Due to polls being released in the pre-season before any games have been played, some teams are receiving hype that they may not deserve. TSS Associate Editors Bart Doan and Terry Johnson join staff writer Kevin Causey and special rotating guests in our weekly roundtable discussing all things college football.
So far this week we’ve looked at the most overrated teams in the ACC, Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC. Now it’s time to look at the Big 12. Joining us in this conversation is TSS writer and the man behind The Next Wave Football, Ryan Palencer….
Question: The coaches poll has been released, other outlets are releasing their Top 25 polls (SI, Athlon) and we are in the middle of releasing our poll. Which Big 12 team is the most overrated heading into the 2015 season?
Ryan Palencer:
On Twitter @RyanPalencer
I’ll pick West Virginia.
Last season, the Mountaineers were strong enough on offense to hide their defensive deficiencies. That will not be the case, as they lost Kevin White, quarterback Clint Trickett, and second receiver Mario Alford. They are also not particularly strong or experienced up front. All of this combined with a strong Big 12 conference of defenses, West Virginia is really going to struggle to score points for Dana Holgorsen. The running game will be vital, because the passing half of the offense is extremely green.
It is very doubtful that the Mountaineer defense will improve much either after finishing 66th in total defense. The squad allowed just south of 400 yards per game. Last season, the offense was able to keep up when the defense was acting as a sieve. This season, they will not be as fortunate. With 2015 being the fifth season for Holgorsen with the Mountaineers, he boasts just a 28-23 record. This means that the season could be huge for his standing on the hot seat.
Bart Doan:
On Twitter @TheCoachBart
I worry a little about Oklahoma a bit. Sort of the way you worry about your buddy who could be a company CEO, and every time you think he’s on the right track, he spends a few too many bottles of whiskey tearing down what he built up. I’m not sure the ideal offense is there for Lincoln Riley just yet in terms of the passing game and the defense has absolutely got to stop getting slaughtered randomly with some of the talent they have.
Also, the schedule sucks. Tennessee will be a test out of the gate on the road. Baylor and Oklahoma State are on the road, and so is Kansas State. That’s not an ideal situation for a team that looks to be breaking in some new things and will have their requisite struggles doing so. But Oklahoma as a program is so good that basically people aren’t happy with 8 or 9 wins, so “over” anything is all relative.
Kevin Causey:
On Twitter @CFBZ
This is a tough one. The Big 12 is a strong conference from top to bottom (well almost…sorry Iowa State and Kansas). However, outside of TCU, Baylor and Oklahoma there really aren’t that many teams with high expectations going into 2015.
That being said, I’m going to go with the team that is sitting right outside the big three…Oklahoma State.
Mike Gundy has a good track record with the Cowboys but they fell down last year with a 7-6 record. A lot of people are expecting a bounce back season from the Cowboys but what I think they will get is a repeat of 2014.
Terry Johnson:
On Twitter @SectionTPJ
Like Kevin, I think that the Big 12 is one of the deeper leagues in the country. While Kansas and Iowa State might be a step behind some of the other teams, each has enough talent to pull off a season-defining upset. With that type of depth from top to bottom, there’s no such thing as an easy game in conference play, making it much easier for one of the teams at the top of the league to lose a game.
However, Oklahoma State is not overrated. They’ll be one of the most pleasant surprises in college football this year.
If I had a to pick a team that was overrated, I’d say Oklahoma. Sure, the Sooners will be better this year, but with all the depth in the league, I don’t seem them winning ten games in 2015. Between the tough schedule that Bart referenced above and the growing pains associated with a learning new offensive system, they’ll suffer an unexpected loss or two along the way.
