Tag: Big 12 football predictions

Longhorns Wire: Final Big 12 record predictions ahead of media days

TCU moves back up in this final Big 12 record prediction with Texas still No. 1.

Big 12 media week is upon us. The Texas Longhorns enter the week of discussion as the clear favorite to win the Big 12 title.

Naysayers will naysay, but the reality is that no team returns or adds what Texas has in the fold for 2023. It’s hard to naysay this: Texas has the best wide receiver room, offensive line, tight end, secondary and individual linebacker in the Big 12. If not Texas, who has better?

Kansas State returns some key pieces from last year’s title team and Oklahoma brings in several starter caliber players through the transfer portal. Even so, K-State’s departures are more significant than most, while Oklahoma had plenty of starter roles to fill.

Outside of the three above teams, TCU and Texas Tech stand as the primary contenders, with Kansas, UCF and Baylor not far behind. On the whole, the Big 12 is a good league in the middle. It simply doesn’t have much firepower at the top.

Here’s a look at what the Big 12 standings could look like in its final season with Oklahoma and Texas.

Could Texas have four All-Americans on its 2023 football squad?

Texas could realistically have four All-American football players and we wouldn’t bat an eye.

Does the Texas football squad have four All-American players on its 2023 football team? This writer thinks so. While some hype surrounding the Longhorns football squad is out of hand, you can be assured that four of the team’s players are set for a huge season in a couple months.

I’ve pumped the brakes on Texas making the College Football Playoff. That’s likely not happening and I would be shocked if quarterback Quinn Ewers is anywhere near the Heisman race at the end of the season. The Longhorns are going to have four All-American caliber players, however, and might have more.

We’ll start with last season’s best defender in the Big 12, Jaylan Ford. The clutch linebacker forced a turnover in six straight games while hovering around the top of the Big 12 leaderboard in several defensive categories.

Wide receiver Xavier Worthy and tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders are clearly the best in the conference at their positions. In their position group, you would have to consider them Top 5 players in college football.

Left tackle Kelvin Banks has already proven himself elite as a pass blocker. Should he consistently maul in the running game, he’s a first-team All-American candidate at tackle.

Georgia transfer receiver AD Mitchell and Wyoming transfer receiver Isaiah Neyor are All-American caliber players should they stay healthy. While I wouldn’t expect the team to make a playoff run because of too much uncertainty, you can count on elite performance at multiple positions.

ESPN’s Bill Connelly picks apart Big 12 conference outside of Texas

Bill Connelly praises Texas, picks apart Oklahoma in analysis of Big 12 teams.

ESPN analytics expert Bill Connelly likes Texas heading into its final season in the Big 12. He does not appear to like much else in the Longhorns’ current conference.

Connelly said the following of Texas’ need to capitalize on a weakened Big 12 Conference.

“OU’s got upside but no depth. KSU’s got the line play but might lack upside now. OSU and TCU might have the depth (Tech, too), but defense is sketchy. I like UCF’s roster, but they collapsed late in 2022. Baylor’s depth on D and OL is perilous.”

There’s plenty to unpack there, but the first sentence stands out after saying it for much of the offseason. Oklahoma will be great if starters stay healthy. That’s a significant condition and one it certainly cannot count on in any season.

Jalil Farooq is a terrific player, the offensive line is solid and the defense has significantly upgraded, but imagine what the Sooners look like if Farooq isn’t healthy or the team plays without two offensive line starters. It probably looks like the spring game looked for the Oklahoma offense.

The other primary challenger is Kansas State, who Connelly says might lack upside. That feels like a narrow view of the team given quarterback Will Howard is more dynamic than most quarterbacks who have led the Wildcats.

Let’s nip the Oklahoma State and TCU depth credit in the bud: TCU lost several draft picks in the past NFL draft. While they could be good, the frogs figure to have depth issues. As for Oklahoma State, the Cowboys didn’t have the NFL draft success the Horned Frogs had and somehow lost more than TCU in the portal.

The underlying point is clear and reasonable: Texas has every reason to win the Big 12 this season. Head coach Steve Sarkisian needs to capitalize.

CBS Sports projects Texas to lose two Big 12 games in 2023

CBS Sports believes Texas will finally reach a 10-win season in 2023, but the two projected losses may surprise you.

Many believe Texas has the most talented roster in the Big 12 Conference ahead of the 2023 college football season. It’s tough to argue against that. Continue reading “CBS Sports projects Texas to lose two Big 12 games in 2023”

Predicting which Longhorns make the All-Big 12 team

Six Longhorns make our first-team all-conference list.

We’re ramping up toward the Big 12’s media day sessions and various predictions are rolling in for the 2023 season. As you might expect, Texas is seeing the most acclaim.

The league’s deadline for media to submit league predictions just passed with a handful of media members sharing their picks. The first-team all-conference selections are the next noteworthy item under consideration.

We’ve shared superlative predictions and discussed others’ predicted conference standings this week. One common theme from the projections is that the Texas Longhorns appear head-and-shoulders above competition in what they return and the roster they field.

Several Longhorns have the ability to secure all-conference accolades. Wide receiver Xavier Worthy seems almost certain to win first team honors, while AD Mitchell could win Big 12 Newcomer of the Year. Ja’Tavion Sanders joins the receiving trio as one who should make the first team list as well.

Here’s a look at our preseason first-team all-conference prediction for the 2023 season.

Texas ranks atop On3’s Big 12 football preseason poll

Texas is viewed as the perennial favorite in the Big 12 this upcoming season.

