Texas Longhorns: Mike Leach
The State of the Big 12 Conference: 2012
August, 17, 2012
8/17/12
9:01
AM CT
By
David Ubben | ESPN.com
We're overlooking the state of each conference in the country today on the ESPN Blog network. Where does every league stand entering 2012? Here's what you need to know about the Big 12:
The favorite: Oklahoma. The Sooners lost a shot at the Big 12 title in the season finale against Oklahoma State last year, but they bring back QB Landry Jones and a handful of the team's best defenders. Jones needs to find more receivers opposite Kenny Stills, and injuries on the offensive line pose a few questions, but the Sooners are in the familiar spot of the team to beat entering 2012.
The new guys: West Virginia and TCU. Texas A&M and Missouri checked out for the SEC in 2012, but the Big 12 replaced them with a pair of teams who would have been in the Big East this season. The Horned Frogs, in nearby Fort Worth, and the Mountaineers, in far-away Morgantown, bring with them two high-powered offenses that should fit right in with their new Big 12 brethren.
The stirring giant: Texas. The Longhorns have won just 13 games the past two seasons. By comparison, they won the same number in 2005, the last time they won a national title. Mack Brown has revamped his staff with new coordinators and position coaches, and young talent is taking over in Austin. Texas isn't back yet from a five-win season in 2010, but this could be the year it starts making everyone take the Longhorns seriously again as a perennial title contender.
The up-and-comer: Baylor. The Bears broke through for their best season ever and the school's first Heisman winner. Robert Griffin III is gone and the 10 wins are in the past. Still, the Bears have a new stadium under construction and enough talent to get back to a bowl in 2012. That's pretty amazing. Art Briles is building something out of nothing at Baylor. The Bears look like they're in position to go to a bowl nearly every year moving forward after reaching their first bowl in Big 12 history back in 2010.
The guys with something to prove: Oklahoma State and Kansas State. K-State's got to prove last year's 10-win season was legitimate, despite the number of games won in the final minutes. Despite returning 17 starters and all the key pieces from a 10-win team, the Wildcats aren't even in everyone's top 20. Oklahoma State, meanwhile, has to prove last year's Big 12 title was more than an accident or a one-time thing. They'll roll true freshman Wes Lunt out at quarterback to start the road back to a second league title.
Fighting to stay relevant: Texas Tech. The Red Raiders used to be the only team who could seem to beat Oklahoma and/or Texas with any consistency. Everyone feared making a trip out to the Plains of West Texas to face Mike Leach's band of pirates. Now? When teams walk into your home stadium and beat you by 60, it's hard to still be taken seriously. Coach Tommy Tuberville's been handcuffed by injuries, but he's got to get it turned around in Lubbock -- and fast. Fans are unhappy after last year's 5-7 campaign, the first losing season in almost two decades.
Trying to take the next step: Iowa State. Iowa State's cracked a bowl game in two of three seasons under Paul Rhoads, but did so just barely in both seasons, and needed huge upsets against Nebraska and Oklahoma State to make it happen. Iowa State's still trying to build, but enters 2012 with a quarterback controversy on its hands. The Cyclones were once again picked eighth in the league, but can Rhoads keep gaining momentum in Ames?
Trying to catch up: Kansas. The Jayhawks are just 1-23 in their last 24 Big 12 games, and the one team they beat (Colorado) left the Big 12. That stretch has included a whole lot of embarrassing losses for one reason or another, but former Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis is in charge now, with four Super Bowl rings and a renewed sense of purpose in tow. Can he turn it around in Lawrence after KU bottomed out following its Orange Bowl win to close the 2007 season?
The favorite: Oklahoma. The Sooners lost a shot at the Big 12 title in the season finale against Oklahoma State last year, but they bring back QB Landry Jones and a handful of the team's best defenders. Jones needs to find more receivers opposite Kenny Stills, and injuries on the offensive line pose a few questions, but the Sooners are in the familiar spot of the team to beat entering 2012.
