For the first time in six years, the Oklahoma Sooners are not the preseason favorite in the Big 12. Instead, for the very first time in program history, the Baylor Bears are on top of the Big 12 Football Media Preseason Poll.
After winning the conference last season, Baylor is viewed as the favorite by the voters, claiming 17 first-place votes. Oklahoma is right behind them at No. 2 getting 12 first-place votes.
Texas received two first-place votes and in a surprise, Iowa State earned one first-place vote.
Considering the turnover that occurred seemingly everywhere in Norman, second place in the preseason poll isn’t bad.
Depending on how Venables does in his first year, this is looking to be a much less top-heavy Big 12 than we’ve seen in the last half-decade. Baylor is a proven commodity, but they are also dealing with a lot of turnover on both sides of the ball.
If Brent Venables and his coaching staff’s new mentality has truly been installed into the fabric of this program, the Sooners will do well in the Big 12 this season.
Can they win the Big 12 and make the playoff? Another way of asking that question is: Can the Sooners win the Big 12 while losing no more than one game? If Jeff Lebby gets the best out of Dillon Gabriel, that feels like a real possibility.
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