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Big 12 Football Summer Questions
With football season still four months away, this is a good time to take a
look at the problems facing the Big 12 Conference teams this year.
Defending champion Oklahoma is a pre-season top 5 national pick, so the
Sooners obviously don't have a lot of problems.
But they lost six defensive starters and two of them were linebackers,
including the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year - MLB Curtis Lofton.
They also lost three of the four starters in the secondary, including All-Big
12 safety Reggie Smith.
Sooner head coach Bob Stoops says the replacements are good ones, but the
middle backer will have to really good to be as big a factor in most games at
Lofton was.
Missouri is expected to repeat as the Northern Division champ, and the Tigers
have six starters back on each side of the ball.
But they lost three offensive linemen and star RB Tony Temple. If they
replace them with similarly talented players, they should be able to win the North
again.
Texas usually battles Oklahoma for the Southern Division title, but the
Longhorns lost All-Big 12 RB Jamaal Charles and have only four starters back on
defense.
They will miss Charles' explosiveness, but the defense probably will be
better because of the influence of new defensive coordinator Will Muschamp.
Kansas went 12-1 last year, losing only to Missouri, and the Jayhawks have 16
starters back, but DT James McClinton and CB Aqib Talib were All-Big 12
performers who were true difference makers.
The Kansas coaches will have to turn up some more players on defense to make
game-changing plays like the departed players did with regularity.
Texas Tech went 9-4 last year and the Red Raiders have 10 offensive and 8
defensive starters coming back.
Tech might win the conference title if the new junior college players the
coaching staff brought in can make the defense play just a little bit better.
Texas Tech scores a lot of points, but sometimes got outscored last year, no
tably against Texas, a 59-43 loss, and Oklahoma State, a 49-45 defeat.
If the defense avoids total meltdowns, look out for Texas Tech.
Colorado had its moments in 2007, including a come-from-behind victory over
Oklahoma, but the Buffs lost great inside linebacker Jordan Dizon and All-Big
12 CB Terrence Wheatley.
If they find some more difference makers on defense, the Buffs might be able
to challenge Missouri and Kansas for the Northern Division title.
Oklahoma State's offense was dynamite last year, but the Cowboys' defense was
terrible most of the time, and will have to be much better in 2008 for OSU to
do more than be a spoiler.
Texas A&M has a new coach and only nine returning starters. The Aggies will
have to play better defensively and more consistent offensively to improve on
last year's 7-6 record.
Nebraska went 5-7 last year, due mainly to one of the worst defenses in all
of college football.
There is a new coach in Lincoln and his first-year success will depend on how
quickly he can get the defense playing better.
Kansas State has upset Texas the last two years, but the Wildcats have been
Mildcats against almost every other team.
They went 5-7 last year, and, like Nebraska, a really bad defense was the
team's worst liability.
Only five defensive starters are back and that's probably a good thing
because the new guys can't play any worse than the ones who left.
Iowa State and Baylor were No. 6 in their respective 6-team divisions last
year and both might be better, but neither will be good enough to ge up to the
break-even mark in Big 12 play.
New Baylor coach Art Briles has been a winner throughout his career, and he
probably will make the Bears play better, but it might takes a year or two.
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