The new guys: West Virginia and TCU. Texas A&M and Missouri checked out for the SEC in 2012, but the Big 12 replaced them with a pair of teams who would have been in the Big East this season. The Horned Frogs, in nearby Fort Worth, and the Mountaineers, in far-away Morgantown, bring with them two high-powered offenses that should fit right in with their new Big 12 brethren.
The stirring giant: Texas. The Longhorns have won just 13 games the past two seasons. By comparison, they won the same number in 2005, the last time they won a national title. Mack Brown has revamped his staff with new coordinators and position coaches, and young talent is taking over in Austin. Texas isn't back yet from a five-win season in 2010, but this could be the year it starts making everyone take the Longhorns seriously again as a perennial title contender.
The up-and-comer: Baylor. The Bears broke through for their best season ever and the school's first Heisman winner. Robert Griffin III is gone and the 10 wins are in the past. Still, the Bears have a new stadium under construction and enough talent to get back to a bowl in 2012. That's pretty amazing. Art Briles is building something out of nothing at Baylor. The Bears look like they're in position to go to a bowl nearly every year moving forward after reaching their first bowl in Big 12 history back in 2010.
The guys with something to prove: Oklahoma State and Kansas State. K-State's got to prove last year's 10-win season was legitimate, despite the number of games won in the final minutes. Despite returning 17 starters and all the key pieces from a 10-win team, the Wildcats aren't even in everyone's top 20. Oklahoma State, meanwhile, has to prove last year's Big 12 title was more than an accident or a one-time thing. They'll roll true freshman Wes Lunt out at quarterback to start the road back to a second league title.
Fighting to stay relevant: Texas Tech. The Red Raiders used to be the only team who could seem to beat Oklahoma and/or Texas with any consistency. Everyone feared making a trip out to the Plains of West Texas to face Mike Leach's band of pirates. Now? When teams walk into your home stadium and beat you by 60, it's hard to still be taken seriously. Coach Tommy Tuberville's been handcuffed by injuries, but he's got to get it turned around in Lubbock -- and fast. Fans are unhappy after last year's 5-7 campaign, the first losing season in almost two decades.
Trying to take the next step: Iowa State. Iowa State's cracked a bowl game in two of three seasons under Paul Rhoads, but did so just barely in both seasons, and needed huge upsets against Nebraska and Oklahoma State to make it happen. Iowa State's still trying to build, but enters 2012 with a quarterback controversy on its hands. The Cyclones were once again picked eighth in the league, but can Rhoads keep gaining momentum in Ames?
Trying to catch up: Kansas. The Jayhawks are just 1-23 in their last 24 Big 12 games, and the one team they beat (Colorado) left the Big 12. That stretch has included a whole lot of embarrassing losses for one reason or another, but former Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis is in charge now, with four Super Bowl rings and a renewed sense of purpose in tow. Can he turn it around in Lawrence after KU bottomed out following its Orange Bowl win to close the 2007 season?
Today is the next step in a new series on the Big 12 blog that we've never done before. I love predicting the standings from top to bottom, but we're going to do it week by week leading up to the season. The end goal is to offer my official prediction for each Big 12 team's record heading into the bowl games.
Remember, these are preseason predictions. We'll obviously still do week-to-week picks once the season arrives, and they may change between now and then. There are a lot of preseason practices and a whole lot of games between now and the end of the season.
There are always teams who disappoint and teams who surprise. But here's how I see the Big 12 shaking out in Week 7.
PREVIOUS PREDICTIONS
TCU 38, Baylor 34: TCU's return trip to Baylor? For most of the day, Casey Pachall looks like he did in the fourth quarter of last year's game and the Horned Frogs get a little revenge on their former Southwest Conference rivals. The game gets pretty chippy in the final minutes when the teams keep jawing at one another, but a major incident is avoided.
