The 2020 Big 12 Preview with the top players, biggest games, most important transfers, and thoughts on each team.
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5. Big 12 2020 Preview
The Big 12 is used to this.
While the other four Power Five are adjusting to the idea of their expanded conference seasons, this is just another campaign for a Big 12 conference that always plays a nine-game league slate.
That doesn’t mean the conference shouldn’t expand to 12 teams and do this right, but that’s for another day.
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The unique aspect of the schedules will put the spotlight on the ACC, Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC, but the Big 12 should have the most competitive fight from top-to-almost bottom.
A very good team is likely going to end up with three wins this year.
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Last year, West Virginia, Texas, Texas Tech and Kansas all had three Big 12 wins or fewer, and all four came up with two non-conference wins each. The other six teams went 16-2 in non-conference play, with the only two misfires the 18-17 Iowa State loss to Iowa, and the Texas defeat to an LSU team that turned out to be okay.
This year, the conference teams won’t have the benefit of two of those non-conference dates, so 5-5 will be a great year for most.
Oklahoma is still the runaway star with the most talent, the most depth, and the right system to keep the run of five straight Big 12 championships going.
But it’s not going to be a walk in the park.
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Texas is more than good enough to pull off a win over the Sooners – either in the regular season or, potentially, in the Big 12 Championship – and Oklahoma State should be able to hang with anyone in America if that offense does what it’s supposed to.
Iowa State is too experienced and too good to be considered just a pesky annoyance, and Kansas State and TCU each have the upside to sneak into that No. 2 spot in the Big 12 Championship game if things get a bit muddled.
Baylor will take a step back, but it’s still a player, and West Virginia and Texas Tech are going to be far stronger – even if the records don’t necessarily show it.
And yeah, Kansas will pull off an upset somewhere. It’s going to take something quirky, but it’ll happen.
Take a potential blast of a conference schedule and throw in the most exciting brand of college football going, and it should be business as usual for the Big 12.