Huge 12 at a glance: How will sendoff for Longhorns,
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Bill Connelly Close Expense Connelly ESPN Staff Author Costs Connelly is a personnel author for ESPN.com.Dave Wilson Close Dave Wilson ESPN Staff Writer Dave Wilson is an editor for ESPN.com because 2010. He formerly operated at The Dallas Morning News, San Diego Union-Tribune and Las Vegas Sun.Aug 23, 2023, 07:00 AM ET The Huge 12 has actually become known for wide-open offense, thrilling finishes and a well-rounded great time. This season must be
no different.Then there’s the added destination of the conference revolving door, with four new members– Houston, Cincinnati, BYU and UCF– coming in, prior to league stalwarts Texas and Oklahoma leave at the end of the season and four more newbies– Colorado, Arizona, Arizona State and Utah– sign up with the fun.But we’ll set those logistics aside and concentrate on what we’re looking forward to on the field over the next couple of months. Bill Connelly and Dave Wilson provide their insight on the Big 12’s leading transfers, instant-impact freshmen
and must-see September games, plus their power rankings and picks for MVP, sleeper team and the conference championship. Three transfers to understand< img alt =""src="https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/ncaa/500/197.png&h=60&w=60"width
=”30″/ > QB Alan Bowman, Oklahoma State: Bowman tossed for 5,329 backyards in parts of three injury-plagued seasons at Texas Tech, then rode the bench at Michigan for two years. Mike Gundy needs to hope he’s got some magic left.– Costs Connelly RB Treshaun Ward, Kansas State: KSU requires a Deuce Vaughn replacement
, and Ward, a former Florida State speedster, has enormous capacity.– Connelly QB Donovan Smith, Houston: Like Bowman, Smith remained in and out of the lineup at Texas Tech, and he’s got the play-making instincts to make Houston’s first Huge 12 offense terribly amusing.– Connelly Three positions to fill
Phillip Brooks and Kansas State’s large getting corps have huge shoes to fill. Andrew Wevers/USA TODAY Sports Baylor OL: In 2015’s offense, and significantly quarterback Blake Shapen, dealt with O-line problems and the Bears include an NFL-style offense that likes to pound the ball.– Dave Wilson Kansas State WR: Malik Knowles, Kade Warner and excellent pass-catching running back Deuce Vaughn are all gone, and Phillip Brooks and a host of newbies have a high requirement to meet.
— Wilson Oklahoma WR: 6 Sooners captured more than 10 passes last season, and four are gone. Jalil Farooq and others have a world of potential, however it’s still primarily potential heading into 2023.– Connelly 3 instant-impact freshmen How they’ll end up: Big 12 CONNELLY WILSON 1. Texas 1. Texas 2. Oklahoma 2. Oklahoma 3.
TCU 3. Texas Tech 4. Oklahoma State 4. TCU 5. Kansas State 5. Kansas State 6. Texas Tech 6. Baylor 7. UCF 7. Oklahoma State 8. Baylor 8. UCF 9. Kansas 9. Kansas 10. West Virginia 10. Houston 11. Houston
11. West Virginia 12. Iowa State 12. Iowa State 13
. Cincinnati
13. Cincinnati 14. BYU 14. BYU RB Cedric Baxter,
Texas:
A top-30 possibility, Baxter has the makeup to end up being a star; he
also has the opportunity, with in 2015’s leading two Texas rushers gone.– Connelly
QB J.J. Kohl, Iowa State: With Hunter
Dekkers’ status unsure at best, the four-star, in-state prospect will have a prime chance to do harm early in
his profession.– Connelly
WR Mikal Harrison-Pilot, Houston: The gem of Dana Holgorsen’s first Huge 12 class at Houston, Harrison-Pilot was a three-sport star in high school and
could rapidly find a niche in the Coogs’ receiving corps.– Connelly Three must-see September games Texas at Alabama, Sept. 9: The value of this one most likely goes without stating, yeah?– Connelly
Oregon at Texas Tech, Sept. 9: Texas Tech has actually developed quite a bit of buzz with the arrival of the charismatic Joey
McGuire and a rousing 2022 project, and this game is an enormous chance to bump that buzz up a couple more notches.– Connelly
Texas at Baylor, Sept. 23: Is Baylor prepared to leap back into the conference title discussion? Is Texas going to measure up to preseason hype this time? One of the very first conference games of the season is also among the most significant. — Connelly
MVP pick
For Oklahoma to succeed, Dillon Gabriel will need to develop rapport with a reasonably brand-new group of receivers. Nathan Ray Seebeck/USA TODAY Sports< img alt=""src="https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/ncaa/500/251.png&h=60&w=60"width=
“30”/ > Wilson: QB Quinn Ewers, Texas
Ewers revealed in 2015 that the Longhorns are as good as he can be. If all the offseason talk is genuine and he has turned a corner, he’ll take Texas to that evasive championship game.
