SB Nation Kansas City - 2012 Big 12 Football: Kansas Will Be Better, But Probably Not Enough To Move Up In Standingshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48935/kc-fave.png2012-08-31T08:00:23-05:00http://kansascity.sbnation.com/rss/stream/30343102012-08-31T08:00:23-05:002012-08-31T08:00:23-05:002012 Big 12 Football: Sooners Will Ride QB Jones', Improved 'D' To 8th Conference Crown
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<img alt="2012 Oklahoma Sooners football" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/BSwZKV9ujkgv11EyxClGJJKaCJc=/20x0:380x240/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/assets/1320131/IOSQSFYVKAVQQRK_20120820182143.jpg" />
<figcaption>2012 Oklahoma Sooners football</figcaption>
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<p>This is the final article in an eight-part series previewing 2012 Big 12 football and all 10 conference teams.</p> <p>Today in our final <a href="http://www.big12sports.com">Big 12 </a>team preview for the coming college football season, which begins on Saturday, we take close-up look at the Oklahoma Sooners.</p>
<p><b>Oklahoma Sooners</b></p>
<p><b>(10-3, 6-3 in the Big 12 in 2011)</b></p>
<p>The 2011 <a href="http://www.soonersports.com">Oklahoma Sooners</a> began the season as the No. 1 ranked team, but finished the year with 10 wins and three losses. An overall successful year by most schools' standards. But that is not the case at Oklahoma, and coach Bob Stoops was not happy.</p>
<p>It wasn't so much the Sooners' win total that displeased Stoops. What really disturbed him was the manner in which the OU defense was overpowered in the team's three losses. In the 10 wins registered last season by the Sooners, the defensive unit yielded an average of 15.7 points per game and the victory margin was almost four touchdowns. But in the team's three defeats, OU opponents averaged 43 points against that same defense.</p>
<p>And in the regular-season finale against in-state archrival Oklahoma State, the Oklahoma defense gave up 44 points while the offense was held to a measly 10 points, only the fifth time in the last 10 years that a Bob Stoops team has been held to 10 or fewer points in a game.</p>
<p>"Sure, the defensive struggles hurt my pride, but so did the offensive struggles," said Stoops during the OU stop on the Big 12 Skywriters' Tour earlier this month.</p>
<p>The Oklahoma program under Stoops has been more widely recognized as an offensive powerhouse, yet Stoops is best known for his defensive coaching skills. Stoops, in his 14th season at Oklahoma, where he has carved an exceptional record of 139-34, helped win a national championship as defensive coordinator under Steve Spurrier at Florida and won a national championship in his second year coaching at OU, largely on the strength of one of the country's best defenses.</p>
<p>Allowing big offensive plays on defense, particularly in pass protection, has been a big problem for the Sooners the last several years and especially in the 2011 season. In losses to Baylor and Oklahoma State late last season, the OU secondary was burned repeatedly on long pass plays, and even in underneath coverages.</p>
<p>The Sooners have brought back Bob Stoops' brother, Mike, who was the defensive coordinator on the 2000 OU national championship team and helped lead the Sooners to a second national championship game in the 2003 season. Younger brother Mike left the Sooners in 2003 to take the Arizona head coaching job, which he held until the middle of last season.</p>
<p>Oklahoma has made several personnel adjustments in its defensive backfield in the offseason in hopes of getting the talent it has in the best position to make plays and be successful. The addition of Mike Stoops, who was well liked in Norman when he was there the first time, should be a big plus in helping reverse the Sooners' fortunes on the defensive side of the ball, At least that is what big brother Bob and the OU fans are hoping.</p>
<p>"There are no magical calls in football," Mike Stoops cautioned in an interview with <i>Sports Illustrated</i> last spring. "There's good calls, but the players make them magical by the way they play."</p>
<p>Said Bob Stoops about having his brother back on the Sooners' coaching staff: "I believe he'll make a difference," the head coach said. "I want to get back to having a defensive reputation like we're used to having. But the players have to do it.</p>
<p>"Mike hasn't made a play in a long time," Bob said jokingly. "He's way too old to do that."</p>
<p>Oklahoma caught a giant break when senior quarterback Landry Jones turned down the opportunity to turn pro, where he probably would have been a first-round selection, and decided to return to school for one more go at a championship. "I enjoy being at OU, I want to accomplish the goals I set before I got here, and I look forward to graduating with the guys who were in my class when I got here," Jones said after declaring his intentions right after the turn of the year.</p>
<p>The 6-5 quarterback, who owns 13 school passing records and has enjoyed as much on-the-field success as any quarterback who has every played at Oklahoma, has been maligned by many, including by Sooner fans, for the better portion of the two full years he has been the starting QB at OU, largely because he has had to follow the memory of Heisman Trophy-winning hometown favorite Sam Bradford.</p>
<p>"You have to leave everything else off to the side," Jones said at the beginning of late summer preseason practice. "Other outside deals, what other people are saying, you just have to control your emotion and how you react to things,"</p>
<p>Jones needs just four victories this season to become the winningest quarterback in OU program history, another milestone he is almost certain to accomplish in 2011.</p>
<p>Jones' backup, the man they call the "Belldozer," 6-6 sophomore Blake Bell, will see playing time in certain situations, particularly in short-yardage third-down situations and inside the red zone on offensive drives.</p>
<p>The Sooners are expected to have their leading rusher from last season, running back Dominique Whaley back and healthy after suffering a season-ending broken ankle in OU's seventh game of the season a year ago. Whaley gained over 600 yards and averaged 5.5 yards a carry in just six games last season. He is a weapon both running the ball as well as a pass receiver out of the backfield. Roy Finch and Brennan Clay will also fill in out of the backfield, and versatile fullback Trey Millard is expected to get more offensive touches this season.</p>
<p>When All-American wide-receiver Ryan Broyles went down with a season-ending knee injury late in the 2011 season, the OU passing attack went flatter than a two-day-old opened bottle of beer. None of the available receivers were able to step up. The last four games of the season, Jones three just one touchdown pass and had six balls intercepted. Added to that, there were numerous dropped passes on the part of the receivers.</p>
<p>"Everybody (said) Landry struggled," coach Bob Stoops said. "No, he didn't. The offense struggled. To me, it was more of an issue of the offense and the offense around him than it was (Landry)."</p>
<p>For a while in the offseason it appeared that the OU receiver corps might be even thinner and less experienced than what the Sooners had at the end of the 2011 season. Broyles was gone to the NFL and Jaz Reynolds and Trey Franks were indefinitely suspended, leaving only junior starter Kenny Stills, who was rarely on the field a year ago without the sure-handed Broyles.</p>
<p>Since preseason practice began, the wide-receiver situation has become much more promising. Freshman Trey Metoyer has been very impressive in practice, according to the Oklahoma coaches, but he has yet to play in a real game, and the Sooners picked up senior transfer Justin Brown, who was the leading receiver last season at Penn State. OU has some promising young receivers among its incoming freshman class, the true value of which is difficult to determine at this early stage.</p>
