A Big Mess is Brewing in the Big 12 South

The Big 12 South champion could be determined by a poll of faceless, strangers who are often bias and live far from the area of concern. And only a sport with such a profound lack of leadership, in this case Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe, is capable of deciding a champion like this.

"The Big 12 failed to come up with enough of its own criteria for breaking a three-way tie at the top of the standings, as Oklahoma, Texas, and Texas Tech could produce. Instead it was willing to punt to the computers and voters who determine the BCS rankings. Whatever team is ranked highest wins the division." How positively retarded is that?

Problems I see here: Few of the coaches who vote in the coaches’ poll have seen anything but highlights of play from the Big 12 South. They are no better than the 114 politically connected folks of with little qualifications who make up the Harris Poll. Combined, the two polls count for two-thirds of the rankings. Each voter has personal biases, and self-interests.

Since the BCS has no set standards for ranking teams, just about anything can be taken into consideration. Should Texas get the nod because it beat Oklahoma? Should it be Oklahoma because it put together the most impressive performance of the season in blasting Tech 65-21? Should Tech be considered because they beat Texas in dramatic fashion? How about strength of schedule? Or margin of victory? Coolest mascot? Color scheme? Does it matter who’s played the most recent TV game? What if a voter missed one team’s impressive performance because he went out drinking?

Obviously a voter’s alma mater has been known to come into play. And doesn’t he owe the conference that got him a vote in the first place? What about the coach who’s still bitter about losing a recruit to a certain school?It could be any of the above. No one knows.
Seriously, that’s the system: no one knows.

That is how the champion of the Big 12 South is going to be decided. I don't know about you but I find that to be mind-numbingly retarded. Now, Texas did have the lead previously but with a win like we saw Saturday night I'd say that Oklahoma has to be charging quickly, while for the moment Tech is definitely out of the national championship picture.

I could ramble on with endless speculation but it's fruitless. Basically we need to all tune in next week and see if all 3 teams win their games (Texas vs. Texas A&M, Baylor vs. Texas Tech, and Oklahoma @ OK St.) If all 3 teams win their games, which I am assuming they will. Then it will be a mess. It's the Big 12's fault for not coming up with a better tiebreaker but I consider this just one more reason why the BCS has gotta go.

College Football 2008 Conference Preview: Big 12

Look for the Big 12 to be one of the top conferences in the nation.

Predicted Order of Finish:

North:
1. Missouri
The Tigers are loaded with 16 returning starters. Heisman candidate Chase Daniel is back at QB along with WR Jeremy Maclin, and TE Chase Coffman on offense. The defense should be superb and dominant as 10 starters return. Look for the secondary to be wheeling and dealing lead by ball-hawk DB Will Moore.

2. Kansas
KU surprised everybody after a big Orange Bowl win over Virginia Tech. QB Todd Reesing is back after proving the doubters wrong about his size. With 16 starters back there's no reason not to believe the Jayhawks won't compete for another national title. The WR unit will be strong with both of their leading WRs back. The defense should be stellar as both the D-Line and LB units are strong, they just need to improve the secondary after losing CB Aquib Talib.

3. Nebraska
I think the Huskers will be a little improved with new head coach Bo Pelini. Joe Ganz is a capable QB to help get the Huskers back on their feet. Marlon Lucky returns as RB and is one of the top RB in the Big 12. Four linemen return up-front. The defense should be interesting this season. The defensive front returns it's top 8, but they are very inexperienced at LB and in the secondary.

4. Colorado
Cody Hawkins put up some pretty good numbers last season but must decrease his INTs. Look for frosh RB Darrell Scott to carry the load. The Buffs have plenty of WRs, which are a vital part of their offense. The D-Line will be solid with both George Hypolite and Brandon Nicolas back.

5. Kansas State
KSU has been mediocre at best ever since winning the Big XII Championship back in 2003. QB Josh Freeman set a school record with 3,353 passing yards last season. He completed 63.3 percent of his passes with 18 touchdowns. The rest of the offense may struggle with inexperience and lack of depth at RB and WR, plus mediocre play at O-Line.

6. Iowa St.
ISU was horrendous last season and I doubt they will be much better. QB is a big question mark. RB Alex Robinson may be the lone bright spot on O. The defense lacked production in '07, expect the same in '08.

South:
1. Oklahoma
OU is no doubt one of the best teams in the country, but they do have a few question marks. After an amazing freshman season, QB Sam Bradford is back and looking for more. DeMarco Murray and Chris Brown are a phenomenal RB duo. The Sooners do not have a clear go-to WR but Juaquin Iglesias and Manuel Johnson should step up. The O & D Lines are both arguably the best in the country, this is what separates OU from a lot of teams. They may lack depth at LB and experience in the secondary, but up-front is what is going to get it done for OU.

2. Texas Tech
If Tech doesn't live up to it's 2008 hype, they may never win the Big 12 or make a BCS Bowl. This could be their year to wreck havoc in the Big 12. The Graham Harrell to Michael Crabtree connection might be the best in the country. Crabtree is easily the best WR out there. There's no doubt the offense can put up points and win them games, but they need the defense to step up and get them over the top. They have the experience, but it's just a matter of execution. I think they'll be fine.

3. Texas
Will this be a rebuilding year for Mack Brown and Co.? Or will they reload and use some of their young talent to their advantage? QB Colt McCoy is a good start after losing 5 key starters on offense. The O-Line could be a big key as well, lead by OT Cedric Dockery, a future NFL star. The defense may slow down the Horns after losing 7 starters though.

4. Oklahoma St.
The Offense should put up some points with it's spread attack. QB Zac Robinson established the single-season school record for total offense. The Cowboys have 3 veteran backs which should help after losing starter Dantell Savage. Soph. Dez Bryant is a stud at WR and could be All-Big 12 this season. The 'Boys' might have the best offensive line behind Oklahoma and Texas. They are pretty deep there which is another reason they could be a dangerous team. The front 7 need to find some replacements on D, but look for the secondary to be pretty good with 3 returners there.

5. Texas A&M
The offense has the potential to be very good, as long as they all stay healthy. This includes QB Stephen McGee and RBs Javorskie Lane and Mike Goodson. If the offensive line can produce, the Aggies could go a long way. The defense is average at best but they do have some depth to help fill some holes.

6. Baylor
Not much at QB with no depth and plenty of problems. The only positive on offense is 7 returning starters. Expect the defense to be pretty bad again with not much play makers around. Baylor will continue to be just a baseball school.

Big 12 Championship:
Missouri over Oklahoma

Offensive Player of the Year:
Chase Daniel, QB- Missouri

Defensive Player of the Year:
Will Moore, FS- Missouri

Freshman of the Year:
Darrell Scott, RB- Colorado

Coach of the Year:
Mike Leach- Texas Tech

Top 3 Games:
Texas at Oklahoma- Oct. 11

Texas at Texas Tech- Nov. 1

Texas Tech at Oklahoma- Nov. 22