2021-2022 Big 12 preview part 1
The Big 12 Conference is one of the more lopsided ones in college football. The conference is ruled by the Oklahoma Sooners, who don't seem to ever run out of Heisman-worthy quarterbacks. Most conferences have several teams that could battle the best in the NCAA, but the Big 12 seems to just have the "Big 1" in Oklahoma.
Oklahoma hasn't always been the best team in the Big 12 but it has been reigning supreme for the last decade. They have won a conference-best 14 Big 12 championships and have been a featured team in the College Football Playoffs since it was introduced.
Don't let the name fool you, as the Big 12 consists of 10 teams.
- Baylor Bears
- Iowa State Cyclones
- Kansas Jayhawks
- Kansas State Wildcats
- Oklahoma Sooners
- Oklahoma State Cowboys
- TCU Horned Frogs
- Texas Longhorns
- Texas Tech Red Raiders
- West Virginia Mountaineers
Oklahoma is once again the favorite to win the Big 12 title and secure a spot in the playoffs. They have won the last six Big 12 championships. Unlike other conference champions, their path to glory will be mostly untested, if history is anything to go by. The Iowa State Cyclones, though, have been a thorn in Oklahoma's side during their sudden rise.
The Texas Longhorns have the second-most Big 12 titles with just three, dating back to 2009. Other than Oklahoma, Texas is the only current Big 12 team to win a national championship since the BCS was introduced in 1998.
Iowa State had its best season in program history in 2020 but is one of four Big 12 teams without a Big 12 title, the rest being Kansas, Texas Tech and West Virginia.
With COVID-19 in the rearview mirror, colleges are allowing fans back into the stadiums and college football will soon return to normalcy.
Oklahoma and Oklahoma State will reignite the Bedlam Series rivalry. Texas Tech and TCU will battle it out in one of the most engaging rivalries in the Big 12. The Governor's Cup will be awarded to the winner of Kansas and Kansas State.
Here's our Big 12 conference preview, starting with the first five teams.
Baylor Bears: Big 12 preview
Baylor is back on track after dealing with the controversial aftermath of the sexual assault allegations against former HC Art Briles. It might not look like the Bears are on an upward trajectory in the Big 12 after going 2-7 last year, but you can't count that against them.
David Aranda was in his first year as head coach and it was his first-ever head coaching job. Due to the pandemic, Baylor didn't get any spring games or real practices before hitting the field and the team had no chemistry. Baylor was ranked #13 in 2019 in Matt Rhule's final year with a 11-3 record.
Here's a look at the Baylor Bears' strengths and weaknesses heading into the 2021-2022 season.
2021-2022 Big 12 Conference preview: Baylor Bears
Baylor's strengths: Baylor has a very deep wide receiver group which could be one of the most experienced in the Big 12. RJ Sneed, Gavin Holmes and Tyquan Thornton are all returning and have a decent connection with both QB Jacob Zeno and Gerry Bohanon. RJ Sneed led the team last year but Tyquan is a big playmaker in that group.
Baylor's weaknesses: Baylor seems to have questions to answer at the QB position. Their prolific QB Charlie Brewer transferred to Iowa, leaving the very mobile junior Gerry Bohanon and sophomore Jacob Zeno to fight it out for the starter's spot.
Baylor Bears key players: Offense
WR: Tyquon Thorton - In 2019, Thorton had 782 yards and an average of 17.4 yards per catch. He had just 16 catches for 158 yards and a single touchdown last year. RJ Sneed may have led the team in receiving yards last season but Thorton could be an explosive playmaker once again.
RB: Treston Ebner - Ebner is a fifth-year player who was named Second-Team All-American last year as a return specialist. He could be an all-round weapon who needs to stand out in his final year to help the Bears. Ebner's elusiveness will bolster the backfield and give them some life in the Big 12.
Baylor's wide-zone scheme will place Ebner all over the offense.
Baylor Bears key players: Defense
LB: Terrel Bernard - Bernard is a two-time Second-Team All-Big 12 selection. He had a league-best average of 11 tackles per game last year before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury. The Bears expect him to bounce back and be a solid contributor once again.
LB: Jalen Pitre - Pitre led the Bears in 2020 with 60 tackles and 11 tackles for loss. He also had 2 INTs and 2 TDs. He's a hybrid safety who can fly all over the field and is a sound tackler. The pass defense is getting all five starters back and Pitre is the best of the lot.