<p>Despite not being quite as deep in both experience and talent as the Oklahoma coaches would like to see at this key offensive position, several national preview publications rank the Sooner receivers among the top three in the Big 12 and in the top 10 nationally.</p>
<p>The offensive line has gone from being a team strength coming into preseason practice to an area of mild concern because of the unexpected loss of two experienced starters. Center Ben Habern was forced to announce his retirement due to a lingering neck injury and guard Tyler Evans tore his ACL in a preseason practice session. Both are seniors.</p>
<p>OU does have some depth at this position, but not as much game experience as it thought it was going to have. The veteran Gabe Ikard will move from guard over to center, replacing All-Big 12 center Habern.</p>
<p>Up front on the defensive side, David King and R.J. Washington have big shoes to fill at defensive end following the departure of 2011 Big 12 Co-Defensive Player of the Year Frank Alexander and Ronnell Lewis to the NFL. The Sooners have quality in numbers at the linebacker position, led by juniors Tom Wort and Corey Nelson.</p>
<p>OU has one of the country's best punters in senior Tress Way, who not only has a strong leg but a high success rate at pinning opponents inside their 20-yard line. Place-kicking had been a dark hole for the Sooners for several years until walk-on sophomore Michael Hunnicutt came through last season on 21 of 24 field goal attempts, including a long of 53 yards, and 55 of 56 extra points.</p>
<p>As one popular national sports publication writes, the Sooners aren't without flaws, but they're better than the rest of the conference teams in more key areas of the game. OU once again enters the season as a top-five team nationally. The Sooners are a No. 4 or No. 5 pick in all of the major national polls, and if they can get by at <a href="http://www.wvusports.com">West Virginia</a>, <a href="http://www.okstate.com">Oklahoma State</a> and at <a href="http://www.gofrogs.cstv.com">TCU</a> in their final three games of the regular season, they have a legitimate shot at running the table and playing for the national championship, but not without a much improved defensive performance.</p>
<p>Oklahoma gets its 2012 season started this Saturday with the Big 12's lone road opener, under the lights at the University of Texas-El Paso.</p>
<p>I predict Oklahoma will go 11-1 and 8-1 against Big 12 opposition. <b>Projected finish in Bi</b></p>
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<p><i>Keep up with what all the latest news and developments regarding Big 12 football and all 10 teams in the conference at SB Nation Kansas City.</i></p>
https://kansascity.sbnation.com/2012/8/31/3275341/2012-big-12-football-preview-oklahoma-soonersChip Rouse2012-08-30T08:00:22-05:002012-08-30T08:00:22-05:002012 Big 12 Football: West Virginia's High-Powered, Pass-Heavy Offense A Perfect Fit
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<img alt="West Virginia Mountaineers in late-summer preseason preparation." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/3ErPcjTKmc8_tW2m0uVVf483AaQ=/20x0:380x240/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/assets/1325736/ALLSGJLQQYBQRGG_20120828145636.jpg" />
<figcaption>West Virginia Mountaineers in late-summer preseason preparation.</figcaption>
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<p>Today is the seventh in an eight-part series previewing the upcoming Big 12 football season and all 10 teams in the conference as we count down to kickoff Saturday just two days from now. </p> <p>Today we look at the <a href="http://www.wvusports.com">West Virginia Mountaineers</a>, the newest member of the <a href="http://www.big12sports.com">Big 12 Conference</a>, as part of our continuing series previewing the 2012 football season.</p>
<p><b>West Virginia Mountaineers</b></p>
<p><b>(10-3 overall, 5-2 and Big East Champions in 2011)</b></p>
<p>After 21 years as a member of the Big East Conference, <a href="http://www.wvusports.com">West Virginia</a> begins a new era and a new conference affiliation this fall as a member of the Big 12. While the Big 12 will be a new and much different experience for the Mountaineers in terms of the quality of football competition week-in and week-out, life in the Big 12 is nothing new for head coach Dana Holgorsen and new co-defensive coordinator Joe DeForest.</p>
<p>For Holgorsen and DeForest, the 2012 football season will represent a homecoming. Holgorsen was an assistant at <a href="http://www.texastech.com">Texas Tech</a> for eight seasons before joining Mike Gundy's staff at <a href="http://www.okstate.com">Oklahoma State</a>, and DeForest is in his first year at West Virginia after spending the last 11 at Oklahoma State.</p>
<p>"There are more snaps (in a Big 12 game), so you're going to play more people," said Holgorsen, who is in his second season heading the Mountaineers' football program. "West Virginia hasn't really played freshmen, but we're going to need to...We're going to need more bodies."</p>
<p>Holgorsen recognizes that in employing more people and younger players in the defensive substitution packages, which is a survival requirement with the number of hurry-up offenses used in the Big 12, adjustments have to be made so that the defense and the individual assignments "make sense to the kids quicker," he said. "DeForest was good at that at Oklahoma State. He didn't complicate it."</p>
<p>Offensively, the Mountaineers are an ideal fit for the pass-heavy Big 12. Senior quarterback Geno Smith led the country's sixth best passing attack last season. Smith threw for 4,385 yards and 31 touchdowns, with seven interceptions. He had eight games in which he passed for more than 300 yards and four others where he exceeded 400 yards.</p>
<p>Smith's three primary receiving targets - Trevor Austin, Stedman Bailey and Ivan McCartney - are all back in 2012. Austin and Bailey both exceeded 1,000 yards in pass-receiving yardage last season and had 20 touchdowns between them. Bailey averaged nearly 18 yards a catch on 72 receptions. Austin, a short, inside-speed receiver caught a school-record 101 passes last year, and his 7.8 receptions per game ranked eighth nationally.</p>
<p>The Mountaineers have a serviceable running game to go with their prolific passing attack, but they are lacking an explosive, durable, breakaway threat. Last season's leading rusher, sophomore Dustin Garrison (742 yards and an average of 5.5 yards per carry), tore his ACL and MCL late in the year, and his availability is still somewhat of a question mark to begin the 2012 season. If Garrison can't go or is limited in what he can do, senior Shawne Alston, who had 416 yards on 97 carries and 12 touchdowns backing up Garrison in 2011 will get the call.</p>
<p>So the defending Big East champions, who unloaded on a good Clemson team for a 70-point explosion and a seven-touchdown Orange Bowl victory to cap off a 10-3 2011 season, are well armed and highly capable of scoring fast and often, which makes them an ideal fit and an especially strong challenger to the best in the offense-dominant Big 12. The Mountaineers, who come into the 2012 season ranked in the <a href="http://espn.go.com/college-football/rankings">top 15 nationally</a>, have home dates with Oklahoma, TCU and Kansas State, which could set them up nicely for a strong run at the conference championship in their inaugural season.</p>
<p>For the past 10 seasons, West Virginia has employed a 3-3-5 defensive scheme, which has served the program well, helping deliver 95 wins and 10 bowl appearances. In view of the Mountaineers move to the Big 12, however, as well as the departure of former defensive coordinator Jeff Casteel, who is now at Arizona, The West Virginia coaches are changing to a 3-4 defense, which they believe will give the Mountaineers the best chance to compete teams in the Big 12.</p>
<p>Another reason for the defensive changes is to help compensate for the loss of four All-Big East defensive performers, including two huge fixtures, literally and figuratively, on the defensive line (defensive ends Bruce Irvin, a sack master, and Julian Miller, who had 11 tackles for loss last season).</p>