Iowa State 27, Kansas State 24 (OT): The top-15 'Cats fall victim to Paul Rhoads in Ames. Just because he's got the job security of a 10-year deal doesn't mean he'll stop frustrating Big 12 fans. Rhoads has come so, so close in two neutral-site losses to the Wildcats in 2009 and 2010. The Cyclones nearly knocked off K-State last year, too. This time, they get the job done.
Oklahoma State 44, Kansas 24: Last year's game was 56-7 at halftime. This one's better, but not much better. Oklahoma State's offense is just too much. Kansas never gets much of a pass rush, and the improving Jayhawks offense just can't keep up.
Oklahoma 20, Texas 17: This one's a classic. The defenses get real stingy, but Texas had one final chance to go win the game with David Ash under center. The Longhorns reach midfield, but Oklahoma's defense holds, flushing Ash from the pocket and intercepting a desperate fourth-down heave to seal the win and set off a raucous celebration in the Cotton Bowl.
West Virginia 47, Texas Tech 41: Texas Tech jumps out to a 14-0 lead early, and West Virginia looks a little rattled by the Lubbock fans heading into halftime, trailing 31-14. However, at halftime, Mike Leach disciple Dana Holgorsen brandishes a sword given to him by Leach, the pirate-loving coach, himself. "Swing it, boys," Holgorsen says to close his halftime speech. In the second half, they do.
After seven weeks of football, just three undefeated squads remain. The Big 12's old guard, and its new blood.
BIG 12 STANDINGS (after Week 7)
1. TCU: 6-0 (3-0)
1. West Virginia: 6-0 (3-0)
3. Oklahoma: 5-0 (3-0)
4. Oklahoma State: 4-1 (1-1)
5. Kansas State: 4-2 (1-2)
5. Texas: 4-2 (1-2)
5. Texas Tech: 4-2 (1-2)
8. Iowa State: 3-3 (1-2)
9. Baylor: 3-2 (0-2)
10. Kansas: 3-3 (0-3)
Remember, these are preseason predictions. We'll obviously still do week-to-week picks once the season arrives, and they may change between now and then. There are a lot of preseason practices and a whole lot of games between now and the end of the season.
There are always teams who disappoint and teams who surprise. But here's how I see the Big 12 shaking out in Week 7.
PREVIOUS PREDICTIONS
TCU 38, Baylor 34: TCU's return trip to Baylor? For most of the day, Casey Pachall looks like he did in the fourth quarter of last year's game and the Horned Frogs get a little revenge on their former Southwest Conference rivals. The game gets pretty chippy in the final minutes when the teams keep jawing at one another, but a major incident is avoided.
Iowa State 27, Kansas State 24 (OT): The top-15 'Cats fall victim to Paul Rhoads in Ames. Just because he's got the job security of a 10-year deal doesn't mean he'll stop frustrating Big 12 fans. Rhoads has come so, so close in two neutral-site losses to the Wildcats in 2009 and 2010. The Cyclones nearly knocked off K-State last year, too. This time, they get the job done.
Oklahoma State 44, Kansas 24: Last year's game was 56-7 at halftime. This one's better, but not much better. Oklahoma State's offense is just too much. Kansas never gets much of a pass rush, and the improving Jayhawks offense just can't keep up.
Oklahoma 20, Texas 17: This one's a classic. The defenses get real stingy, but Texas had one final chance to go win the game with David Ash under center. The Longhorns reach midfield, but Oklahoma's defense holds, flushing Ash from the pocket and intercepting a desperate fourth-down heave to seal the win and set off a raucous celebration in the Cotton Bowl.
West Virginia 47, Texas Tech 41: Texas Tech jumps out to a 14-0 lead early, and West Virginia looks a little rattled by the Lubbock fans heading into halftime, trailing 31-14. However, at halftime, Mike Leach disciple Dana Holgorsen brandishes a sword given to him by Leach, the pirate-loving coach, himself. "Swing it, boys," Holgorsen says to close his halftime speech. In the second half, they do.
After seven weeks of football, just three undefeated squads remain. The Big 12's old guard, and its new blood.