The buzz around Austin is the same as it always seems to be before each season. Texas fans are confident that this upcoming football season will be their year.

However, unlike in years prior which ended in utter disappointments, there is an aura around this team that many around the country are beginning to notice. The Longhorns are projected to make the College Football Playoff by a variety of national media networks, and according to 247Sports’ blue chip ratio, Texas is one of the 16 teams that can legitimately win the title in 2023.

While this is normally the time that Texas fans are talking themselves into believing this team is destined for greatness, the stars are actually aligning for the Longhorns.

They have an experienced roster with rising stars all over the place, while the rest of the conference and typical playoff contenders seem to be rebuilding. The fans aren’t the only ones that have a belief in Texas, as On3‘s Joe Cook released his Big 12 preseason poll and Texas secured the No. 1 spot. Cook cited their talent and the improvements we saw from year one to year two as the reason why.

I’ll feed into the preseason hype that many other media members will make contributions to. The talented roster, the improvement from Year 1 to Year 2 under Steve Sarkisian, and the sense of urgency that hasn’t been felt in Austin in some time places the Longhorns No. 1 in my preseason poll — the last Big 12 preseason poll they’ll ever appear in.

Kansas State came in as the No. 2 team while Texas Tech was right behind them at No. 4.

The Longhorns are looking to win their first and final Big 12 title since 2009 before they make the move to the SEC.

Early Big 12 superlative predictions for the 2023 football season

We look at who will take home trophies from the Big 12 conference in 2023.

Big 12 media days is around the corner with several media members submitting their 2023 predictions for the season. Texas is seeing plenty of shine, and frankly it’s warranted.

The most meticulous prosecuting attorney couldn’t find fault with the Texas wide receiver room. In addition, it’s hard not to like what Texas has on the offensive line. At tight end, the Longhorns return perhaps their best 2024 NFL draft prospect in Ja’Tavion Sanders. On the defensive side, the team adds elite safety Jalen Catalon to the No. 3 defense in the Big 12 from a season ago.

CBS Sports’ Shehan Jeyarajah is buying stock in Texas predicting the Longhorns will win Big 12 offensive, defensive and newcomer players of the year awards. Even if the rightful winners of those awards are Longhorns, it’s likely the coaches in the conference will vote for players from other teams. With that in mind, here’s a look at potential superlative winners for the upcoming season.

Sirius XM Big 12 radio producer reveals Big 12 standings prediction

Talented continuity helps Texas top another Big 12 standings prediction.

Big 12 media days is around the corner, and media who cover the league have submitted their preseason league standings predictions. Sirius XM Big 12 radio producer Robbie Triano unveiled his conference standings picks.

Triano’s prediction goes as follows.

  1. Texas
  2. Kansas State
  3. Oklahoma State
  4. Oklahoma
  5. TCU
  6. UCF
  7. Texas Tech
  8. Baylor
  9. BYU
  10. Kansas
  11. West Virginia
  12. Houston
  13. Cincinnati
  14. Iowa State

The two most eye opening predictions involved the Oklahoma State Cowboys and Texas Tech Red Raiders. Tech is widely regarded as a conference title contender based on what it returns. The Cowboys lose more than they return from a team that endured a monumental collapse in the conference title race last year.

Texas, Kansas State and Oklahoma rightfully slot inside the top four. The Longhorns return the No. 3 statistical defense from last season among Big 12 teams. Iowa State and Cincinnati ranked ahead of Texas last season.

Oklahoma returns the nation’s No. 13 offense, while Kansas State was respectable on both sides of the football.

We’ll soon know which teams the rest of the Big 12 media view as the league’s best heading into the 2023 season. Expect Texas, K-State, Oklahoma and Texas Tech to each slot inside the top five.

Looking at where every Big 12 defense ranked in the 2022 season

Texas returns several players from one of the best statistical defenses in the Big 12 last season.

The Big 12 is loaded with offensive firepower. As a result, there hasn’t been much dominant defense in the conference outside of a select few. The league’s defensive struggles are likely tied to that offensive firepower.

Several Big 12 teams ranked in the bottom half of college football in statistical defense. The addition of Houston among other outmatched newcomers should likely cause that trend to continue.

Last season, Kansas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech and Houston finished outside of the Top 100 defenses in college football. While each group could certainly improve there will be plenty of room for growth.

Unsurprisingly, Iowa State led the Big 12 defensively in 2022. What might come as a surprise is the team’s No. 4 ranking in total defense.

With the high degree of variance in defensive production, let’s look at where every team ranked in total defense last season.

Breaking down Shehan Jeyarajah’s Big 12 standings prediction for 2023

One CBS Sports college football analyst has Texas atop his Big 12 standings prediction.

Texas is viewed highly in one Big 12 standings prediction. Shehan Jeyarajah of CBS Sports revealed his record predictions for every Big 12 team.

Unsurprisingly, the top four included Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas State and Texas Tech. The Big 12 championship would most likely involve two of these four teams given what the teams return and who they play.

Kansas State returns as the conference title winner. Rightfully many view the team as a favorite to defend the mantle this season. Texas and Texas Tech stand as the primary contenders based on returning production.

The Oklahoma Sooners are seen as a darkhorse Big 12 title contender despite a 6-7 season last year. The schedule sets up nicely as the team avoids Texas Tech, Kansas State and Baylor. Many tout the team’s unlucky record in one-score games as reason for a bounce-back.

Here’s a complete look at Jeyarajah’s Big 12 record predictions for the 2023 season.