<p>The Mountaineers just may have the best offense in the Big 12 this season, which is saying something when you consider offensive powerhouses like Oklahoma, Texas, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech. Everybody knows West Virginia is going to score some points, but can Holgorsen's crew survive the difficult Big 12 schedule by counting on their offensive firepower to outscore their opponents. To put it another way, will the Mountaineers defense be able match up effectively enough to slow down the other team's offenses and give West Virginia the opportunity to be as successful in the Big 12 as they were in the Big East.</p>
<p>Defensive coordinator DeForest chose to error on the conservative side when queried about his new team's chances against the big offenses of the Big 12: "I know ‘em," he said with a big smile. "Doesn't mean I can stop ‘em."</p>
<p>The transition for West Virginia to the Big 12 will be a lot better than most of the teams in the conference care to admit. They should be in very good position to compete for the championship, and some college football experts are actually projecting the Mountaineers to win the conference crown. I think the new guys from Morgantown will come very close but fall just short in a close race. The Nov. 17 game between West Virginia and Oklahoma in Morgantown could decide the conference championship.</p>
<p>I predict a 10-2 season overall for West Virginia in 2012, with a 7-2 record in the Big 12. <b>Project finish in the Big 12: Second.</b></p>
<p><i>Friday: Oklahoma</i></p>
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<p><i>Keep up with what all the latest news and developments regarding Big 12 football and all 10 teams in the conference at </i><a href="http://www.kansascity.sbnation.com">SB Nation Kansas City.</a></p>
https://kansascity.sbnation.com/2012/8/30/3275218/2012-big-12-football-preview-west-virginia-mountaineersChip Rouse2012-08-29T07:45:31-05:002012-08-29T07:45:31-05:002012 Big 12 Football: TCU Joins The Conference Elite In Its Inaugual Season
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<img alt="TCU football in 2012 preseason practice session" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/gA4mcUPAdeng9KAGi-d_oKnXwSc=/20x0:380x240/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/assets/1317597/KXUVBIFMQJRYPDJ_20120820222300.jpg" />
<figcaption>TCU football in 2012 preseason practice session</figcaption>
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<p>Today is the sixth installment in an eight-part series previewing the upcoming Big 12 football season and all 10 teams in the league as we count down to kickoff Saturday just three days from now. </p> <p>Today we provide a preseason scouting report on one of the two new teams that begins play in the Big 12 this season, the TCU Horned Frogs, as part of our continuing series previewing 2012 Big 12 football.</p>
<p><b>TCU Horned Frogs </b></p>
<p><b>(11-2, 7-0 in Mountain West Conference in 2011)</b></p>
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<p><a href="http://www.gofrogs.cstv.com">TCU</a> comes into the <a href="http://www.big12sports.com">Big 12 Conference</a> as the three-time defending champion of the Mountain West Conference. The Horned Frogs are 36-3 over the past three seasons, including a huge victory last season over Boise State, and have won 10 or more games in eight of the past 11 seasons.</p>
<p>Sixteen years ago, when the former Southwest Conference and Big Eight Conference joined forces to form the Big 12, TCU was left on the outside looking in as the Big 12 took only four teams from the former SWC (Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and Baylor). Over those 16 years, all TCU has done is win seven conference championships in three different conferences: Mountain West, Western Athletic and Conference USA).</p>
<p>Head coach Gary Patterson, who begins his 12th year at TCU this season, knows that, despite the success his program has enjoyed in recent years, his job now will get much harder, but he is also is quick to point out that the Horned Frogs are no stranger to the tough competition they will now face on a weekly basis.</p>
<p>"We have played Oklahoma, Texas, Texas Tech and Baylor. We understand how physical Kansas State is, and we understand Kansas has vastly improved," Patterson said recently during the school's on-campus football media day. "I don't want to take away anything from these kids and say we don't know how to win, because we do know how to win."</p>
<p>The Horned Frogs are led offensively by 6-5 junior quarterback Casey Pachall. There was some question about Pachall's leadership and physical skills and whether he would be able to fill the giant shoes of his predecessor, Andy Dalton (now the starting QB for the Cincinnati Bengals in the NFL), when he moved into the quarterback position his freshman season a couple of years ago. While Paschall is not Dalton, and doesn't profess to be, in 2011 he had one of the best seasons by a TCU quarterback in school history. His stat line for last season read: a 66.5 percent pass-completion percentage for 2,921 yards, 25 touchdowns and just seven interceptions.</p>
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<p>Behind his star quarterback, Patterson has what one writer covering the Horned Frogs called an "embarrassment of riches" at the running back position. Two of their top three rushers from 2011 are back this season. Senior Matthew Tucker and junior Waymon James combined for over 1,500 yards rushing last season and 18 touchdowns. TCU was the 19th best team in the nation in 2011 when it ran the ball. Ed Wesley, who added over 700 rushing yards of his own a year ago, was thinking of coming back, but signed as an undrafted free agent with the Dallas Cowboys in the offseason.</p>
<p>Paschall has talented targets he can get the ball to when the Horned Frogs turn to their passing game, but the depth at that position doesn't match what Patterson has for his ground attack. The offensive line, where TCU must replace three starters, is the big question mark on offense coming into the 2012 season.</p>
<p>The Horned Frogs have some fairly big needs to fill on a defense that played solidly last season but was much softer in defending against the pass than it was in stopping the run. The Frogs suffered a significant hit when their best linebacker, Tanner Brock, was one of four players dismissed from the team in February. Brock led the team in tackles for a loss last season (13.5) and forced five fumbles. Defensive coordinator Dick Bumpas must also replace NFL-bound linebacker Tank Carder, who was the heart and soul of the defense the past couple of years.</p>
<p>The secondary was TCU's biggest weakness on defense a year ago, which could be an even bigger problem with the high-powered spread formations that it will face in the Big 12.</p>
<p>Under Patterson, TCU's defense has been ranked No. 1 in the country in four of his 11 seasons in Ft. Worth. His 2011 team gave up 90 points in its two losses, one of which was a 50-48 at Baylor to start the season. By any measure, to yield this many points is highly uncharacteristic of a Gary Patterson-coached team and something to be concerned about as the Frogs kick off a new era in the Big 12.</p>
<p>The Horned Frogs, ranked 17th in the <a href="http://espn.go.com/college-football/rankings"><i>USA Today</i> preseason coaches' poll</a>, open the 2012 college football campaign on Sept. 8 at home against Grambling at newly renovated Amon Carter Stadium, which has undergone $164 million in architectural and functional improvements.</p>
<p>TCU's success in its inaugural season in the Big 12 will largely be determined by how well the Horned Frogs do in a killer five-game gauntlet at Oklahoma State, at West Virginia, back home to take on Kansas State, at Texas and vs. Oklahoma to close out the regular season.</p>
<p>"We have the talent and we have the skill and the size to compete with any of those teams, said the Horned Frogs' QB Pachall. "It's just being able to deal with them week to week to week."</p>