2021-2022 Baylor Bears Big 12 schedule
Week 1: Saturday, September 4, at Texas State
Week 2: Saturday, September 11, vs. Texas Southern
Week 3: Saturday, September 18, at Kansas
Week 4: Saturday, September 25, vs. Iowa State
Week 5: Saturday, October 2, at Oklahoma State
Week 6: Saturday, October 9, vs. West Virginia
Week 7: Saturday, October 16, vs. BYU
Week 8: Saturday, October 30, vs. Texas
Week 9: Saturday, November 6, at TCU
Week 10: Saturday, November 13, vs. Oklahoma
Week 11: Saturday, November 20, at Kansas State
Week 12: Saturday, November 27, vs. Texas Tech
2021-2022 Baylor Bears Big 12 prediction (6-6 overall, 5-4 Big 12)
The Bears will show they are better than last year's record by winning six games with a rebuilding roster.
Making a bowl game would really show a lot of growth and give head coach Dave Aranda a win. The Bears will have a four-game losing streak midway through the season: Oklahoma State, West Virginia, BYU, and Texas. They'll end the season with two wins against Big 12 opponents Kansas State and Texas Tech.
Iowa State Cyclones: Big 12 preview
The Cyclones had their best season in program history last year. They reached their highest ranking of #9 and had a 9-3 record (8-1 Big 12 record). In the Big 12 championship game, they lost to #6 Oklahoma. Iowa State played in the Fiesta Bowl against #25 Oregon, winning 34-17.
Here's a look at the Iowa State Cyclones' strengths and weaknesses for the 2021-2022 season.
2021-2022 Big 12 Conference preview: Iowa State Cyclones
Iowa State's strengths: The offense led the Big 12 in rushing yards and rushing TDs. They also led the conference in third-down conversions and were third in points scored. RB Breece Hall finished sixth in the Heisman vote last year with QB Brock Purdy and WR Xavien Hutchinson returning. All three are in the top two in the Big 12 in their respective positions.
Iowa State's weaknesses: Ball security and pass defense were the weak points of their play last year. The Cyclones had 3 TOs in the Big 12 Championship and four against Baylor. Since the final game of 2018, Iowa State is 2-7 in games with at least two turnovers. Their pass defense allowed an average of 237 yards per game and 2,848 total passing yards (second-most in the Big 12).
Iowa State Cyclones key players: Offense
RB: Breece Hall - The Cyclones will place their season's success on Hall's shoulders. He's a tough runner with reliable hands as a receiver. Hall had at least 100 yards in each of his first eight games of 2020. With some development and help at QB, Hall could end up finishing in the top three in the Heisman vote.
QB: Brock Purdy - Brock Purdy was selected to the First-Team All-Big 12 and had the most QB starts in the conference. He finished third in TDs but also had the second-most INTs. Purdy will have to get better at ball security and limit his turnovers, one of the team's biggest weaknesses.
Iowa State Cyclones key players: Defense
LB: Mike Rose - Rose was the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year with 77 tackles and 10.5 TFL last season. He's the star among a group of elite defenders on this defense. He didn't put up great sack numbers but did snag 5 INTs as a LB. Rose is a beast against the run and has the ability to hold down any receivers crossing the middle of the field.
S: Greg Eisworth - Eisworth may just be the best safety in the Big 12 but needs to take his game to the next level. Iowa State's group of DBs is average at best and Eisworth is by far the best player in the secondary. He'll have to pick up the slack and aid in pass coverage to aid Iowa's rearguard.
2021-2022 Iowa State Big 12 schedule
Week 1: Saturday, September 4, vs. UNI
Week 2: Saturday, September 11, vs. Iowa
Week 3: Saturday, September 18, at UNLV
Week 4: Saturday, September 25, at Baylor
Week 5: Saturday, October 2, vs. Kansas
Week 6: Saturday, October 16, at Kansas State
Week 7: Saturday, October 23, vs. Oklahoma State
Week 8: Saturday, October 30, at West Virginia
Week 9: Saturday, November 6, vs. Texas
Week 10: Saturday, November 13, at Texas Tech
Week 11: Saturday, November 20, at Oklahoma
Week 12: Friday, November 26, vs. TCU
2021-2022 Iowa State Cyclones Big 12 prediction (10-2 overall, 7-2 Big 12)
On paper, Iowa State looks like the second-best team in the conference behind Oklahoma.
The two teams will meet in the Big 12 Championship again, but with the Cyclones pulling off an upset this time. Their two losses this season will come from West Virginia after a hard-fought match against Oklahoma State and a loss to Oklahoma. RB Breece Hall should at least finish in the top four in the Heisman vote. The Cyclones should finish somewhere within the top 20.
Kansas Jayhawks: Big 12 preview
Kansas finished 2020 winless, leaving several question marks regarding the roster. Lance Leipold will take over as head coach after winning six D-lll championships at UW-Whitewater. Leipold also helped make Buffalo a contender before moving on to Kansas.
