Welcome to the 2017 Big 12 Conference Football Preview. The Big 12 didn’t expand, nor divide but will have a conference championship game this season. So a team might need to beat a team twice to win the conference title.
Big 12 Preview
Oklahoma State Cowboys – The offense is loaded. The defense has question marks. A three game stretch midseason at Texas, at West Virginia and hosting Oklahoma will determine if this team is a playoff team or not.
Oklahoma Sooners – Bob Stoops suddenly retired. Lincoln Riley takes over a talented squad. Baker Mayfield is back at QB with his entire O-line. The Sooners should again put up points in bunches. The front seven has holes to fill. If it comes together, they should be back for another Big 12 Championship.
TCU Horned Frogs – Defense has experience and playmakers to be better than last season. Kenny Hill will need to get the offense to the endzone more because you’ve got to score to win in the Big 12.
West Virginia Mountaineers – Will Grier, a QB transfer from Florida, leads the offense. If he can get the offense going and the defense can be similar to last year’s tied for 35th in scoring defense, WVU could contend for a spot in the Big 12 title game.
Kansas State Wildcats – Bill Snyder’s team can hang with anyone in the conference. If the defense can repeat it’s performance of 2016 where it was 25th in scoring, it could surprise teams.
Texas Longhorns – Tom Herman has taken over for Charlie Strong and is expected to win right away. Can Herman help Shane Buechele grow in his sophomore season? The scoring defense must improve from 90th last year.
Baylor Bears – Matt Rhule comes over from Temple to try to get the Bears headed back in the right direction. The defense is inexperienced. It should be a transition year for Baylor but they should be able to be .500.
Kansas Jayhawks – The defensive line is the strength of the team. The Jayhawks scored 20.3 points per game while giving up 37.3. That’s got to drastically change but look for improvement on both sides of the ball this season. The schedule gives them a chance to get the most wins in years.
Texas Tech Red Raiders – Questions in the trenches. Can the O-line come together? Will the D-line be able to hold its own? The defense was the worst in the FBS last year so how much it will improve depends on how the Red Raiders do in 2017.
Iowa State Cyclones – Offense has big play potential. Defense needs to improve from 88th in scoring last season. The Cyclones’ schedule makes it tough to see many wins.
Big 12 Predictions
| Predicted Record | ||||
| BIG XII | W | L | CONF W | CONF L |
| Oklahoma State Cowboys | 11 | 1 | 8 | 1 |
| Oklahoma Sooners | 10 | 2 | 8 | 1 |
| TCU Horned Frogs | 8 | 4 | 6 | 3 |
| West Virginia Mountaineers | 8 | 4 | 6 | 3 |
| Kansas State Wildcats | 8 | 4 | 6 | 3 |
| Texas Longhorns | 6 | 6 | 4 | 5 |
| Baylor Bears | 6 | 6 | 3 | 6 |
| Kansas Jayhawks | 4 | 8 | 2 | 7 |
| Iowa State Cyclones | 3 | 9 | 1 | 8 |
| Texas Tech Red Raiders | 2 | 10 | 1 | 8 |
2017 Big 12 Football Championship Game Prediction
Oklahoma over Oklahoma State
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