<p>Welcome to life in the Big 12.</p>
<p>TCU will play its first Big 12 game on Sept. 15, in its second game of the season, at Kansas. There won't be a conference championship for the Horned Frogs in their first season in the Big 12, but their presence definitely makes the conference stronger. I predict the new conference member from the Lone Star State will go 9-3 overall and 6-3 against Big 12 competition. <b>Projected finish in the 2012 Big 12 standings: Third. </b></p>
<p><i>On Thursday: West Virginia</i><b> </b></p>
<p><i>Keep up with what all the latest news and developments regarding Big 12 football and all 10 teams in the conference at SB Nation Kansas City.</i></p>
https://kansascity.sbnation.com/2012/8/29/3272952/2012-big-12-football-preview-tcu-horned-frogsChip Rouse2012-08-28T08:00:39-05:002012-08-28T08:00:39-05:002012 Big 12 Football: The Longhorns Are Primed And Ready To Rise Again
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<img alt="Texas Longhorns in 2012 preseason practice drills" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/IDpwBPQ6jnTlZ-ey0zyhwoiXeLs=/20x0:380x240/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/assets/1317582/BDMFAJUSPWDSMPY_20120823124718.jpg" />
<figcaption>Texas Longhorns in 2012 preseason practice drills</figcaption>
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<p>Today is the fifth installment in an eight-part series previewing the upcoming Big 12 football season and all 10 teams in the league as we count down to kickoff Saturday just four short days from now on Sept. 1. </p> <p>Today we examine the preseason prospects for Texas in our continuing series previewing the 2012 Big 12 football season.</p>
<p><b>Texas Longhorns</b></p>
<p><b>(8-5 overall, 4-5 in Big 12 in 2011)</b></p>
<p>The <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.texassports.com&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fkansascity.sbnation.com%2F2012%2F8%2F28%2F3272920%2F2012-big-12-football-preview-texas-longhorns" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Texas Longhorns</a> are one of those blue-ribbon college football programs that, when they hit a rough patch, don't stay down very long. Three years ago, Texas won 13 games, their second <a href="http://www.big12sports.com">Big 12</a> championship and met Alabama in the BCS National Championship game. The following year, the Longhorns won only five games total in suffering through the worst season in coach Mack Brown's then 13 years at Texas.</p>
<p>The Longhorns rebounded some last season, winning eight games, including a Holiday Bowl victory over California. Many teams in college football would be overjoyed with an eight-win season, but that's not the case in Austin, Texas. The Longhorn fan base wants much more, and they want it sooner rather than later. You can't blame them, especially when Texas regularly pulls in one of the top five recruiting classes in college football.</p>
<p>With 12 returning starters, six each on offense and defense, and a roster chalk full of fleet-of-foot, talented, young players at all the skill positions, Texas is in prime position to make its move back among the elite teams in the conference. The Longhorns may not back it all the way back this season, but they will be much more of a serious threat this year than they were in 2010 or in the 2011 season.</p>
<p>The Texas defense, which is led for the second year by Manny Diaz, one of college football's best young defensive minds, led the Big 12 last season in rushing, passing and total defense, and Big 12 coaches will be sorry to learn that this group could be even better this year. With bookend defensive ends Jackson Jeffcoat and Alex Okafor anchoring a defensive line that matches up with the best in the country, Texas will be very difficult to run on, and on passing downs, you can expect Jeffcoat, Okafur and Company to put a lot of pressure on opposing quarterbacks.</p>
<p>Linebacker is a position in transition, but the secondary, which historically has been a position of strength for Longhorn teams, is well stocked again in 2011, led by senior cornerback Kenny Vaccaro.</p>
<p>Texas has a long history of exceptional quarterbacks, but last season there was a great deal of uncertainty around the position. David Ash, a sophomore this season, and junior Case McCoy, younger brother of former Texas QB Colt McCoy, shared the position a year ago. It looks like David Ash has won the starting role coming into the 2012 season.</p>
<p>Brown and his offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin would like to see Ash develop into more of a game manager. With a highly talented and well-stocked group of running backs behind him and a capable cadre of pass receivers, Ash will have the weapons to move the ball and score points. Malcolm Brown and Joe Bergeron are back and healthy for their sophomore seasons, and the Horns have five-star recruit Jonathan Gray, the nation's best running-back prospect out of high school, in the wings to add to the backfield firepower. Despite some injury problems, Texas had the 21st-best rushing attack in the country in 2011, averaging 202.6 yards per game.</p>
<p>Three of the Longhorns four top receivers from a year ago are also back this season. Sophomore Jaxon Shipley and junior Mike Davis both had over 40 receptions last season and averaged better than 13 yards a catch. But between them, the pair only accounted for four touchdowns.</p>
<p>We're going to be really good in the running game," Brown was quoted as saying in one of the 2012 college football preview publications. "And if defenses are going to stop it, they're going to have to get some extra folks up there (in the box). That's going to leave some guys in one-on-one outside."</p>
<p>The Texas head coach was not as positive about his team's passing attack coming into this season, though. "We've got to figure out the passing game," Brown said. "I think we've got a clear picture of who we are in the running game. We (haven't) reached the point where we know exactly where we want to be in the passing game."</p>
<p>Schedule-wise, Texas will have newcomers West Virginia and TCU at home and, of course, the annual Red River Rivalry game with Oklahoma in Dallas, but they do have to travel to Oklahoma State and to Manhattan, on the final weekend of the regular season, to take on Kansas State, a team against whom the Horns have lost their last four games and are only 2-6 in the Mack Brown era.</p>
<p>The Longhorns are definitely on the way back, but they're not there yet. I predict Texas will go 7-5 overall and 5-4 in the Big 12 this season. <b>Projected finish in the Big 12: Fourth. </b></p>
<p><i>On Wednesday: TCU </i></p>
<p><i>Keep up with what all the latest news and developments regarding Big 12 football and all 10 teams in the conference at </i><a href="http://www.kansascity.sbnation.com">SB Nation Kansas City.</a></p>
https://kansascity.sbnation.com/2012/8/28/3272920/2012-big-12-football-preview-texas-longhornsChip Rouse2012-08-27T08:00:39-05:002012-08-27T08:00:39-05:002012 Big 12 Football: Oklahoma State Will Have Tough Time Two-Peating As Conference Champ
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<img alt="Oklahoma State Cowboys" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/jKwNDQrK6teBKwuWP7uT8S_qar0=/18x0:381x242/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/assets/1316125/QBCMMPKVKQFBSEE_20110924235712.jpg" />
<figcaption>Oklahoma State Cowboys</figcaption>
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<p>This is the fourth in an eight-part series previewing the upcoming Big 12 football season and all 10 teams in the league as we count down to kickoff Saturday just five days from now on Sept. 1</p> <p></p>
<p>Today we take an inside look at <a href="http://www.okstate.com">Oklahoma State</a> and <a href="http://www.cyclones.com">Iowa State</a> in our continuing series previewing the 2012 Big 12 football season.<b> </b></p>
<p><b>Oklahoma State Cowboys</b></p>
<p><b> (12-1, 8-1 in the Big 12 in 2011)</b></p>