Back in 2007, the Jayhawks were just a game away from being in the Big 12 Championship. Fast forward to 2020 and all but one loss was a blowout. Kansas averaged 16 points per game and less than 260 yards per game. Their offensive line gave up an average of 5.5 sacks... per game.
2021-2022 Big 12 conference preview: Kansas Jayhawks
Kansas' strengths: Their non-QB skilled players are the lifeline of the offense. The RB duo of Velton Gardner and Daniel Hishaw combined for nearly 600 rushing yards and each had 2 TDs.
The duo could improve on a more balanced offense. TE Will Huggins is a strong receiver while Mason Fairchild is a sound blocker. The team has two solid WRs in Kwamie Lassiter and Like Grimm, both of whom have decent potential.
Kansas' weaknesses: The offensive line borders on the disastrous, which helped the team have the second-fewest rushing yards in the Big 12. They allowed a total of 47 sacks in 9 games, averaging 5.5 per game.
Kansas Jayhawks key players: Offense
WR: Kwamie Lassiter - Lassiter's stats struggled with poor QB play but he's developing into a solid mid-range receiver. With the right QB, he could stuff the stat sheet and find the end zone more often.
QB: Jason Bean - The North Texas transfer threw for 14 TDs and 5 INTs and rushed for 5 TDs last year. Bean's arm isn't the strongest, but that pairs well with Lassiter's skillset. Bean should be able to beat out the other QBs and help a poor offense start to revive itself.
Kansas Jayhawks key players: Defense
LB/DE: Kyron Johnson - Kyron will help the defensive line and could thrive as an undersized, quick pass rusher. He had 3 sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss over nine games. He's one of the few good players on the defensive side of things in Kansas.
DT: Sam Burt - Burt has become the leader of the defense. With 30 tackles and 1.5 sacks in 2020, the Jayhawks could use Burt as their centerpiece and a building block for the front seven.
2021-2022 Kansas Jayhawks Big 12 schedule
Week 1: Friday, September 3, vs. SDAK
Week 2: Friday, September 10, at Costal Carolina
Week 3: Saturday, September 18, vs. Baylor
Week 4: Saturday, September 25, at Duke
Week 5: Saturday, October 2, at Iowa State
Week 6: Saturday, October 16, vs. Texas Tech
Week 7: Saturday, October 23, vs. Oklahoma
Week 8: Saturday, October 30, at Oklahoma State
Week 9: Saturday, November 6, vs. Kansas State
Week 10: Saturday, November 13, at Texas
Week 11: Saturday, November 20, at TCU
Week 12: Saturday, November 27, vs. West Virginia
2021-2022 Kansas Jayhawks Big 12 prediction (2-9 overall, 0-9 Big 12)
Kansas still won't find a win inside the Big 12 but will register two wins earlier in the season against South Dakota and Duke, a small step forward. They should have a better run game and fewer mistakes and turnovers compared to 2020. The offensive line will be a bigger challenge to overcome, though.
Kansas State Wildcats: Big 12 preview
The Wildcats finished 4-6 (4-5 in the Big 12) in HC Chris Klieman's third year with the team. Klieman has a 12-11 record with Kansas State and a career record of 84-78. Kansas State won the Big 12 title back in 2012 and was even ranked as #1 in the nation. They haven't reached the top 25 since 2014, though. They lost their starting QB early in the season, derailing the whole campaign.
2021-2022 Big 12 conference preview: Kansas State Wildcats
Kansas State's strengths: The offense, when healthy, can be a consistent group in the Big 12. QB Skylar Thompson had 626 yards and 4 TDs in three games before getting injured. Will Howard is now a solid experienced QB2 after replacing Thompson. RB Deuce Vaughn has 642 rushing yards and 7 TDs. The OL is returning and should improve in another year together.
Kansas State's weaknesses: The loss of key starters will affect their 2021 season. Star pass rusher Wyatt Hubert is gone and so are his 8.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss. Drew Wiley had 4.5 sacks and 9 tackles for loss in 2020 and he's moved on, too.
Kansas State Wildcats key players: Offense
RB: Deuce Vaughn - Vaughn is an undersized speedster who needs the OL to open up better lanes for him to have a great year. He had two 100-yard games last year and could be a versatile player on the offense. A consistent QB under center will also improve his performance.
WR: Chabastian Taylor - He's 6'4'', 223 pounds and a deep ball threat. Taylor and Malik Knowles can feed off each other and spur each other on. Thompson's healthy now and should distribute the ball better to his main targets.
Kansas State Wildcats key players: Defense
S: Jahron McPherson - McPherson is a strong safety who led the team with 54 tackles. He has great speed and field vision to make plays in the backfield and to pressure on the QB. He's one of the few returning starters and will likely make a jump this year as he builds his case for the NFL draft.
