Big 12 Football: Season preview and final standings predictions
Big 12 Champion – Oklahoma (8 first place votes)
Also receiving votes – Oklahoma State (7), Texas (1)
Barring one generous first place vote for Texas, the Big 12 is decidedly a two team race. The Oklahoma schools are both high above the rest of the conference in almost every metric. Bedlam might very well decide the conference champion. Bedlam Part II, a rematch in the newly reinstated Big 12 Championship game, could prove disastrous.
This was the closest conference projection made by the Saturday Blitz staff. These two teams have elite quarterbacks and plenty of offensive firepower. Even with the loss of Bob Stoops on the sideline, Oklahoma won’t disappear quietly. It’s not a stretch to imagine one of these teams winning the first matchup on November 4 and the other winning the Big 12 Championship game. How ironic would that be if the Big 12 knocked themselves out of the College Football Playoff?
More: 2017 Game by game predictions for Oklahoma State
As for the individual teams, Baker Mayfield is returning for his senior season. A year ago he was in New York as a Heisman Trophy finalist. He threw for 3,965 yards, 40 touchdowns and eight interceptions a year ago. The Sooners will have to replace rushers Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon as well as fellow Heisman finalist Dede Westbrook. Look for tight end Mark Andrews and SEC transfer Jeff Badet to play huge roles in the passing attack. They’ll plug and play at the running back position and be just fine.
Oklahoma State will counter with what should be one of the most explosive offenses in college football. Mason Rudolph is coming off a 2016 campaign where he threw for 4,091 yards, 28 touchdowns and just four interceptions. He returns every major offensive weapon including receivers James Washington, Jalen McCleskey and underclassmen running back Justice Hill.
The defensive units for both teams have more questions, but this is a league predicated on throwing the football and putting up 40+ points a game. Both were among the top 20 offenses a year ago and will be locks to put up a show in 2017. It’s a close race, but our nod goes ever so slightly to the blue-blood Sooners.
Next: Top 50 CFB breakout candidates in 2017
What do you think? Can someone outside of Oklahoma surprise? Should we start buying stock in the Tom Herman hype train or is Dan Snyder finally going to find a way to get it done? Let us know in the comments or on Facebook or Twitter.