<p>Oklahoma State had been close to reaching the Big 12 summit before, but not until the 2011 season did the Cowboys finally complete the task. And they did so in dominating style. It was OSU's first conference championship since 1948.</p>
<p>Were it not for a shocking overtime loss to Iowa State in the 12th game of the season last fall, coach Mike Gundy's group would have played for the <a href="http://www.bcsfootball.org">BCS National Championship</a> against LSU. The Cowboys have won 41 games the last four seasons, an average of 10 per year. OSU's 11 wins in 2010 were the most ever in a single season for the Cowboy program, and they topped that again in 2011.</p>
<p>Brandon Weeden, the 28-year-old man-child at the quarterback controls for Oklahoma State the past two seasons, is gone to the NFL, and his favorite receiving target, Justin Blackmon, has jumped to the next level as well. The Cowboys will have 18-year-old freshman Wes Lunt under center this year, and Gundy is mindful that his freshman signal-caller will have to go through a learning curve.</p>
<p>He (Lunt) is not going to step in and play like Brandon Weeden," Gundy said to reporters on the Big 12 media Skywriters' Tour. ""He can't put a lot of pressure on himself. You can't perform well in any sport playing under pressure. We just want him to give us what he's got, and the other guys have got to rally around him."</p>
<p>The Cowboys don't intend to back off of the hurry-up, pass-heavy spread offense they have run for as long as Gundy has been coach at his alma mater, but they probably will bring it more into balance with heavier use of the running game than has been the case the last several years. After all, OSU may have the best one-two ground tandem in the conference in juniors Joseph Randle and Jeremy Smith, who rushed for a combined 1,800 yards and 33 touchdowns in the Cowboy's 2011 championship season.</p>
<p>The defense, under assistant coach Bill Young, has been very good at times, but also highly inconsistent. Young is looking for a stronger output in 2012. One thing that was consistent about the Cowboys' defense a year ago is how tough it got when opponents got down close to the OSU goal line. The Cowboys had a nation-leading 44 takeaways last season, which created more opportunities for their prolific offense.</p>
<p>All three starting linebackers are back again in 2012 and the corner tandem of Justin Gilbert and Brodrick Brown is as good as they come in the Big 12.</p>
<p>You can't evaluate Oklahoma State without also taking into account the Pokes' strength in special teams. Quinn Sharp, who doubles as the team's punter and kickoff specialist, is among the best, if not the best, in the nation. Sharp made 22 out of 25 field-goal attempts last season and only missed one extra point out of 80 tries. He also averaged 46 yards per punt.</p>
<p>It will be a tall order for Oklahoma State to repeat its 2011 championship season, but don't expect Gundy's forces to retreat much, either. My prediction for the Cowboys in 2012 is 6-6 and 5-7 in the Big 12. <b>Projected finish in the Big 12: Sixth</b>.</p>
<p><b>Iowa State Cyclones </b></p>
<p><b>(6-7 overall, 3-6 in the Big 12 in 2011)</b></p>
<p>Iowa State is one of those teams that never looks as good on paper as the team that actually takes the field and plays the games. And that is to the credit of fourth-year coach Paul Rhoades, who is 18-20 at Iowa State and has lead the Cyclones to bowl games in two of the three seasons he's been there.</p>
<p>The Cyclones always have one of the toughest schedules in all of college football by the very fact that they are competing in the Big 12. And every year they manage to pick off someone they shouldn't. Last year, Oklahoma State, then No. 2 in the country, was one of their victims, as was 2010 Big East champion Connecticut in a huge road win.</p>
<p>Rhoads has the luxury of having two talented quarterbacks to choose from, both with game experience. Senior Steele Jantz started the first seven games last season for the Cyclones. Then sophomore Jared Barnett took over at QB for Iowa State's final five games, including the shocking upset over Oklahoma State. "Jared does a better job of managing the game and the football team, while Steele does a better job right now of making plays," Rhoads said in an interview with <i>Sports Illustrated</i> for its "Big 12 Preview" special edition.</p>
<p>Whoever wins the quarterback battle will be operating and learning a new system under new offensive coordinator Courtney Messingham. The good news is Messingham won't need to change that much. The Cyclones averaged 386 yards a game on offense last season. Their biggest problem was protecting the ball. Iowa State was last in the Big 12 a year ago in turnover margin.</p>
<p>The Cyclones will again feature a balanced run-pass offense, with the rushing attack coming from juniors James White and Jeff Woody. The two running backs combined for over 1,000 yards rushing in 2011. White is the break-away threat, while Woody's role is to be the short-yardage battering ram. At receiver, senior Josh Lenz is Iowa State's top returning player, with 39 catches for 510 yards a year ago, and Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year Aaron Horne is also back for his final year.</p>
<p>Iowa State is led on defense by two of the best linebackers in the Big 12. A.J. Klein was the Big 12's Co-Defensive Player of the Year last season (along with Frank Alexander of Oklahoma), and his teammate Jake Knott was a second-team All-Big 12 selection. The Cyclones were third in the conference a year ago in defending against the pass, which is a significant statistic in the pass-happy Big 12.</p>
<p>This year's schedule doesn't get any easier for Rhoads and his 2012 squad. The Cyclones get a favorable break in getting <a href="http://www.soonersports.com">Oklahoma</a>, <a href="http://www.kstateathletics.com">Kansas State</a> and <a href="http://www.wvusports.com">West Virginia</a> at home, but they also have to travel to <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.texassports.com&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fkansascity.sbnation.com%2F2012%2F8%2F27%2F3270290%2F2012-big-12-football-preview-oklahoma-state-Iowa-State" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Texas</a>, Oklahoma State and <a href="http://www.gofrogs.cstv.com">TCU</a>, which will be far from a walk in the park.</p>
<p>Iowa State is another Big 12 team that should be stronger man-for-man this season but probably won't match its won-lost mark of a year ago. The X-factor in this prediction is not so much what happens on the field but rather the power of the decisions made on the sidelines by Rhoads and his coaching staff.</p>
<p>One Big 12 coach had this to say about what Rhoads means to the Iowa State program: "He gets the absolute best out of every player and fives Iowa State the chance to win more games than they have any business winning." This season I predict that win total will be heavier on the loss side than it was a year ago: 4-8 in all games, 2-7 in the Big 12. <b>Projected finish in the Big 12: Tied for Seventh.<br><br></b></p>
<p><i>On Tuesday: Texas</i><b> </b></p>
<p><i>Keep up with what all the latest news and developments regarding Big 12 football and all 10 teams in the conference at </i><a href="http://www.big12sports.com">SB Nation Kansas City.</a></p>
https://kansascity.sbnation.com/2012/8/27/3270290/2012-big-12-football-preview-oklahoma-state-Iowa-StateChip Rouse2012-08-26T08:00:15-05:002012-08-26T08:00:15-05:002012 Big 12 Football: Baylor Regrouping, Not Rebuilding, After Losing The Country's Best Player
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<img alt="Robert Griffin III of Baylor" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/x_3NUo3PRX87B1OThj4vByoqbQI=/0x76:641x503/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/assets/1314721/robert-griffin-iii.jpg" />
<figcaption>Robert Griffin III of Baylor</figcaption>
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<p>Today is the third in a seven-part series previewing the upcoming Big 12 football season and all 10 teams in the conference as we collectively count down to kickoff Saturday just six days away on Sept. 1.</p> <p>Today we take an inside look at <a href="http://www.baylorbears.com">Baylor</a> and <a href="http://www.texastech.com">Texas Tech</a> in our continuing series previewing the 2012 Big 12 football season.</p>
