harsh, but Dan Hawkins has done nothing since coming over from Boise State and I’m not sure he ever will. He’s 16-33 in four years at Colorado, with no winning seasons and just one bowl appearance. Thanks to Rodney Stewart, Scotty McKnight, Markques Simas and Tyler Hansen, there’s a good chance that the Buffs will prove me wrong. And Hawkins better hope they do, because another 3-9 season and he’ll likely be finished in Boulder.

#12 Baylor
I like this team better than their ranking suggests, but history just isn’t on their side. In 14 years since joining the Big 12, the Bears have zero winning seasons and are 14-98 against conference foes. Yikes. That said, Art Briles has this program moving in the right direction and the Bears will certainly be fun to watch thanks to dynamic quarterback Robert Griffin, III coming back from ACL surgery. Before going down in the third game of the year, Griffin had already totaled 481 total yards and four touchdowns. If he’s healthy, he’s going to give Baylor a chance to end its 16-year bowl drought. However, the Bears ranked 94th in total defense last year and they lack depth on that side of the ball. They’re going to need to catch some breaks to make a bowl appearance, especially with TCU, Texas Tech, Kansas, Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma State and Oklahoma on the schedule this season.

Check out other 2010 College Football Conference Previews: SEC | Big Ten | Big 12

Real Clear Sports compiled a top 10 ranking of the biggest conference shakeups in college sports. At No. 1 is the conference that has been talked about the most recently, the Big 12.

The existence of the Big 12 is now in jeopardy because other conferences can offer more money through television deals. The irony is that that is why the Big 12 was formed in the first place.

The Southwest Conference was in trouble due to greed and the fact that one-time power Southern Methodist University had never recovered after receiving the “Death Penalty” from the NCAA in 1986. The Big Eight saw the opportunity to swoop in and expand its television audience into the state of Texas, with huge markets in Dallas and Houston. In 1994 the Big Eight cannibalized half of the old SWC (adding Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and Baylor) and became the Big 12.

But in reality it was Texas that really swooped in to form the Big 12. The headquarters for the conference not only moved from Kansas City to Dallas, with a Texan at the helm, but it considered itself a new conference, leaving all the history of the former Big Eight behind. A lopsided deal favoring the University of Texas left traditional power Nebraska feeling jilted, triggering the latest round of conference realignment that the Big 12 nearly did not survive.

You can check out the rest of the site’s top 10 here.

It’s easy to forget how conferences came to be, so it’s interesting to take a walk down memory lane. How quickly we forget that Penn State and Florida State used to be independents, Miami used to be in the Big East and most of the current Mountain West used to be in the WAC (which once again was robbed by the MWC when Boise State recently decided to bolt).

Speaking of the Mountain West, the addition of Boise State will only help them gain full BCS privileges soon, including an automatic bid for the conference champion and a greater share of the bowl payout. The conference has been held back due to how the average computer rank of every team in the conference at the end of the regular season has been so low. But assuming the Broncos don’t drop off the face of the earth with their play, that won’t be a problem soon enough. (TCU, Utah and BYU will also have to stay competitive too, of course.)

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]]> https://www.scoresreport.com/2010/06/14/about-face-texas-likely-to-stay-in-big-12/ Mon, 14 Jun 2010 20:33:13 +0000 https://www.scoresreport.com/?p=41225

They say that money is the root of all evil. It’s also the reason why Texas might wind up staying in the Big 12 after all.

In a rather surprising turn of events, it appears as though Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe has saved the conference by constructing a TV deal that could pay Texas upwards of $25 million per year.

ESPN.com has the details:

Texas stands to earn between $20 million and $25 million annually in television revenue in the reworked deal, including money from its own network, according to Orangebloods.com.

The Longhorns network figures to generate between $3 million and $5 million, according to the report. Because the Big 12 has unequal revenue sharing, the deal will mean more money for Texas, Texas A&M and Oklahoma, who all would receive at least $20 million annually from the new deal.

The other seven schools in the Big 12 would make between $14 million and $17 million, doubling what they currently receive in TV revenue.

Assuming this deal gets done, this would be a big win for all parties involved. Beebe keeps the Big 12 from completely imploding, the remaining 10 schools in the conference increase their TV revenue and rivals like Texas and Texas A&M won’t split. (Before this report surfaced, the Longhorns seemed destined for the Pac-10, while A&M was likely to join the SEC.)

Considering the events that have transpired up to this point, it is surprising that Texas is on the verge of staying in the Big 12. But what isn’t surprising is why they inevitably might stay.

Money was going to win out in the end here. As I wrote earlier today, expansion has always been about money. The schools that were considering expansion were doing so because they want to increase revenue and joining other conferences was a way for them to do that. But if Beebe found a way to generate more TV revenue (which it looks like he did), then there was no reason for Texas to join the Pac-10 or any other conference for that matter.

Personally, I think this is good news. College football is about tradition and rivalries and I thought it was absurd for programs like Texas and Texas A&M to split. I also hated the idea of a 16-team Pac-10 with no conference championship game, which was one of the proposed scenarios last week. Sure, the conference still lost Nebraska and Colorado, but most of the Big 12 will stay intact and as long as Beebe’s plan comes to fruition, I think everybody wins.

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]]> https://www.scoresreport.com/2010/06/14/report-texas-getting-closer-to-joining-pac-10/ Mon, 14 Jun 2010 18:30:48 +0000 https://www.scoresreport.com/?p=41210

ESPN.com is reporting that Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State are getting closer to joining the Pac-10. The report also states that Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe is trying to put together a plan to save the conference, although sources say that he has “zero” chance of succeeding.

Beebe’s last-ditch plan included an emotional plea about preserving rivalries and maintaining the best welfare of the student-athlete, one source said.

Texas A&M is now most likely to join the SEC, a source within the Big 12 said. This move, in the wake of Colorado and Nebraska’s departure, would further diminish the chance of Beebe’s plan succeeding, one source said.

Texas’ decision is expected to come no later than Tuesday. One source familiar with Texas’ plans suggested a hearing on Wednesday at the Texas House of Representatives is “a nonfactor.”

A report on Orangebloods.com said that Texas is committed to discussions with the remaining 10 schools in the Big 12 about a plan put together by Beebe that would keep the league intact with its current programs.

The plan includes assurances that a TV deal could net each school between $14 million and $17 million, Orangebloods.com reported, and schools such as Texas could still have their own TV network.

College football expansion is all about money, so Beebe’s plan isn’t completely hopeless. That said, things don’t look good for him and the Big 12. These schools are going to go where the TV deals are bigger and where they can generate more revenue. As of now, the Pac-10 offers the better “deal” for teams like Texas, so it seems inevitable that that is where they’ll wind up.

We’ll see if Beebe’s last-ditch effort can save the conference but as of now, it appears that the Big 12 is on the verge of imploding.

Update: Now ESPN is reporting that Texas is leaning towards accepting a deal to stay in the Big 12.

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]]> https://www.scoresreport.com/2009/09/24/which-conference-plays-the-best-college-football/ Thu, 24 Sep 2009 14:30:58 +0000 https://www.scoresreport.com/?p=24974 The website SurveyMagnet.com recently asked me to guest write a column for them based on a poll they constructed which asked readers which conference plays the best college football.

My answer? Well, you’ll just have to read to find out…

Click here to check out the article.

All times ET…

NBA
Friday, 7:30 PM: Indiana Pacers @Atlanta Hawks (NBA TV)
Saturday, 9 PM: Los Angeles Clippers @ Denver Nuggets (NBA TV)
Sunday, 3:30 PM: Dallas Mavericks @ Los Angeles Lakers (ABC)
Sunday, 9 PM: Phoenix Suns @ Golden State Warriors (NBA TV)

NHL
Saturday, 3 PM: Ottawa Senators @ Pittsburgh Penguins (CBC)
Sunday, 12:30 PM: Philadelphia Flyers@ New York Rangers (NBC)

College Basketball
Friday, 7 PM: #13 Villanova vs. #5 Louisville (ESPN)
Friday, 7 PM: Maryland vs. #9 Wake Forest (ESPN2)
Friday, 9 PM: #23 Arizona State vs. #20 Washington (Fox Sports Net)
Friday, 9:30 PM: Boston College vs. #8 Duke (ESPN2)
Friday, 9:30 PM: #7 West Virginia vs. #20 Syracuse (ESPN)
Friday, 11:30 PM: USC vs. #14 UCLA (Fox Sports Net)
Saturday, 1:30 PM & 4 PM: ACC Semifinals (ESPN)
Saturday, 1 PM & 3:15 PM: SEC Semifinals (ESPN2)
Saturday, 1:40 PM & 4 PM: Big-10 Semifinals (CBS)
Saturday, 6 PM: Pac-10 Final (CBS)
Saturday, 6 PM: Big 12 Final (ESPN)
Saturday, 9 PM: Big East Final (ESPN)
Sunday, 1 PM: ACC Final (ESPN)
Sunday, 1 PM: SEC Final (CBS)
Sunday, 3:30 PM: Big-10 Final (CBS)
Sunday, 6 PM: NCAA Tournament Selection Show (CBS)

World Baseball Classic
Saturday, 8 PM: Puerto Rico vs. United States from Miami, FL. (MLB Network)

Joe Lunardi (ESPN “bracketologist”) projects four Big 12 teams to be safely in the NCAA tournament: Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri and Texas. Three other teams — Oklahoma State, Kansas State and Texas A&M — are on the bubble.

Lunardi has Oklahoma State as a #10 seed, so they are semi-safe. The Cowboys play Kansas State tonight in a game that the Wildcats desperately need. Oklahoma State closes the season with arch-rival Oklahoma on Saturday. OSU probably just needs to win one more game to feel safe, but if the Cowboys lose three straight to close the season (KSU, OU and the Big 12 tourney opener), it may knock them out of contention. It doesn’t help their cause that they are just 1-5 against Top 25 teams, but the Cowboys’ #32 RPI (a product of the NCAA’s 11th-toughest schedule) does help.

Lunardi projects Kansas State to be one of the eight teams to just miss a berth. A win at Oklahoma State would be huge, but they definitely need a win at home against Colorado to stay alive. Whether or not they win tonight, they’re still going to have to do some work in the Big 12 tourney to punch their ticket. They are just 1-4 against Top 25 teams and they don’t have the RPI (#72) that OSU does.

The team with perhaps the longest shot at an NCAA berth is Texas A&M. The Aggies are just 1-4 against Top 25 teams and the one win was in January against Baylor, a team that has lost nine of its last 11 games (and one win was against Texas A&M). The Aggies definitely need to beat Colorado tomorrow night and they could really use a win against Missouri on Saturday along with a good performance in the Big 12 tourney.

Lunardi projects five Big 12 teams and I think that’s the right number (barring two of these bubble teams meeting in the conference tournament final). OSU has the inside track to that fifth spot, but KSU or A&M could make a push with a strong finish to the season.