With Credit to GoState (blech, can't believe I typed that,) Yahoo! Big 12 preview.

[Frozen Sooner]

http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaf/news;_ylt=Akzlflqy4iFKfHQSllWcoHIcvrYF?slug=rivals-101414&prov=rivals&type=lgns

OK, that should work now.

30 Mod Demerits for c&p'ing a condensed link at first.

[Soonerus]

Froz, your link is a stinker...

[Frozen Sooner]

Well, hell, it worked when I clicked on it in the PM. I'll edit and fix. Hang on.

[Frozen Sooner]

OK, never mind. Nothing to see here.

Apparently in the last 24 hours Yahoo! has taken the story down.

Blame me, not GoState (blech). It was working when he sent it to me.

[Soonerus]

If it was anybody else I would give you well-deserved grief...

[Frozen Sooner]

Oh, go ahead.

[goingoneight]

I really don't see T Tech falling behind either aggy in 2007. I'll bet they beat them both and maybe even Texas. I know they play in Asstin, but since when did the location stir up a Mike Leach coached offense? And T Tech's defense can't possibly look worse than it did in 2006. It's just not humanly possible.

BIG 12 North:
1. Nebraska: Same story as 2005 and 2006 team-- the truest and most solid North Team.
2. Missouri: Can't be too hard to copy-paste the 2006 effort. It was cute watching them run up scoreboard on the likes of BRSI State, but the South will bite them in the *** when the visit Norman, and even Fran can pull off this win.
3. Kansas State: Gotta go with the team whose defense overachieved in 2006. Using the term overachieved, of course in reference to not allowing fifty points per game and actually setting the stage for bowl-eligibility. Prince may be onto something with a less youthful bunch in 2007. Offense will be an issue... can the kid step up like he did against Texas? Or choke like he did in the post-season.
4. Kansas: Mangino will get tired of this bottomless pit soon.
5. Colorado: Boise State defensive philosophy looked good, but the offense was anything but productive. Defense only wins championships when you can actaully score points on offense, too. Dan Hawkins feels the heat fast if he doesn't at least get to a bowl. And if anyone watched OSU in 2006, it's not too hard to do that these days.
6. Iowa State: This could take a while to do anything but get blown-out for Gene Chizik. Look for a late-season surge, with an upset or two ala Kansas State in 2005. Signs of what Chizik can do for a program will likely show up too late to make bowl plans. You're looking at a BIG 12 bottom-feeder who can't even recruit well, by FAR-- the most difficult job in the conference (in terms of succeeding).

BIG 12 South:
1. Oklahoma: Why? I know the QB, LB, and DE situation. But since when has Brent Venables and Bob Stoops failed to provide solid contributors at linebacker? Their success goes back to the K-State days here. DE has talent, and has a few returning with game experience, just not starting experience. The secondary will be the strength of OU for the first time since 2003. As long as OUr QB has reasonable skill, he can do much the same as Nate Hybl and Paul Thompson did-- utilize the great talent surrounding him. You're looking at first team ALL BIG 12 receivers (and possibly an eventual AA in Malcom kelly), a solid running attack, and the deepest, most quality OL we've seen in a long time under Stoops. Miami has no bearing on the conference crown, Oklahoma will only be tested or beaten by Texas, and maybe Tech in Lubbock.
2. Texas: Some will say this doesn't make sense... but from what I've seen in 2006, Texas' "ALL AMERICAN" defensive backs couldn't cover a feather with a blanket. And guess what... they're gone! Imagine what people will do when they have little or NO experience back there. TCU is licking their chops as we speak. Mark my words... if Rhett Bomar has any success throwing against Texas, everyone in the BIG 12 will. If Mack couldn't beat aTm on his home field, in a game where only 19 total points were scored, how's he gonna overcome College Station? Mike Leach's offense will have a field day if this defense cannot improve. Much of the Texas defensive fallout may have been due to the drama surrounding Gene Chizik, who seemed to want out so badly, he looked away from such jobs as Alabama, Miami, North Carolina and Michigan State for none other than mighty Iowa State. Make no mistake, Colt McCoy will carry them as far as he can go when healthy, but he's one big hit away from watching his team implode.

The October Red River Shootout will host the BIG 12 South Champ, but may not necessarily decide it, ala 2001 & 2006...