<p><b>Baylor Bears (10-3 overall, 6-3 in the Big 12 in 2011)</b></p>
<p>Baylor is coming off what senior quarterback Nick Florence called an "unbelievably believable" 2011 season. Ten wins, a postseason bowl victory and the Heisman Trophy winner in do-it-all, double-threat quarterback Robert Griffin III all contributed to probably the greatest year in the history of Baylor Football.</p>
<p>The Bears' 10-win season represented the most wins by the school since Baylor joined the Big 12 in 1996 and tied the most wins in program history, previously held by the 1980 Southwest Conference champions.</p>
<p>Replacing a superstar like the man who goes by the nickname RG3 will be an extremely tall order - in fact, most college coaches will tell you that you don't replace a player with the extraordinary talent and ability of a Griffin III, you just adjust and move on. Florence is the man who has the dubious distinction of taking over the quarterback reins following the departure of Griffin.</p>
<p>The good news for these Bears is that it won't be the first time that Baylor coach Art Briles has had Florence step in for RG3. As a freshman in 2009, the 6-1, 205-pound Florence filled in for the injured Griffin for more than half the season.</p>
<p>"The thing about a quarterback's play is that you have to be consistent, aware and, to a certain extent, predictable," Briles said during the recent Big 12 media Skywriters' Tour. "So what we are looking for is someone who is able to get the ball to the proper place in the proper situation.</p>
<p>"Nick (Florence) certainly has the ability to do that as did Robert Griffin III," he said. "The only difference was that Robert had the ability that when things broke down to make them special. Nick will have his traits that might not work as dramatically, but will be effective."</p>
<p>Losing Griffin III is difficult enough to deal with, but the 2011 consensus All-American QB isn't the only key offensive player the Bears will have to do without in trying to sustain the momentum and respect the Baylor program has earned over the past two seasons. Gone also are running back Terrance Ganaway, the Bears leading rusher a year ago with 1,547 yards on the ground, and their leading pass receiver, the fleet-of-foot Kendall Wright. These three guys, alone, all now in the NFL, accounted for a huge part of Baylor's No. 2-rated offense nationally, which rolled up close to 600 yards per game.</p>
<p>Baylor's high-output, high-scoring offense, the fourth-best in the country in total points, simply outscored everybody last season. Consequently, the Bears were able to get by with a largely ineffective defensive presence (116th nationally in total defense and 113th in scoring defense). With a likely drop off in offensive effectiveness, given the key personnel losses, the Bears defense is definitely going to have to improve this season if Baylor hopes to maintain its winning momentum.</p>
<p>One Big 12 writer wrote that the Bear's high-powered offense was the story in 2011 and that the defensive unit was simply along for the ride. Defensive coordinator Phil Bennett, who once was at Kansas State, knows better than anyone that this has to change in 2012. "We were in dire straits in our secondary last year; we had no sub packages," Bennett said. "I honestly believe we will be able to do so much more, (especially) on third down, than we have in the past."</p>
<p>Under Briles, who has a history of designing effective offensive game plans and putting together the right personnel to execute them and is a master at exploiting mismatches, the Bears should be all right on offense in the coming season. Florence has some big shoes to fill, but he will have ample weapons to provide Baylor with a good pass and run balance.</p>
<p>Baylor's success this season, while still dependent on the offense to lead the charge, will be measured more by how much improvement Bennett can wring out of the Bears' defense. I predict Baylor will go 5-7 in all its games, but just 2-7 in Big 12 games in 2011. <b>Predicted finish in the Big 12: Eighth.</b></p>
<p><b>Texas Tech Red Raiders (5-7 overall, 2-7 in the Big 12 in 2011)</b></p>
<p>Texas Tech pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the year in college football last season in beating <a href="http://www.soonersports.com">Oklahoma</a> in Norman 41-38, handing the then-No. 1 Sooners their first defeat of 2011 and ending OU's 39-game home winning streak.</p>
<p>It didn't get any better than that for the Red Raiders last season. In fact, it all rolled downhill from there. Texas Tech did not win another game the rest of the season, losing its last five games after the stunning defeat of Oklahoma, at which time the Red Raiders' record stood at 5-2 overall.</p>
<p>In a conference loaded with offensive firepower and the country's most dynamic aerial attack, including what coach Tommy Tuberville, and Mike Leach before him, is able to dial up year after year, defense doesn't get nearly the attention, at least according to the standardl statistical measures, as it does in say, the defensive-dominant Southeastern Conference. Tech is another poster-board example of that fact: Terrific on offense, terrible on defense.</p>
<p>The Red Raiders ranked in the upper half of teams nationally last season in most offensive categories, but were at the opposite end of the scale when it came to defensive proficiency. The defensive side of the ball has long been a problem for Tech, which is one of the areas the defensive-minded Tuberville was brought in to correct when he replaced the iconoclastic Leach four years ago.</p>
<p>Tuberville, whose time at Tech may be numbered if he's unable to get things turned around this season - last year was the first time in twelve years that the Red Raiders did not qualify for a bowl appearance and their first losing season since 1992 - is on his third defensive coordinator in four years in Lubbock. Art Kaufman is in the role this season, replacing Chad Glasgow, who replaced James Willis.</p>
<p>"You have to have a system simple enough where they know what to do in a limited time," Kaufman told <i>Sports Illustrated's</i> Chris Mahr. "A lot of what happens with these high-powered Big 12 offenses is the defenses aren't lined up right."</p>
<p>The Red Raiders are loaded on offense again in 2012, with senior gunslinger Seth Doege back at quarterback along with their leading rusher Erik Stephens, who missed half of last season with a knee injury, and top two pass receivers in junior Eric Ward and senior Alex Torres. Tech also has a very good backup to Stephens in sophomore DeAndre Washington.</p>
<p>On defense, Kaufman will go with a 4-3-4 alignment, changing from the 4-2-5 scheme that the Red Raiders employed last season. In addition to being a simpler defense to execute, Kaufman believes it will put the talent he has to work with in a better position to make defensive plays.</p>
<p>An encouraging sign for Texas Tech coming into the new season was the play of the defense in spring practice. "Our defense outplayed our offense in the (spring) scrimmages," Tuberville said. "It's the first time that's happened since I've been here."</p>
<p>With the experience Tech has coming back on offense, many people believe the Red Raiders should be even better this year than last. Count Tuberville among that glass-half-full group. "We didn't get off to great starts (in 2011). If we can play well early on offense and not wait until the second half of games, we can be a good team," he said.</p>
<p>Texas Tech may have a lot of starters returning this season, but the rest of the league is just too good for the Red Raiders to make much headway on bettering last year's record. How well Tuberville's troops do in October, when they face Oklahoma and West Virginia at home and travel for games at TCU and Kansas State, will go a long way toward determining how well the season goes.</p>
