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Post by lynchmob42 on Jul 23, 2013 16:42:38 GMT -5
1. OSU (15) 365
2. OU (8) 355
3. TCU (9) 347
4. Texas (8) 337
5. Baylor (2) 282
6. KSU (1) 240
7. TTU 161
8. WVU 126
9. ISU 96
10. KU 56
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Post by lynchmob42 on Jul 23, 2013 16:43:45 GMT -5
My initial thoughts: 1) The first-place votes are widely split 2) The total "points" amongst the top four are widely split. This poll should lead us to believe that there will be a lot of parity in the league this season. Except, of course, for Kansas.  |
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Post by archie on Jul 24, 2013 12:31:42 GMT -5
I know you clumped them together based on poll votes, but I'd put TCU and Texas in the category with Baylor and KSU. I think all 4 of them will be in the 8-4 range. OU and OSU should be in the 10-2 range. Tech, WVU and ISU should be in the 6-6 or 7-5 range. Kansas was unlucky not to beat either Tech or Texas last year, I'll go out on a limb and say they steal one conference win.
Unfortunately, it looks like an anonymous year for the Big 12 on the national stage. With OU replacing a QB, it's really on OSU to make another run at a title like they did two years ago. I see no teams in the conference ranked in the top 10, but I see about 6 ranked in the 10-20 range.
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Mohawk
All-American
Posts: 189
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Post by Mohawk on Jul 24, 2013 17:36:24 GMT -5
I'll go out on a longer limb and say the Jayhawks will surprise some people this year. Kansas will not end the year in 10th place.
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Post by lynchmob42 on Jul 24, 2013 21:10:09 GMT -5
I'll go out on a longer limb and say the Jayhawks will surprise some people this year. Kansas will not end the year in 10th place. "Have you seen that pile of crap?" Kansas could "surprise" some people by winning two conference games.... And they'll still be in 10th place. |
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Post by archie on Jul 25, 2013 8:53:04 GMT -5
Another wild prediction that I'll make is that this year will be the last for Mack Brown. Texas fans will not put up with another 8-4 season and a 4th or 5th place finish in the conference.
Sometime in December, there will be a dump truck full of $100 bills backed up to Art Briles' driveway.
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Post by lynchmob42 on Jul 25, 2013 10:03:08 GMT -5
Another wild prediction that I'll make is that this year will be the last for Mack Brown. Texas fans will not put up with another 8-4 season and a 4th or 5th place finish in the conference. Sometime in December, there will be a dump truck full of $100 bills backed up to Art Briles' driveway. What if Texas wins the conference? What if they finish second? Texas would do well to get Briles. |
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Post by archie on Jul 25, 2013 11:00:57 GMT -5
If I were a Texas fan, that would be the scenario that worries me most. 10-2 or 11-1 (or better) is one thing, that would mean they're back in the mix for championships and BCS bowls. If they go 8-4 or 9-3 and finish second in the conference, then that's the same old mediocre status quo from the last few seasons. That shows no progress, no change for the better, and proves what a lot of people have been saying for the last few years... that the program has gone stale and bland and needs new direction. Texas football simply doesn't have an identity anymore, and hasn't since before Vince Young started at QB. Mack Brown keeps waffling on what kind of scheme he wants to run, a few years ago it was spread option, then it was ground and pound, now this offseason he wants to up tempo. Nobody in that program has any vision or direction for where they're going.
That's fun to watch in a devilish sort of way for rival fans like us. We love seeing our nemesis flounder and flail, but it's bad for the conference when your torch bearer is so mediocre. The conference is strongest and healthiest when our best and richest programs are at the top, and our programs challenging them are playing their best. We have the second part of that covered, everybody in the conference is playing quality football (with the exception of 1), now we need Texas and Oklahoma to get their act together (and I'm not letting Stoops off the hook either, they've kinda lost their edge the last few years too).
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Post by lynchmob42 on Jul 25, 2013 11:11:34 GMT -5
That's fun to watch in a devilish sort of way for rival fans like us. We love seeing our nemesis flounder and flail, but it's bad for the conference when your torch bearer is so mediocre. The conference is strongest and healthiest when our best and richest programs are at the top, and our programs challenging them are playing their best. We have the second part of that covered, everybody in the conference is playing quality football (with the exception of 1), now we need Texas and Oklahoma to get their act together (and I'm not letting Stoops off the hook either, they've kinda lost their edge the last few years too). Dead-on! The conference is really in a good position as long as either OU or UT is competing at a high level. Now, OU did share the conference championship last season, but they didn't exactly look spectacular in doing so. Everyone around their program, especially Switzer, has said that recruiting has been bad for a few years. Stoops really could be in trouble. |
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Post by archie on Jul 25, 2013 12:01:50 GMT -5
The trend for OU the last few years is that they've faded late in the season, especially defensively. Baylor and OSU have torched them with their offenses, and the Cotton Bowl was a debacle!
The conference needs to get back where it was in 2008 or so when OU and Texas were both top 10 and challenging for the BCS with OSU, Mizzou and Tech right behind them threatening. Right now we have OSU, KSU and TCU right there knocking on the door, but there's nobody above them on the perch to knock off! You gotta have that nemesis, that big bad bully on the block, they're the teams that you can make a statement by beating.
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