http://sportsday.dallasnews.com/col...20/2016-might-already-year-quarterback-big-12
Not sure if the link is subscriber protected. Here are a few excerpts.
1. Patrick Mahomes, Texas Tech: Other Big 12 QBs may grab more national headlines, but nobody produces touchdowns and yardage at Patrick Mahomes' rate. Last season, he led the Big 12 in total offense at 393 yards per game.
2. Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma: Year 1 of the Lincoln Riley/Baker Mayfield marriage was a major success. Can Mayfield put up similar numbers without go-to receiver Sterling Shepard.
3. Seth Russell, Baylor: Seth Russell was putting up Heisman-like numbers before going down with a neck injury in 2015. While Russell was cleared medically in June, questions remain about his comeback from a serious injury.
4. Mason Rudolph, Oklahoma State: The connection of Mason Rudolph and James Washington came on strong to end last season. How will Rudolph adjust as the sole QB instead of sharing snaps with J.W. Walsh?
___________________________________________________________________
Predicted Finish
1. TCU
2. Oklahoma
3. Oklahoma State
4. West Virginia
__________________________________________________________________
Oklahoma State at Baylor (Sept. 24): Each team sees itself as a contender. It's Baylor's first real test under Jim Grobe after a typically light non-conference schedule. If Oklahoma State survives Baylor, it could be undefeated going into in the final two games of the regular season: TCU and Oklahoma.
Oklahoma at TCU (Oct. 1): Beyond the Big 12, this game carries major College Football Playoff implications. The winner becomes the overwhelming Big 12 favorite -- yes, even that early. Oklahoma survived the Horned Frogs last year on a deflected conversion pass by Steven Parker.
_________________________________________________________________________
1. Samaje Perine, Oklahoma: With a combination of power and speed, Perine has produced 3,062 yards and 37 touchdowns rushing in his first two seasons. For a back that gets a lot of carries, Perine's 6.3 yards per carry is awfully impressive.
2. Mike Warren, Iowa State: No Cyclone has produced consecutive 1,000-yard seasons since Ennis Haywood in 2000 and '01. Warren has a great chance. Despite getting just nine carries in the first two games of his freshman season, he finished with 1,339 yards rushing, with six games over 100 yards.
3. Shock Linwood, Baylor: He will be seeking his third 1,000-yard season but will have to earn his carries in a competitive and crowded backfield. Linwood is at his best as a north-south runner.
4. D'Onta Foreman, Texas: A pile-driving running back at 241 pounds, Foreman was a nice offensive bright spot with four 100-yard games before missing the final two contests. He figures to be a great fit in Sterlin Gilbert's power spread offense.
5. Joe Mixon, Oklahoma: The offense took off when the OU coaches found a way to get Mixon on the field with Perine. He ran for 136 yards in the Big 12-clinching win over Oklahoma State and looked like the elite big-play back he was coming out of California.
6. Johnny Jefferson, Baylor: He might be the most dangerous single-wing tailback in college football - admittedly a small size. With Baylor's quarterback position decimated by injuries, Jefferson stunned North Carolina with 299 yards rushing in the Russell Athletic Bowl.
7. Chris Warren III, Texas: After bulking up to 255 pounds in the spring, Warren will have to prove he can carry the extra weight. The former Rockwall standout had 382 of his season total of 470 yards in his final two games.
8. Barry J. Sanders, Oklahoma State: He could be in the top three by the end of the season or out of the rankings all together. The son of the Heisman winner averaged 6.2 yards a carry as the backup to Christian McCaffrey at Stanford. Of course, his dad backed up Thurman Thomas at Oklahoma State.
_________________________________________________________________
1. James Washington, Oklahoma State: The junior is poised to follow Corey Coleman and Josh Doctson as the Big 12's next great receiver. A great deep threat, he averaged 20.5 yards a catch last season with four receptions of more than 70 yards.
2. K.D. Cannon, Baylor: With the departure of Coleman a year early, Cannon becomes Baylor's go-to receiver. It's not like he's been under the radar his first two seasons with 108 catches and a 17.6 average. Cannon probably needs to improve his route running and focus to take the next step. He's also coming off minor knee surgery this summer.
3. Shelton Gibson, West Virginia: If you want a home-run hitter, look no further than Shelton. He averaged 24 yards per catch, second in the country. His numbers could have been even better without some key drops.
4. Dede Westbrook, Oklahoma: Westbrook is likely to become Baker Mayfield's new favorite target with the departure of Sterling Shepard. Expect him to greatly improve his 46 catches from last season.
5. Marcell Ateman, Oklahoma State: At 6-4 and 215 pounds, the senior from Wylie East is a nice compliment to Washington and dangerous in goal-line situations with his size.
__________________________________________________________________
1. TCU: The key challenge for the Horned Frogs will be blending last year's seven returning starters with four 2014 starters who were injured and now return. One example: defensive lineman Josh Carraway had nine sacks and nine hurries last season and will be joined by Chick-fil-A Bowl MVP James McFarland, who missed all of 2015. Young linebackers Travin Howard, Ty Summers and Montrel Wilson gained valuable experience, with Howard leading TCU with 105 tackles.
2. Oklahoma: The Sooners led the Big 12 in five major categories last season, including total defense and scoring defense. Replacing four departed all-Big 12 starters will be chore. Linebacker Jordan Evans (83 tackles) and defensive lineman Charles Walker will be keys in the front seven. Standout defensive back Jordan Thomas has to avoid any more off-field problems.
3. Kansas State: After struggling against the pass last season (285.5 yards allowed per game), expect Wildcats to improve. Return of safety Dante Barnett after missing all of 2015 with an injury should solidify the secondary. Elijah Lee is a playmaker at linebacker and the guys up front are very good.
4. Texas: At one point in the 2015 season finale against Baylor, coach Charlie Strong realized he had six freshmen or redshirt freshmen on the field. Linebacker Malik Jefferson, the Big 12's preseason defensive player of the year, is becoming the face of the program, but defensive tackle depth is a major question mark.
5. Oklahoma State: The Cowboys sprung a leak late last season and lost two standout defensive ends in Emmanuel Ogbah and Jimmy Bean. The Cowboys still have good building blocks in standout safety Jordan Sterns (224 career tackles) and active, productive linebackers Jordan Burton and Chad Whitener.
____________________________________________________________________
1. Bob Stoops, Oklahoma: If you forget about Stoops' nine Big 12 titles, he'll be quick to remind you. Offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley brought energy and creativity to a unit that needed it. The defense bounced back with more attitude under Mike Stoops.
2. Gary Patterson, TCU: Never mind the titles. Patterson is both head coach and in charge of the defense. Even with a ton of injuries, TCU still managed to finish 11-2 in 2015. Patterson also kept his offensive duo of Doug Meacham and Sonny Cumbie together, no easy task.
3. Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State: The three-game losing streak to close the season obscured the fact that the Cowboys were an unlikely 10-0 to open the season under Gundy. Glenn Spencer's defense allowed 151 points in the three losses and needs to improve if the Cowboys are to improve.
4. Bill Snyder, Kansas State: Snyder will always get the most out of his talent and win a game or two he shouldn't. But the ceiling may be lower for the Wildcats now than the Colin Klein era.
5. Dana Holgorsen, West Virginia: Holgorsen got the Mountaineers to eight wins last season with a bowl victory over Arizona State, although things were tense for a while on his return. Athletic director Shane Lyons gave him an underwhelming endorsement in a return for 2016.
6. Jim Grobe, Baylor: Grobe steps into a difficult situation as acting coach with all of Art Briles' assistants still on staff. While he brings a reputation for integrity and overachieving, it's going to be difficult for Grobe to put a stamp on the program in one season.
7. Charlie Strong, Texas: On one hand, Strong has revitalized Texas' talent level and made the high-stakes move to a power spread with new offensive coordinator Sterln Gilbert. But there's the 11-14 record in Austin, turnover of eight assistants and endless job speculation.
8. Kliff Kingsbury, Texas Tech: Kingsbury rebounded from a dismal 2014 to get Tech back to a bowl game. Even with the hire of David Gibbs, the defense continued to struggle -- especially against the run.
