FAVORITE TEAMS

The Big 12 was entertaining to watch since the return of the Big 12 conference title game. Nine Big 12 teams thought they could end Oklahoma’s reign since Baker Mayfield left for the NFL. After Oklahoma’s historical 4th straight Big 12 title in conference history, let me discuss the other 9 teams brief season review.

Kansas was the obvious bottom feeder, but they made a 4th quarter run at Texas and ran with Oklahoma for a little while. Texas Tech had 5 chances to become bowl-eligible, but they failed and Kliff Kingsbury was fired. Kansas State didn’t end Bill Snyder’s coaching career the right way, but an upset win over Oklahoma State was good enough. I’ll miss you Coach Snyder! Baylor barely made a bowl game by preventing Texas Tech from going. Oklahoma State started the season 4-1, but an Iowa State loss led to a 3-5 finish but with a bowl win over Missouri. TCU had an up-and-down offensive season, but a win in the Cheez-(INT)-It Bowl showed their defense could make them Big 12 contenders in 2019. West Virginia was the 2nd most lethal offense in the Big 12, but Iowa State and the state of Oklahoma in the last 2 weeks ended West Virginia’s hope of winning the Big 12. Iowa State once again pestered the Big 12 by scaring Oklahoma and Texas, and defeating West Virginia and Oklahoma State. Texas coach Tom Herman’s 2nd year made the Longhorns a Big 12 threat. Despite losses to Maryland, Oklahoma State, and West Virginia, they still went to the conference finals and were close to defeating Oklahoma twice in one season.

West Virginia had a lethal offense in the Big 12 and college football. They had a promising season before Iowa State played as Big 12’s spoilers. They went from that loss to upsetting Texas with a 2-point conversion game-winner. Once they played the state of Oklahoma, their Big 12 run ended in back-to-back losses, and that included continued failure to defeat the Sooners since joining the Big 12. The end of this season wasn’t over for the Mountaineers. Will Grier is gone to the NFL, Dana Holgersen took the Houston job, and the competition in the Big 12 will only get tougher now that the conference title game has returned. That will unlikely keep West Virginia within competition going forward.

The Longhorns had questions for the 2018 season. Conditioning, improvement upon 7 wins, the quarterback situation, winning the Red River Rivalry, and winning the Big 12 title. Here’s a list on the results of their season:

• Conditioning – Texas played strong in 3 quarters for most of the season but were outscored in the 4th quarter in 12 of 14 games. Their largest point loss was by 12 in the Big 12 championship while other games were by 5 points or less.
• More than 7 wins – Texas won 10 games for the first time in a decade.
• QB Situation – Sam Ehlinger is Texas’s future QB.
• Red River Rivalry and Big 12 title – Won one against Oklahoma, lost the other to Oklahoma.

Texas overall improved in Tom Herman’s second season. Next season looks bright, but they must improve in some areas on defense and find ways to replace key guys to build around Ehlinger. The task will always be to defeat Oklahoma, win the Big 12, and appear in the College Football Playoffs.