<p>I'm betting that there record won't be as good as 2011. And if that is the case, Tech will most likely be looking for a new head coach for 2013. I predict the Red Raiders will go 4-8 overall and 1-8 in the Big 12 in 2011. <b>Predicted finish in the Big 12: Ninth. </b></p>
<p><i>On Monday: Oklahoma State and Iowa State</i><b> </b></p>
<p><i>Keep up with what all the latest news and developments regarding Big 12 football and all 10 teams in the conference at </i><a href="http://www.kansascity.sbnation.com">SB Nation Kansas City.</a></p>
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https://kansascity.sbnation.com/2012/8/26/3268167/2012-big-12-football-baylor-bears-texas-tech-red-raiders-previewChip Rouse2012-08-25T08:00:06-05:002012-08-25T08:00:06-05:002012 Big 12 Football: K-State Stronger Than A Year Ago, But Won't Match Last Season's Success
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<img alt="Kansas State Wildcats 2012 football" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/VQBpYotb-OTVyGVMB79WB6JjJes=/0x0:594x396/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/assets/1313649/_cfimg-7193328690745219262.jpg" />
<figcaption>Kansas State Wildcats 2012 football</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Today is the second installment in a seven-part series previewing the upcoming Big 12 football season and all 10 teams in the league as we count down to kickoff Saturday just seven days from now on Sept. 1. </p> <p><b>Kansas State Wildcats (10-3 overall, 7-2 in Big 12 in 2011)</b></p>
<p>Veteran head coach Bill Snyder fooled all the experts last season, taking a <a href="http://www.kstateathletics.com">Kansas State</a> team expected to finish in the middle of the pack in the Big 12 football race to second place in the final league standings, a top-20 national ranking and just a few seconds and a few yards shy of capturing their third Big 12 football championship.</p>
<p>That's just what Snyder does. And the dean of Big 12 football coaches has been doing it for 20 years and in two different coaching stints in Manhattan, Kan., where he first took over a team in 1989 that <i>Sports</i> <i>Illustrated</i> then called the worst program in college football. During his lengthy run at Kansas State, the 72-year-old Snyder's Wildcat teams have gone 159-83-1 overall and 89-66-1 against Big 12, and before that, Big Eight opponents.</p>
<p>The same magazine that was severely critical of Kansas State's horrific performance on the football field in the 1980s had this to say nearly a quarter-century later about Snyder's leadership style and demeanor and what that has meant to Kansas State football over the past two decades: "Snyder's understated style usually fits in with his underrated teams in a program that usually finds success not through blue-chip talent but through maximizing the hard-working players it has," writes SI's Gary Grambling in the weekly sports publication's special preview issue on the Big 12 Conference.</p>
<p>Improving on, or even equaling, last season's 10-win campaign will be extremely difficult for Snyder and his 2012 squad, but the Wildcats appear to have enough returning and incoming talent to make another solid run at a double-digit-win season and be among the league title contenders.</p>
<p>Chief among the 14 returning starters for Kansas State (eight on offense) is senior quarterback Colin Klein, who not only was the team's leading rusher last season, with over 1,141 yards running the ball, but also threw for almost 2,000 yards. Behind Klein, the Cats have another near-1,000-yard rusher in junior running back John Hubert out of Waco, Texas.</p>
<p>Kansas State's offense doesn't throw the ball much, but when it does, a highly talented trio of receivers - wide-outs Tyler Lockett, Oregon-transfer Chris Harper and Tramaine Thompson - is, more often than not, on the other end of Klein's passes. The Wildcats will still be a run-oriented team in 2012, but the K-State coaches would like to see Klein and the offense open up its passing attack a little more to provide more offensive balance and create more opportunities for the Cats' strong ground game.</p>
<p>The Wildcats had the 29th best running attack in the country a year ago and were 34th in scoring. They ranked 108th nationally in passing, however, which underlines the heavy emphasis K-State placed on a controlled attack by running the football and, in effect, shortening the games.</p>
<p>Moving the ball and scoring points should not be an issue for Snyder's offense heading into the new season, but if the defense isn't able to do a better job of stopping the opposition on offense and keeping them out of the end zone (in 2011, K-State averaged just four more points a game than its opponents). A year ago, the Wildcats were one of the worst teams in the nation in defending against the pass. And in a conference that features some of the most prolific pass offenses in the country, that is a gigantic problem.</p>
<p>All-Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year Arthur Brown is the hub of the Kansas State defense at middle linebacker, but only two starters return on the defensive line and the secondary is in need of a major performance upgrade if the Cats expect to compete with the elite teams in the conference. Returning DBs Nigel Malone, who was All-Big 12 first team on defense in 2011 and had the most pass interceptions in the conference, and Ty Zimmerman are extremely capable defenders, but the Wildcats are lean in depth in the defensive backfield, which was also a problem last season.</p>
<p>Asked if his players think they can win the Big 12 Championship this season, Snyder said: "I'm not naïve enough to believe that players don't set those kind of goals. (But as a program), we do not define X number of wins or championships; (our program goals) are strictly intrinsic values, and if you achieve these intrinsic values, successes will follow."</p>
<p>Kansas State has played extremely well at home under Snyder. The Wildcats have only lost 25 times out of 130 games when playing at home in Snyder's 20 years coaching the teams, which is not particularly good news for <a href="http://www.kuathletics.com">Kansas</a>, <a href="http://www.okstate.com">Oklahoma State</a>, <a href="http://www.texastech.com">Texas Tech</a> and <a href="http://www.texassports.com%20">Texas</a>, all of whom play in Manhattan this season. The Wildcats also have been a good road team under Snyder, with a winning percentage close to .500. But with trips scheduled to <a href="http://www.soonersports.com">Oklahoma</a>, <a href="http://www.wvusports.com">West Virginia</a> and <a href="http://www.gofrogs.cstv.com">TCU</a> this season, all preseason top 25 teams, K-State's success on the road in 2012 will be seriously tested.</p>
<p>The bottom line: Kansas State has a stronger team this season than in 2011, but the Cats won't enjoy the same level of success. I predict the Wildcats will go 7-5 overall and 4-4 in the Big 12. <b>Projected finish in the Big 12: Fifth </b></p>
<p><i>Tomorrow: Texas Tech and Baylor</i><b> </b></p>
<p><i>Keep up with what all the latest news and developments regarding Kansas State football at </i><a href="http://www.bringonthecats.com">BringontheCats.com</a><i> and at </i><a href="http://www.kansascity.sbnation.com">SB Nation Kansas City.</a></p>
<p><i> </i></p>
https://kansascity.sbnation.com/2012/8/25/3266078/2012-big-12-football-k-state-wildcats-tronger-than-a-year-agoChip Rouse2012-08-24T08:00:23-05:002012-08-24T08:00:23-05:002012 Big 12 Football: Kansas Will Be Better, But Probably Not Enough To Move Up In Standings
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<img alt="Kansas Jayhawks preseason football practice" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Oiuhxbe-1W_XlXkdjGDj8tskonI=/20x0:380x240/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/assets/1312212/XLLRAGYYQHVNYRX_20120502125503.jpg" />
<figcaption>Kansas Jayhawks preseason football practice</figcaption>
