Another year of offensive explosion? The Big 12 conference has a reputation for providing tremendous offensive firepower. But, over recent years, the defense has not met the mark. Although this may be true, with so many great players leaving the conference could offenses take a step back? How will Oklahoma fare in a post-Baker Mayfield era? Can Oklahoma State stay in the hunt after losing Mason Rudolph and James Washington? Will the Cinderella Cyclones take another step under Kyle Kempt? And, can Will Grier bring another Heisman and perhaps a first Big 12 championship to Morgantown? We look deeper at those questions as we give our Big 12 conference season predictions.
#10 Kansas Jayhawks (0-9) 
No surprise here. The only thing that saves the Jawhawks from a winless campaign in 2018 is a home opener against Nicholls. Kansas was non-competitive in the Big 12 last season. They lost nine conference games by an average score of 46-14. That’s good for the largest margin of loss in the country. Washington State transfer Peyton Bender does return at quarterback to give them stability at the position. However, that means very little and the Jayhawks aren’t able to escape the basement in 2018.
#9 Texas Tech Red Raiders (1-8) 
Even though the Red Raiders finished with a losing record, they did just enough to make a bowl game. That bowl appearance likely kept Kliff Kingsbury employed as a head coach for one more season. But, I don’t think the same will be said this season. The defense was improved last season, but not improved enough. McLane Carter won’t be as good as Nic Shimonek was a year ago. For that reason, I call for a long season in Lubbock.
#8 Baylor Bears (3-6) 
The Bears should be the most improved team in the Big 12 this season. Now, for a team that went 1-11 last season, there isn’t anywhere else to go but up. The second season under Matt Rhule and an influx of transfers will revitalize this program. Baylor will fight for a bowl bid this season and may give some teams at the top of the conference a scare.
#7 Kansas State Wildcats (4-5) 
Consistency. Bill Snyder has brought a level of consistency to Manhattan that Big 12 fans have come to expect over the years. You just don’t see the Wildcats beat themselves. In fact, they outplayed Oklahoma last year at home and were very close to coming up with the upset. Dalton Risner is one of the best tackles in college football. Competition at quarterback will be interesting to follow with Skylar Thompson being the better thrower while Alex Delton is the better runner.
#6 Iowa State Cyclones (5-4) 
The hottest coaching commodity may very well reside in Ames, Iowa. Matt Campbell is an impressive young coach and led the Cyclones to a bowl last year which included wins over Oklahoma and TCU. Iowa State snuck up on some people last season, which will not happen this year on the heels of the success a year ago. But, thankfully for Iowa State fans, this team is talented. Kyle Kempt and David Montgomery returned for an offense that will put up points in bunches.
#5 Oklahoma State Cowboys (5-4) 
How do you replace program leaders at quarterback and wide receiver and still finish in the top of the conference? First, you lean on Justice Hill. Hill was the best running back in the Big 12 last year. Also, the Cowboys will be relying on fifth-year senior Taylor Cornelius to lead the charge. New faces on the defensive sidelines in Jim Knowles and newly hired Gary Gibbs may dictate how good of a season this is in Stillwater. Replacing Washington and Marcell Ateman outside is also a concern on offense. The Cowboys will win the tiebreaker over Iowa State based on their head-to-head victory against them this season.
#4 West Virginia Mountaineers (6-3) 
The Mountaineers are a trendy pick to potentially challenge the Sooners for the Big 12 title. And, they will be right in the mix for that. Grier is every bit the Heisman candidate that he appears to be. And, this team will be much improved this season. Particularly on the defensive side of the ball is where the most improvement will be needed. West Virginia will be battle-tested as they face Tennessee and North Carolina State away from Morgantown. They will be right in the mix, but a regular season loss to Oklahoma moves them to a number four finish.
#3 Texas Longhorns (6-3) 
The Longhorns are a tough team to get a pulse on. Tom Herman has been successful everywhere he has been. And, talent is not an issue in Austin. Texas was 7-6 a year ago. But, they were also 10 points away from being 10-3. Sam Ehlinger will take the reigns at quarterback again this season. He must avoid the big mistake that plagued him in a couple of losses last year. The improvement across the board coupled with a head to head victory against West Virginia gets them to third place.
#2 TCU Horned Frogs (7-2) 
The Horned Frogs finished 11-3 a season ago with two of those three losses coming at the hands of Oklahoma. Gary Patterson is the best defensive coach in the conference. The defense has been pivotal to the success of the Frogs over the last couple of seasons. Shawn Robinson will replace Kenny Hill this season as the signal caller in Fort Worth. But, he is unproven. However, TCU returns KaVontae Turpin and Jalen Reagor at receiver who are both home run threats. The development of Robinson as a passer will be key to how good these Frogs can be.
#1 Oklahoma (8-1) 
The Sooners are not without question marks. Replacing key talent at quarterback, offensive line, and the secondary will be pivotal. All indications point to an improved defense with an infusion of young talent. However, without question, the success hinges largely on how effective Kyler Murray is. Murray will bring an element to the quarterback position that Sooner fans have not seen in many years. Be that as it may, the defense must step up and play better. The track record speaks for itself and it’s going to take a huge effort to dethrone the champs.