3. Texas Tech: Graham Harrell is at an advantage-- he is the first returning starting quarterback under Mike Leach to have a full year as a starter. Early prediction-- four loss season that includes one shocker ala Colorado 2006.
4. Oklahoma State: Mike Gundy has a big-game offense that is already echoing "PISTOL'S FIRING" in a shriel, annoying voice. They'll score a lot this season, but visits to Norman, College Station, Lincoln, and yes... even Waco are question markes for OSU. Defense is up in the air. Is Tim Beckman going to be any different than what OSU has had the last... ever? Great athletes, big play capability, but coaching is going to hurt them down the line when they play the likes of Stoops and Brown. Georgia, OU, Texas, Texas A&M, and Texas Tech are dangerous, but OSU is good enough to beat at least one of them, and they get Tech and UT at home.
5. Texas A&M: Dennis Franchione runs a dinosaur offense, and only went to a bowl game in 2006 because of fluke wins and piling up stats against powerhouses such as The Citadel. Look for aggy to get destroyed in Norman and Lubbock. Calls for Fran's head will be in place unless he can eek another Lone Star Showdown victory.
6. Baylor: It was cute while it lasted. Guy Morris is beginning to sound delusional when he says stuff like "we're trying to build a championship program at Baylor." 2005 and early 2006 were a product of veteran Bears making key plays, notice they still have yet to reach the post-season in quite some time. Don't they allow 5-win teams into bowls these days?

[sooner518]

YES!! We have the #1 kicker in the Big 12!!!!!

[OzarkSooner]

Nevah mind....

[colleyvillesooner]

Malcolm is better than Bowman. Look at the numbers. Kelly had 5 games over 100 yds. AB had 2. He had 25% of his yards and 33% of his Td's against the leagues worst pass defense.

[OSUAggie]

Malcolm is better than Bowman. Look at the numbers. Kelly had 5 games over 100 yds. AB had 2. He had 25% of his yards and 33% of his Td's against the leagues worst pass defense.

You don't really need to quote stats to prove that he's better than Bowman, you just have to watch each of them play once to see that.

However, I'll take Bowman over Malcolm if I'm running a bunch of 15 or 20-yard slants.

[colleyvillesooner]

You don't really need to quote stats to prove that he's better than Bowman, you just have to watch each of them play once to see that.

However, I'll take Bowman over Malcolm if I'm running a bunch of 15 or 20-yard slants.

Even if bobby reid is your QB? ;)

[OSUAggie]

5-yard slants are better with Bobby... Sometimes.

[GoState]

Malcolm is better than Bowman. Look at the numbers. Kelly had 5 games over 100 yds. AB had 2. He had 25% of his yards and 33% of his Td's against the leagues worst pass defense.

Look at the numbers? Ok.

RECEIVING
.......................GP-GS No. Yds Avg TD Long Avg/G
Bowman,Adarius 13-13 60 1181 19.7 12 75 90.8 (okstate.com)

Kelly, Malcolm GP-GS No. Yds Avg TD Long Avg/G
...................14-13 62 993 16.0 10 73 70.9 (soonersports.com)


Didn't Kelly get hurt in the bowl and not play that much? To be fair, throw out the game against BSU, so avg/g be 993/13=76.4. Make Bowman have an average day against KU, and his stats would roughly look something like this: 971 yards, 9TD, 75 yards game, 16 avg/catch. Not such an obvious difference, eh? 60% of the time, my stats are correct 100% of the time.

[Tear Down This Wall]

How stupid is Olin Buchanan? Our tight ends haven't been a factor since Jonathan Hayes took his assistant coaching act to the NFL. To my knowledge we didn't change the TE coach, so how he can say Jermaine Gresham will "emerge" this year is beyond all comprehension.

Emerge, indeed. What a joke.

[sooneron]

I think that re-tooling an entire D line with undersized LBs spells trouble for Nebbish. Luckily, they are in the north, but they could have some issues against the 4 better teams from the league. They will need to score a lot of points.

[Soonerus]

I should have given Mike grief before the link resurrected itself...

[DeadSolidPerfect]

Look at the numbers? Ok.

RECEIVING
.......................GP-GS No. Yds Avg TD Long Avg/G
Bowman,Adarius 13-13 60 1181 19.7 12 75 90.8 (okstate.com)

Kelly, Malcolm GP-GS No. Yds Avg TD Long Avg/G
...................14-13 62 993 16.0 10 73 70.9 (soonersports.com)


Didn't Kelly get hurt in the bowl and not play that much? To be fair, throw out the game against BSU, so avg/g be 993/13=76.4. Make Bowman have an average day against KU, and his stats would roughly look something like this: 971 yards, 9TD, 75 yards game, 16 avg/catch. Not such an obvious difference, eh? 60% of the time, my stats are correct 100% of the time.Look everybody, Aggy's doin' math.:stunned: