The 2022 college football season is so close we can almost taste it. The Oklahoma Sooners held their first practice of fall camp on Friday, meaning the home opener against UTEP will be here before we know it.
Brent Venables and the Oklahoma Sooners are looking to open the season strong in a year where expectations remain high after missing out on the Big 12 championship game in 2021.
The Big 12 looks tough this season. While Oklahoma will be among the favorites in the league, defending champion Baylor will be good on defense yet again, and if they can keep their running game going will be tough to beat in 2022. Oklahoma State has the most experienced quarterback in Spencer Sanders and, despite the losses on defense, should be one of the teams in contention.
Quinn Ewers, one of the least experienced quarterbacks in the Big 12, leaves the Longhorns as a wild card. They should be good again offensively, but that wasn’t necessarily the problem last year. It was the defense.
Throw in teams like Kansas State and West Virginia, who could be dark horse contenders, and there’s a solid six teams that could be in contention into November.
A lot of how the 2022 season transpires could simply come down to scheduling. The Oklahoma Sooners will play Baylor, Oklahoma State, and Kansas State at home. They have the neutral site game against Texas and have road games against Nebraska, West Virginia, and Iowa State that could prove difficult.
As we get set for the 2022 season, Pro Football Focus released their season preview (premium), and this is how they ranked the Big 12 according to strength of schedule.