This week, we’ve covered a number of topics in the Big 12, including non-conference scheduling grades, players to watch, and surprise teams. We’ll conclude our analysis of the league by answering the all-important question: who is going to win the Big 12 conference?
Q: Which team will win the Big 12 this fall?
Eli Hershkovich
On Twitter @EliHershkovich
Oklahoma receives the majority of the hype in the Big 12 and for good reason. The Sooners retain one of the premier quarterbacks and tailbacks in the country. However, my pick resides in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
Offensively, head coach Mike Gundy and the Cowboys will put all of their faith in junior quarterback Mason Rudolph. Last season, Rudolph shared the role with J.W. Walsh, who recently graduated, but he still passed for a respectable 3,770 yards and 21 touchdowns, as well as just nine interceptions. Now, the Rock Hill, South Carolina, native attempts to lead his crew to the pinnacle of the conference standings, alongside one of the nation’s most dynamic receiving corps.
Junior wideout Mike Washington is the chief of the bunch, collecting 1,087 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2016. Plus, he ranked No. 10 in Division I in average yards per catch (20.51). Behind Washington, senior Marcell Ateman represents as solid of a No. 2 option as an offense could desire, posting 766 yards and five touchdowns. Still, the tailbacks have to take some pressure off Rudolph, blending together to produce just 3.58 yards per carry (No. 114 among FBS schools).
On the other side of the ball, defensive coordinator Glenn Spencer needs his defense to rebound from a poor showing a campaign ago, giving up 439.1 yards each contest (No. 100 in Division I). On top of that, in the Sooners 58-23 demolition of the Cowboys, Spencer’s unit could barely put a teaspoon of dirt onto Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield’s jersey, sacking him only twice. Following the loss of defensive ends Emmanuel Ogbah and Jimmy Bean, combining for 18.5 sacks in ‘15, defensive tackle Taylor Vincent and safety Jordan Sterns must exhibit creative tactics to find a consistent pass rush.
Kevin Causey
On Twitter @CFBZ
An underrated pick here is TCU. They will be better than many think they will be. That being said, the real pick here is Oklahoma.
Coming off of an 11-2 season in which they lost to Texas and Clemson, the time is now. If I were picking my College Football Playoff, right now I would have Oklahoma as my number four pick. In order to do that, they have to win the Big 12.
Baker Mayfield is at the helm, Samaje Perine is in the backfield, and talent is all over the field. There isn’t a more talented team in the Big 12. Sometimes the most talented team falls short of greatness, but in this case, it won’t.
Terry Johnson:
On Twitter @SectionTPJ
I’ll go with Oklahoma.
Make no mistake about it: the Sooners have the best offense in the Big 12. As I noted in Wednesday’s players to watch discussion, Baker Mayfield was the best quarterback in the Big 12 last year. He led the league in completion percentage, yards per attempt, and touchdown passes. He was arguably the best quarterback in nation in the fourth quarter last season, completing 38 of 47 passes (80.9%) for 320 yards and 3 TDs. Couple his precision passing with Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon running behind an offensive line that returns three starters from last year’s Big 12 championship squad, and you’ve got the makings of a College Football Playoff contender.
The only other team that could challenge the Sooners for the league title is Oklahoma State for the exact reasons that Eli laid out above. However, it’s worth noting that Oklahoma has absolutely dominated the Bedlam rivalry, leading the all-time series 79-18-7. While every season is different, history suggests that if the teams are evenly matched — which they appear to be this year — the Sooners usually come out on top. Expect Oklahoma to defeat Oklahoma State in the de facto Big 12 championship game on December 3.
Bart Doan
I second Terry up there in saying Oklahoma. Of the Power 5 conferences, this one seems like the easiest to call. The Sooners return a metric ton of offense, led by Baker Mayfield, back to torture Big 12 offenses again. Terry up there has read the riot act on all the things he’s great at.
The one thing you always look at when predicting these things is the schedule, and Oklahoma’s sets up reasonably well. They get a nice test against what should be a powerful as all heck Ohio State team, get pesky Kansas State at home, get likely top challenger Oklahoma State at home, and don’t have any back to back road games.
Usually when the team that has the most talent has a schedule palatable for a bunch of wins, that’s a safe bet. Put on your floaties and take Oklahoma. Nothing safer going right now.