Not sure if the link is subscriber protected. Here are a few excerpts.
1. Patrick Mahomes, Texas Tech: Other Big 12 QBs may grab more national headlines, but nobody produces touchdowns and yardage at Patrick Mahomes' rate. Last season, he led the Big 12 in total offense at 393 yards per game.
2. Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma: Year 1 of the Lincoln Riley/Baker Mayfield marriage was a major success. Can Mayfield put up similar numbers without go-to receiver Sterling Shepard.
3. Seth Russell, Baylor: Seth Russell was putting up Heisman-like numbers before going down with a neck injury in 2015. While Russell was cleared medically in June, questions remain about his comeback from a serious injury.
4. Mason Rudolph, Oklahoma State: The connection of Mason Rudolph and James Washington came on strong to end last season. How will Rudolph adjust as the sole QB instead of sharing snaps with J.W. Walsh?
___________________________________________________________________
Predicted Finish
1. TCU
2. Oklahoma
3. Oklahoma State
4. West Virginia
__________________________________________________________________
Oklahoma State at Baylor (Sept. 24): Each team sees itself as a contender. It's Baylor's first real test under Jim Grobe after a typically light non-conference schedule. If Oklahoma State survives Baylor, it could be undefeated going into in the final two games of the regular season: TCU and Oklahoma.
Oklahoma at TCU (Oct. 1): Beyond the Big 12, this game carries major College Football Playoff implications. The winner becomes the overwhelming Big 12 favorite -- yes, even that early. Oklahoma survived the Horned Frogs last year on a deflected conversion pass by Steven Parker.
_________________________________________________________________________
1. Samaje Perine, Oklahoma: With a combination of power and speed, Perine has produced 3,062 yards and 37 touchdowns rushing in his first two seasons. For a back that gets a lot of carries, Perine's 6.3 yards per carry is awfully impressive.
2. Mike Warren, Iowa State: No Cyclone has produced consecutive 1,000-yard seasons since Ennis Haywood in 2000 and '01. Warren has a great chance. Despite getting just nine carries in the first two games of his freshman season, he finished with 1,339 yards rushing, with six games over 100 yards.
3. Shock Linwood, Baylor: He will be seeking his third 1,000-yard season but will have to earn his carries in a competitive and crowded backfield. Linwood is at his best as a north-south runner.
4. D'Onta Foreman, Texas: A pile-driving running back at 241 pounds, Foreman was a nice offensive bright spot with four 100-yard games before missing the final two contests. He figures to be a great fit in Sterlin Gilbert's power spread offense.
5. Joe Mixon, Oklahoma: The offense took off when the OU coaches found a way to get Mixon on the field with Perine. He ran for 136 yards in the Big 12-clinching win over Oklahoma State and looked like the elite big-play back he was coming out of California.
6. Johnny Jefferson, Baylor: He might be the most dangerous single-wing tailback in college football - admittedly a small size. With Baylor's quarterback position decimated by injuries, Jefferson stunned North Carolina with 299 yards rushing in the Russell Athletic Bowl.
7. Chris Warren III, Texas: After bulking up to 255 pounds in the spring, Warren will have to prove he can carry the extra weight. The former Rockwall standout had 382 of his season total of 470 yards in his final two games.
8. Barry J. Sanders, Oklahoma State: He could be in the top three by the end of the season or out of the rankings all together. The son of the Heisman winner averaged 6.2 yards a carry as the backup to Christian McCaffrey at Stanford. Of course, his dad backed up Thurman Thomas at Oklahoma State.
_________________________________________________________________
1. James Washington, Oklahoma State: The junior is poised to follow Corey Coleman and Josh Doctson as the Big 12's next great receiver. A great deep threat, he averaged 20.5 yards a catch last season with four receptions of more than 70 yards.
2. K.D. Cannon, Baylor: With the departure of Coleman a year early, Cannon becomes Baylor's go-to receiver. It's not like he's been under the radar his first two seasons with 108 catches and a 17.6 average. Cannon probably needs to improve his route running and focus to take the next step. He's also coming off minor knee surgery this summer.