BIG 12 STANDINGS (after Week 7)
1. TCU: 6-0 (3-0)
1. West Virginia: 6-0 (3-0)
3. Oklahoma: 5-0 (3-0)
4. Oklahoma State: 4-1 (1-1)
5. Kansas State: 4-2 (1-2)
5. Texas: 4-2 (1-2)
5. Texas Tech: 4-2 (1-2)
8. Iowa State: 3-3 (1-2)
9. Baylor: 3-2 (0-2)
10. Kansas: 3-3 (0-3)
We had to check out of this week's Tuesday chat, but we keep it fair here on the Big 12 Blog.
To do so, here's a mid-week Mailbag.
If you've got something to say or ask, here's where to reach me. We'll have another on Friday, so get your questions in now.
Bruce in Houston writes: "So, what are you guys doing on Nov. 17? Texas and Texas A&M are both off that weekend. Just a thought, you know. In case you got a wild hair to stop being petty, Longhorns."Stop being petty??? How about you stop being a hater. It's business. TAMU made their choice and Texas is not going to let them have their cake and eat it to. Don't be a jerk.
David Ubben: No, it's not business. That's literally the worst defense possible. It's pettiness.
It's business? Let's do some math. What game's going to bring in the most TV revenue and be a guaranteed sellout? Wyoming? New Mexico? Ole Miss? What's going to pack the silver bleachers in Austin which have had crowds thinning the past few years?
What's going to attract attention? What's going to move the needle with the fan base? Playing Texas A&M every year. Texas can pretend all they want in this. At least Kansas is up front about their pettiness in discontinuing the rivalry with Mizzou. I respect that, even if I disagree with it.
To do so, here's a mid-week Mailbag.
If you've got something to say or ask, here's where to reach me. We'll have another on Friday, so get your questions in now.
Bruce in Houston writes: "So, what are you guys doing on Nov. 17? Texas and Texas A&M are both off that weekend. Just a thought, you know. In case you got a wild hair to stop being petty, Longhorns."Stop being petty??? How about you stop being a hater. It's business. TAMU made their choice and Texas is not going to let them have their cake and eat it to. Don't be a jerk.
David Ubben: No, it's not business. That's literally the worst defense possible. It's pettiness.
It's business? Let's do some math. What game's going to bring in the most TV revenue and be a guaranteed sellout? Wyoming? New Mexico? Ole Miss? What's going to pack the silver bleachers in Austin which have had crowds thinning the past few years?
What's going to attract attention? What's going to move the needle with the fan base? Playing Texas A&M every year. Texas can pretend all they want in this. At least Kansas is up front about their pettiness in discontinuing the rivalry with Mizzou. I respect that, even if I disagree with it.
ABOUT HORNSNATION
Sean Adams
Sean Adams has covered the Texas Longhorns and college football for the last 12 years as a writer and radio host. Sean co-hosts "The Big Show" with Erin Hogan each afternoon on ESPN Austin 104.9 The Horn. He lives with his family in Round Rock, Texas. Email him at thisean@gmail.com.
Max Olson
Max Olson joined ESPN in 2012 after covering the University of Nebraska for the Omaha (Neb.) World-Herald and high school and college sports for the World-Herald and Rivals.com. Olson is a University of Nebraska graduate and lives in Austin, Texas. Email him at maxolsonespn@gmail.com.
Carter Strickand
Carter Strickland joined ESPN.com in 2011 after covering the University of Georgia for Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the University of Oklahoma for The (Oklahoma City) Oklahoman and Washington State University for The (Spokane, Wash.) Spokesman-Review. Strickland lives with his wife and family in Austin. Email him at cstrickland70@gmail.com.
William Wilkerson
William Wilkerson joined ESPN.com in 2011 after covering high school sports, college sports and the Texas Rangers over four years at the Fort Worth (Texas) Star-Telegram. William is a University of Texas graduate and lives in Austin. He can be reached at wilkerson.espn@gmail.com.