CB/S: Julius Brents - A transfer from Iowa, Brents is a 6'3'' DB who had just 17 tackles last year. He's got an ideal size and should find success with McPherson in the secondary.
2021-2022 Kansas State Big 12 schedule
Week 1: Saturday, September 4, vs. Stanford
Week 2: Saturday, September 11, vs. SIU
Week 3: Saturday, September 18, vs. Nevada
Week 4: Saturday, September 25, at Oklahoma State
Week 5: Saturday, October 2, vs. Oklahoma
Week 6: Saturday, October 16, vs. Iowa State
Week 7: Saturday, October 23, at Texas Tech
Week 8: Saturday, October 30, vs. TCU
Week 9: Saturday, November 6, at Kansas
Week 10: Saturday, November 13, vs. West Virginia
Week 11: Saturday, November 20, vs. Baylor
Week 12: Friday, November 26, at Texas
2021-2022 Kansas State Wildcats Big 12 prediction (7-5 overall, 4-5 Big 12)
The Wildcats will start off with three straight wins against non-Big 12 opponents. They will beat Texas Tech, Kansas, Baylor, and Texas for the rest of their wins. The Big 12 is a relatively poor conference and the top of the group looks much stronger than it is.
Oklahoma Sooners: Big 12 preview
The Oklahoma Sooners went 9-2 (7-2 Big 12) last season and went on to beat Iowa State in the Big 12 Championship. HC Lincoln Riley is entering his sixth year and has a 45-8 record with the side.
The Sooners finished sixth in 2020 and made it to the College Football Playoffs, losing in the semi-finals. They were the top offense in the Big 12 and QB Spencer Rattler could be the 4th OU QB to win the Heisman trophy or finish runner-up in the last five years. The Sooners have won the last six Big 12 titles and have gone to four CFP semi-finals, losing them all.
2021-2022 Big 12 conference preview: Oklahoma Sooners
Oklahoma's strengths: There are a number of star playmakers on this roster.
QB Spencer Rattler will be in the Heisman conversation and is a potential #1 pick. WR Marvin Mims was the leading WR in 2020. LT Wanya Morris is an elite blocker. RB Kennedy Brooks had 1,000+ yards last year. DB Jaden Davis-Norwood and LB Nik Bonitto are two stars in the making on this defense. Things are looking good on this end.
Oklahoma's weakness: The run game isn't poor in any sense, but QB Rattler isn't as mobile as Murray and Hurts were. Kennedy Brooks and Eric Gray are talented RBs, but OU struggled against Iowa State twice and against Baylor. The team averaged 5 yards per carry for the first time since 2012. The mental block of the last four semi-finals also works against them.
Oklahoma Sooners key players: Offense
QB: Spencer Rattler - Rattler had a completion rate of 68% and threw for over 3,000 yards, averaging 10 yards per pass. He threw 28 TDs and 7 INTs, adding 6 TDs with his legs. Rattler's continuing the trend of prolific OU QBs becoming first-round draft picks.
OT: Wanya Morris - Morris is an NFL-caliber tackle who transferred from Tennessee. He's the protypical tackle the Sooners need, especially with Erik Swanson moving to RT.
Oklahoma Sooners key players: Defense
LB: Nik Bonitto - Bonitto is an all-around LB and a clinical pass rusher. He had 9 sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss last year. His current trajectory has him going to the NFL draft as a decent prospect.
DB: Jaden Davis-Norwood - Norwood led the team with 5 INTs and will take over for Tre Norwood and Brendan Radley-Hiles as a leader in the secondary.
2021-2022 Oklahoma Sooners Big 12 schedule
Week 1: Saturday, September 4, at Tulane
Week 2: Saturday, September 11, vs. WCU
Week 3: Saturday, September 18, vs. Nebraska
Week 4: Saturday, September 25, vs. West Virginia
Week 5: Saturday, October 2, at Kansas State
Week 6: Saturday, October 9, vs. Texas
Week 7: Saturday, October 16, vs TCU
Week 8: Saturday, October 23, at Kansas
Week 9: Saturday, October 30, vs. Texas Tech
Week 10: Saturday, November 13, at Baylor
Week 11: Saturday, November 20, vs. Iowa State
Week 12: Saturday, November 27, at Oklahoma State
2021-2022 Oklahoma Sooners Big 12 Prediction (11-1 overall, 8-1 Big 12)
The lone loss will be to Oklahoma State in the season finale, as the Sooners could likely be resting some key players.
The Sooners have never won in the CFP semi-finals, but 2021 could be their year. The Big 12 Championship will be a battle with the Iowa State Cyclones but if they win, they should be able to outlast the others in the playoffs for a dominant championship win.
