Each morning Longhorns Wire will share the top stories from around the Big 12 Conference. For this edition of the Big 12 Morning Rush USA TODAY Sports, Phil Steele and College Football News provide the headlines.
BYU out for Big 12 if needed for 10-game conference schedule, per report
One idea that we were tossing around was the thought of adding BYU to the Big 12 Conference for one season. A very similar move that the ACC pulled by adding Notre Dame to their entire schedule. However our colleagues at Sooners Wire says that isn’t on the table.
The hot idea to mention was BYU. And that didn’t even reach the rumor phase of social media this time around.
During the last two rounds of realignment for the Big 12, BYU was a common name, but the conference never got to the point to invite or accept the Cougars bid to join.
.@BYUfootball to the Big 12 (this season) was a fun idea, but a conference source tells me there's "no chance."
— Matt Mosley (@mattmosley) July 31, 2020
Phil Steele releases Big 12 order of finish predictions
The annual Phil Steele magazine is out and he laid out just how he interprets the Big 12 finishing in 2020.
College football analyst Phil Steele made his predictions for the 2020 college football season, including the Big 12. And those rankings reflect the potentially wild nature of the conference; Steele has three teams tied for one spot.
Steele’s 350-page season preview is available exclusively at Books-A-Million and Barnes & Nobles book stores or online at PhilSteele.com. Known as “the book experts can’t do without,” Steele’s magazine is celebrating its 26th anniversary as one of the most accurate — and certainly information-packed — preseason previews in the country.
(1) Oklahoma
(2) Texas
This year they return 16 starters including QB [Sam] Ehlinger, a deeper stable of RB’s and a defense that is even more [experienced] than 9 [returning starters] with a lot of players having experience due to ’19’s injuries.
(3) Oklahoma State
(4) Texas Christian
(5) Iowa State
(6) West Virginia
(T-7) Texas Tech
(T-7) Baylor
(T-7) Kansas State
(10) Kansas
Big 12 Rankings: 2020 CFN Five Year College Football Program Analysis
Our colleagues at College Football News performed a five-year analysis on the 10 Big 12 programs to come out with an average ranking. Here is how they are laid out.
(1) Oklahoma: 142.10
(2) Texas: 86.01
Texas has won just 53% of its Big 12 games over the last five years? Seriously? The mere 13 drafted players are almost as embarrassing, but the huge Attendance Score of 9.49 and huge Elite Win Score helped provide the bump.
(3) Oklahoma State: 84.31
(4) Texas Christian: 83.06
(5) West Virginia: 74.45
(6) Baylor: 70.18
(7) Kansas State: 62.38
(8) Texas Tech: 56.12
(9) Iowa State: 51.81
(10) Kansas: 16.46