3. Shelton Gibson, West Virginia: If you want a home-run hitter, look no further than Shelton. He averaged 24 yards per catch, second in the country. His numbers could have been even better without some key drops.
4. Dede Westbrook, Oklahoma: Westbrook is likely to become Baker Mayfield's new favorite target with the departure of Sterling Shepard. Expect him to greatly improve his 46 catches from last season.
5. Marcell Ateman, Oklahoma State: At 6-4 and 215 pounds, the senior from Wylie East is a nice compliment to Washington and dangerous in goal-line situations with his size.
__________________________________________________________________
1. TCU: The key challenge for the Horned Frogs will be blending last year's seven returning starters with four 2014 starters who were injured and now return. One example: defensive lineman Josh Carraway had nine sacks and nine hurries last season and will be joined by Chick-fil-A Bowl MVP James McFarland, who missed all of 2015. Young linebackers Travin Howard, Ty Summers and Montrel Wilson gained valuable experience, with Howard leading TCU with 105 tackles.
2. Oklahoma: The Sooners led the Big 12 in five major categories last season, including total defense and scoring defense. Replacing four departed all-Big 12 starters will be chore. Linebacker Jordan Evans (83 tackles) and defensive lineman Charles Walker will be keys in the front seven. Standout defensive back Jordan Thomas has to avoid any more off-field problems.
3. Kansas State: After struggling against the pass last season (285.5 yards allowed per game), expect Wildcats to improve. Return of safety Dante Barnett after missing all of 2015 with an injury should solidify the secondary. Elijah Lee is a playmaker at linebacker and the guys up front are very good.
4. Texas: At one point in the 2015 season finale against Baylor, coach Charlie Strong realized he had six freshmen or redshirt freshmen on the field. Linebacker Malik Jefferson, the Big 12's preseason defensive player of the year, is becoming the face of the program, but defensive tackle depth is a major question mark.
5. Oklahoma State: The Cowboys sprung a leak late last season and lost two standout defensive ends in Emmanuel Ogbah and Jimmy Bean. The Cowboys still have good building blocks in standout safety Jordan Sterns (224 career tackles) and active, productive linebackers Jordan Burton and Chad Whitener.
____________________________________________________________________
1. Bob Stoops, Oklahoma: If you forget about Stoops' nine Big 12 titles, he'll be quick to remind you. Offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley brought energy and creativity to a unit that needed it. The defense bounced back with more attitude under Mike Stoops.
2. Gary Patterson, TCU: Never mind the titles. Patterson is both head coach and in charge of the defense. Even with a ton of injuries, TCU still managed to finish 11-2 in 2015. Patterson also kept his offensive duo of Doug Meacham and Sonny Cumbie together, no easy task.
3. Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State: The three-game losing streak to close the season obscured the fact that the Cowboys were an unlikely 10-0 to open the season under Gundy. Glenn Spencer's defense allowed 151 points in the three losses and needs to improve if the Cowboys are to improve.
4. Bill Snyder, Kansas State: Snyder will always get the most out of his talent and win a game or two he shouldn't. But the ceiling may be lower for the Wildcats now than the Colin Klein era.
5. Dana Holgorsen, West Virginia: Holgorsen got the Mountaineers to eight wins last season with a bowl victory over Arizona State, although things were tense for a while on his return. Athletic director Shane Lyons gave him an underwhelming endorsement in a return for 2016.
6. Jim Grobe, Baylor: Grobe steps into a difficult situation as acting coach with all of Art Briles' assistants still on staff. While he brings a reputation for integrity and overachieving, it's going to be difficult for Grobe to put a stamp on the program in one season.
7. Charlie Strong, Texas: On one hand, Strong has revitalized Texas' talent level and made the high-stakes move to a power spread with new offensive coordinator Sterln Gilbert. But there's the 11-14 record in Austin, turnover of eight assistants and endless job speculation.
8. Kliff Kingsbury, Texas Tech: Kingsbury rebounded from a dismal 2014 to get Tech back to a bowl game. Even with the hire of David Gibbs, the defense continued to struggle -- especially against the run.