Connelly: QB Dillon Gabriel, Oklahoma His value was proved when he missed time last season and the offense entirely collapsed. If he stays in the lineup and discovers a connection with a number of new receiving options, he needs to lead a pretty strong bounce-back project in Norman.On the hot spot West Virginia’s Neal Brown has actually done simply enough to conserve himself, but keeping his job might need more. Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire
Wilson: Neal Brown, West Virginia; Dana Holgorsen, Houston Brown’s Mountaineers closed strong last season with wins over Oklahoma and Oklahoma State in their last 3 games, but Brown is 22-25 at West Virginia and his athletic director was forced out last season. Holgorsen has a lot longer runway and insists he’s not on the hot seat, however Houston lastly landed a desirable spot in the Huge 12 and won’t wait long to attempt to take advantage.
Connelly: Brown needs to begin atop the list. He’s been proficient at doing just enough to conserve himself, but that’s going to get increasingly more challenging without some sort of real surge.Sleeper group Editor
‘s Picks 2 Related
Connelly: Oklahoma State
The Cowboys were afterthoughts in the preseason media poll, and they’ll require Alan Bowman to remain healthy and grow, however their line play ought to be rock solid, and they have actually got more talent at linebacker and in the ability corps than individuals understand. They’re only a couple of breaks away from a bounce-back season.
Wilson: Texas Tech The Red Raiders return 10 starters on offense after a season in which they beat Texas, Oklahoma, took TCU to the wire and won a championship game against Ole Miss. Offensive planner Zach Kittley and quarterback Tyler Shough are a strong combo and with a year of experience, they’ll be even better.Conference title game
Wilson: Texas 41, Texas Tech 35
Texas wins in one fun, last shootout.
Connelly: Texas 42, Oklahoma 28
I wish I had a more enjoyable response, however Texas and OU each make the title game in their final Huge 12 seasons, and Texas takes it.
could rapidly find a niche in the Coogs’ receiving corps.– Connelly Three must-see September games Texas at Alabama, Sept. 9: The value of this one most likely goes without stating, yeah?– Connelly
Oregon at Texas Tech, Sept. 9: Texas Tech has actually developed quite a bit of buzz with the arrival of the charismatic Joey
McGuire and a rousing 2022 project, and this game is an enormous chance to bump that buzz up a couple more notches.– Connelly
Texas at Baylor, Sept. 23: Is Baylor prepared to leap back into the conference title discussion? Is Texas going to measure up to preseason hype this time? One of the very first conference games of the season is also among the most significant. — Connelly
MVP pick
For Oklahoma to succeed, Dillon Gabriel will need to develop rapport with a reasonably brand-new group of receivers. Nathan Ray Seebeck/USA TODAY Sports< img alt=""src="https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/ncaa/500/251.png&h=60&w=60"width=
“30”/ > Wilson: QB Quinn Ewers, Texas
Ewers revealed in 2015 that the Longhorns are as good as he can be. If all the offseason talk is genuine and he has turned a corner, he’ll take Texas to that evasive championship game.
Connelly: QB Dillon Gabriel, Oklahoma His value was proved when he missed time last season and the offense entirely collapsed. If he stays in the lineup and discovers a connection with a number of new receiving options, he needs to lead a pretty strong bounce-back project in Norman.On the hot spot West Virginia’s Neal Brown has actually done simply enough to conserve himself, but keeping his job might need more. Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire
Wilson: Neal Brown, West Virginia; Dana Holgorsen, Houston Brown’s Mountaineers closed strong last season with wins over Oklahoma and Oklahoma State in their last 3 games, but Brown is 22-25 at West Virginia and his athletic director was forced out last season. Holgorsen has a lot longer runway and insists he’s not on the hot seat, however Houston lastly landed a desirable spot in the Huge 12 and won’t wait long to attempt to take advantage.
Connelly: Brown needs to begin atop the list. He’s been proficient at doing just enough to conserve himself, but that’s going to get increasingly more challenging without some sort of real surge.Sleeper group Editor
‘s Picks 2 Related
Connelly: Oklahoma State
The Cowboys were afterthoughts in the preseason media poll, and they’ll require Alan Bowman to remain healthy and grow, however their line play ought to be rock solid, and they have actually got more talent at linebacker and in the ability corps than individuals understand. They’re only a couple of breaks away from a bounce-back season.
Wilson: Texas Tech The Red Raiders return 10 starters on offense after a season in which they beat Texas, Oklahoma, took TCU to the wire and won a championship game against Ole Miss. Offensive planner Zach Kittley and quarterback Tyler Shough are a strong combo and with a year of experience, they’ll be even better.Conference title game
Wilson: Texas 41, Texas Tech 35
Texas wins in one fun, last shootout.
Connelly: Texas 42, Oklahoma 28
I wish I had a more enjoyable response, however Texas and OU each make the title game in their final Huge 12 seasons, and Texas takes it.