BIG 12's BIG YEAR
Got my Sports Illustrated today. Rankings time again.
A third of their Top 15 are from the Big 12, and this year's order might surprise you:
No. 4 - Missouri
No. 6 - Oklahoma
No. 8 - Texas Tech (my alma mater)
No. 13 - Texas
No. 15 - Kansas
Heckuva season to try to win more than 10 games. In fact, SI has the 'Horns finishing the regular season at 9-3 (same as last year), and my Red Raiders as possibly winning the South.
I've always thought it would come down to the Texas/Texas Tech game in Lubbock to decide this season's South Division champ. SI believes it will be an OU/Tech shootout for that coveted prize.
Those five teams above have a lot in common, but one of the most obvious common denominators is they all have really good quarterbacks: Chase Daniel at Missouri; Sam Bradford at OU; Graham Harrell at Tech; Colt McCoy at Texas; and Todd Reesing (out of Lake Travis in Austin) at Kansas.
Whoever sits atop the Big 12 QB statistics list at the end of the season will no doubt be a strong candidate for the Heisman. Colt has always been up for a good challenge, and posting numbers ahead of those other four guys will be the biggest hurdle he's faced to date.
I still like his chances, especially if the Longhorns' defense can come through for Coach Muschamp, the team's fourth defensive coordinator in as many years.
Also, Mack Brown is finally heeding my advice from last year to get John Chiles more involved in the offense. I believe that will increase Colt's chances of success, both passing and running.
Think double-barreled shotgun with a semi-spread offense.
I'd rank that high in my college wish-list of things to see.