| The Big 12 has already been through a whirlwind | | | | contending in the South in 2010. |
| offseason, with both Colorado and Nebraska | | | | 6.) Baylor Bears - QB Robert Griffin suffered a |
| taking their services elsewhere. The Buffaloes | | | | torn ACL last year, and how he returns from |
| will be joining the Pac-10 in 2011, while the | | | | knee surgery will go a long way in determining |
| Cornhuskers have hooked up with the Big Ten. | | | | how the Bears finish. Baylor's 15-year bowl |
| But Texas decided to stay and not join with | | | | drought will likely reach 16 because the defense is |
| Pac-10, which prompted the rest of the schools in | | | | unlikely to improve on the 405.6 YPG they yielded |
| this conference who were thinking about leaving | | | | last year. |
| to also stay. There will only be 10 teams in | | | | Big 12 North Predictions: |
| ‘11, and no longer a conference championship | | | | 1.) Nebraska Cornhuskers - The Huskers should |
| game. But for now, we get to see one last | | | | have the best rushing attack and the best |
| season with a title game and the North is will be | | | | defense in the Big 12 this season, and those two |
| challenging the South for Big 12 supremacy. | | | | factors will have them winning not only the North, |
| Can the Huskers get back and revenge their | | | | but also the Big 12 Championship. If they can |
| last-second 12-13 loss to the Longhorns in the title | | | | get stable play at the QB position, the sky is the |
| game? Or will the South win their seventh | | | | limit for this team. |
| straight conference championship? Find out with | | | | 2.) Missouri Tigers - The offense should be fine |
| my 2010 Big 12 football predictions below. Also | | | | in Missouri with QB Blaine Gabbert running the |
| be sure to check out my overall 2010 college | | | | show and RB Derrick Washington making plays in |
| football predictions article to find out which team | | | | the running game. The offense will keep the |
| wins the national championship. I am an expert | | | | Tigers competitive, but defensively they lose their |
| handicapper that can help you beat the NCAA | | | | heart and soul in LB Sean Witherspoon. They |
| football odds season after season, year after | | | | cannot replace him, and if they are to challenge |
| year. | | | | Nebraska then they'll need their stop unit to |
| Big 12 South Predictions: | | | | perform much better than they appear on paper. |
| 1.) Texas Longhorns - The reigning Big 12 | | | | 3.) Iowa State Cyclones - Paul Rhoads has |
| champs are in line to win the South again this | | | | already instilled a winning attitude in Cyclone |
| season, but they won't do it unless new QB | | | | country, and took this team to a bowl game |
| Garrett Gilbert plays as well as he did in spring | | | | which they won for a 7-6 season. The offense |
| ball. He has big shoes to fill with the most | | | | will be solid behind 9 returning starters including QB |
| successful QB in college football history headed to | | | | Austen Arnaud and RB Alexander Robinson. |
| the NFL in Colt McCoy, but he has the raw talent | | | | Rhoads' biggest accomplishment was improving |
| to get the job done. Texas will need to find a | | | | their defense a year ago, as ISU surrendered just |
| few playmakers to step up on defense, but they | | | | 21.9 PPG. They'll have to replace 5 starters from |
| have a solid secondary to build around in this | | | | that stop unit, but the Cyclones shouldn't suffer |
| pass-happy league. Head coach Mack Brown has | | | | too much of a drop-off here. The main problem |
| proven he knows how to reload as the Longhorns | | | | is a schedule that includes road games at Texas |
| have averaged more than 11 wins over the past | | | | and Oklahoma. |
| 9 years. | | | | 4.) Kansas State Wildcats - RB Daniel Thomas |
| 2.) Oklahoma Sooners - QB Landry Jones gained | | | | was the leading rusher in the Big 12 last season, |
| valuable experience in replacing the injured Sam | | | | yet not too many folks know it. He's back along |
| Bradford last year. This team comes in with | | | | with 4 returning starters on the offensive line, so |
| some momentum after beating Oklahoma State | | | | head coach Bill Snyder will have a reliable running |
| 27-0 and following that up with a 31-27 victory | | | | game to fall back on. But he'll have to find a |
| over a solid Stanford team in the Sun Bowl. | | | | new quarterback, and replace six starters on |
| Losing the NFL's No. 1, 3 and 4 picks to the draft | | | | defense. His recruiting has been in question, and |
| certainly hurts, and the offensive line remains a | | | | we'll have to wait and see how it pans out. But I |
| concern. Expectations are still high in Sooner | | | | don't see this team finishing anywhere in the top |
| country, and they'll give Texas all they can handle | | | | half of the Big 12 this season. |
| this season in the South. | | | | 5.) Kansas Jayhawks - You don't replace |
| 3.) Texas A&M Aggies - LB Von Miller and | | | | playmakers like QB Todd Reesing and WR's |
| QB Jerrod Johnson are serious candidates for | | | | Dezmon Briscoe and Kerry Meier. That's the |
| Defensive and Offensive Player of the Year | | | | task ahead for the Jayhawks in a rebuilding year |
| honors this season. Miller led the nation with 17 | | | | for new head coach Turner Gill. He will turn this |
| sacks and should benefit from the switch to a 3-4 | | | | offense into a run-first unit, as he has potentially |
| defense. Johnson led an offense that put up | | | | the best offensive line in the Big 12 returning. No |
| 32.9 PPG and 465.8 YPG last year and this unit | | | | candidate to replace Reesing stood out in the |
| should be as potent in 2010. The defense | | | | spring, so there will be some headaches with |
| remains shaky as a whole, and inexperience along | | | | whoever is under center. The Jayhawks also |
| the offense line could negate the talent the | | | | lose five starters along the front seven of their |
| Aggies have at their skill positions. | | | | defense, the stop unit could be a potential |
| 4.) Texas Tech Red Raiders - The transition | | | | problem as well. |
| from Leach to Tuberville shouldn't be too rough, | | | | 6.) Colorado Buffaloes - The Buffaloes could |
| as the latter has proven he can win in the SEC, | | | | potentially have a much-improved offense with 9 |
| so he should be just fine in the Big 12. He has | | | | returning starters, including RB Rodney Stewart, |
| two proven QB's to choose from in Taylor Potts | | | | WR Scotty McKnight and all 5 along the offensive |
| and Steven Sheffield, each of who threw 7 | | | | line. They'll need much more consistent QB play |
| touchdowns in different games last year. The | | | | if they are to take the next step offensively. |
| focus this season is improving the defense so the | | | | Dan Hawkins hasn't gotten it done in Colorado, |
| Red Raiders aren't forced to try and win | | | | and another losing season could lead to his firing. |
| shootouts every time they take the field. | | | | He is just 16-33 in four seasons with the |
| 5.) Oklahoma State Cowboys - QB Zac | | | | Buffaloes, and a bowl berth is unlikely. They do |
| Robinson will be miss, but promising Brandon | | | | return 17 starters in all, so this team could be the |
| Weeden showed well in the spring. He'll have RB | | | | sleeper in the North, but I'm just not seeing it. |
| Kendall Hunter to hand the ball off to and WR | | | | Big 12 Champion: Nebraska - The Cornhuskers will |
| Hubert Anyiam to make plays for him in the | | | | have their revenge with a win over the Texas |
| passing game, but the defense returns just 3 | | | | Longhorns in the Big12 title game. |
| starts and this unit will keep the Cowboys from | | | | |