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<p>Today is the first installment in a seven-part series previewing the upcoming Big 12 football season and all 10 teams in the league as we count down to kickoff Saturday just eight days from now on Sept. 1. </p> <p>The 2012 college football season begins next week, unofficially welcoming in fall in the sports world. Eight Big 12 teams will open their season on Sept. 1, leading off the Labor Day weekend. <a href="http://www.%20baylorbears.com">Baylor</a>, one of the big surprises in the conference last season, finishing third in the league standings behind their Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Robert Griffin III, the No. 1 pick of the Washington Redskins and the second overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, gets started on Sept. 2 at home against SMU.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.gofrogs.cstv.com">TCU</a>, one of the two newcomers to the Big 12 starting this season, along with <a href="http://www.wvusports.com">West Virginia</a>, doesn't get its season under way until the following weekend vs. Grambling State.</p>
<p>Heading into the new season, six conference teams, including West Virginia and TCU, are ranked in the top 25 of the major national preseason polls. Only <a href="http://www.soonersports.com">Oklahoma</a>, however, is ranked in the top 10 in all of the polls. The Sooners are in the No. 4 spot in most of the preseason projections, although Phil Steele's annual <i>College Football Preview</i> issue has OU in the top spot and <i>Sports Illustrated</i> ranked the Sooners fifth.</p>
<p>Following Oklahoma, the average preseason ranking for the five other Big 12 teams in the top 25 was West Virginia, 11; <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.texassports.com&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fkansascity.sbnation.com%2F2012%2F8%2F24%2F3263951%2F2012-big-12-football-kansas-jayhawks-will-be-better" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Texas</a>, 15; TCU, 18, <a href="http://www.kstateathletics.com">Kansas State</a> 19 and <a href="http://www.okstate.com">Oklahoma State</a>, 20.</p>
<p>Today, we will begin a week-long series taking a close look at each of the teams in the Big 12 and how things are shaping up as they get ready to kickoff the new season.</p>
<p>We begin the series close to home with an examination of the two local Big 12 schools, Kansas and Kansas State. Today we are profiling Kansas, and Saturday we will shift the attention an hour's drive west on I-70 to Manhattan, the Little Apple, and Kansas State.</p>
<p>On Sunday, we will look at two more teams, in ascending order, based on their projected order of finish in the final conference standings, then on Monday, we will offer a preseason analysis of two more conference teams. Tuesday through Friday, the spotlight will shift to the top four teams, counting down from No. 4 to the projected No. 1 team and the prohibitive favorite to win the Big 12 football crown come December.</p>
<p><b>Kansas Jayhawks</b> <b>(2-10, 0-9 in the Big 12 in 2011)</b></p>
<p>In two seasons under head coach Turner Gill, <a href="http://www.kuathletics.com">Kansas</a> won exactly one conference game out of the 17 the Jayhawks played, and to get the lone win they had to come back from a 28-point fourth-quarter deficit against now-departed Colorado. Needless to say, Gill was out after last season's dismal performance, and the new man in the role is former Notre Dame coach and, following that, offensive coordinator with the Kansas City Chiefs Charlie Weis.</p>
<p>There are a number of experts that question what kind of success Weis can have turning around the broken down KU football program when he was unsuccessful in doing so at Notre Dame, historically one of the elite brand in college football history and a program with more talent and much greater resources than he will have in Lawrence, Kan.</p>
<p>One of Weis' first actions as the new coach of the Jayhawks was to bring in his own coaches, including former NFL coach Dave Campo, who will have responsibility for the defense, which ranked last among the 120 teams that make up the Football Bowl Subdivision series (formerly referred to as NCAA Division I).</p>
<p>Kansas had equal problems a year ago generating offense. The Hawks were 106th in the country in total offensive production and 95th in scoring.</p>
<p>Weis, who has built his football coaching legacy on directing offenses in both the NFL and at the college level and working with quarterbacks, took care of Kansas' short-term need at quarterback, bringing in Dayne Crist, who he recruited at Notre Dame, who will complete his final year of eligibility as the Jayhawk signal caller.</p>
<p>KU's top returning running back a year ago, junior James Sims, who ran for 727 yards and nine touchdowns, will miss the first three games of the season, the result of a suspension he received for a DUI arrest in the offseason. Sophomore speedster Tony Pierson will be the starter at the running back position while Sims serves his suspension.</p>
<p>Despite the loss of Sims to begin the season, Weis says he feels good about how both the offense and defensive are coming along in preseason practice.</p>
<p>"I'm not supposed to say that when you're coming off a 2-10 season," Weis said, "but I feel pretty good about both of them. I feel pretty good about the running game and the passing game."</p>
<p>As far as the receiving corps Crist will be throwing to this coming season, the Jayhawks have their top two pass receivers back from last season. The diminutive D.J. Breshears led the KU pass receivers in 2011 with 40 catches and an average of 10.9 yards per catch. Converted quarterback Kale Pick caught 34 passes last season. Both are seniors.</p>
<p>The player Weis is really looking to for a big year in receiving, though is senior Daymond Patterson. "He's one of the top guys we have," Weis said about Patterson, who sat out most of last year with an injury. "He's dependable. He gets open. He catches the ball with his hands, not his body. He's been one of the most dependable guys all through camp."</p>
<p>And Weis points out that he likes the depth the team has at the receiver position. He had particular praise for young receivers Chris Omigie, Andrew Truzilli and Tre Parmalee.</p>
<p>Three starters with considerable playing-time experience on the offensive line will help fill the loss of veteran offensive lineman Jeremiah Hatch and Jeff Spikes. Overall, the Jayhawks have seven returning starters on offensive and the same number on the defensive side of the ball.</p>
<p>In talking about the season ahead, which kicks off for the Jayhawks on Sept 1 with a home date against South Dakota State, Weis said, "I think we'd better get off to a fast start or we're going to have a long year.</p>
<p>"I think everyone else wants to look at the 12-game schedule," the KU coach said in answering media question following practice earlier this week. "I have a one game schedule (at this point), and it's South Dakota State. I think that my number one message is take them one at a time and put everything into just playing your best game against South Dakota State, and do not worry about any other team and do not listen to anyone talk about any other team."</p>
<p>It is a good bet that the 2012 Kansas team will be better and likely play with more fire and better consistency under Weis' direction and no-nonsense leadership style, but the reality is, the Jayhawks also face the distinct possibility that their improvement on the field will not be reflected in their won-lost record or their standing against the other Big 12 teams.</p>
<p>It will be another long year for the Jayhawks, and the odds are high they will again end up at the tail end, looking up at the rest of the conference. I see Kansas winning three games this season (South Dakota State, Rice and Iowa State, all home games) and going 1-8 in league play. <b>Projected order of finish: Tenth.</b></p>
<p><b> </b><i>Tomorrow: Kansas State </i></p>
<p><i>For regular new coverage and commentary on Kansas Jayhawks football all season long, be sure to visit </i><a href="http://www.rockchalktalk.com"><i>Rock Chalk Talk.</i></a></p>
https://kansascity.sbnation.com/2012/8/24/3263951/2012-big-12-football-kansas-jayhawks-will-be-betterChip Rouse