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Author: Steven Ryan

North Shore too much for Cavs 2nd year in a row.

Written by Steven Ryan on . Posted in HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL.

The final score didn’t come close to telling the whole story of Galena Park North Shore’s 49-38 win against Lake Travis Saturday at Kelly Reeves Athletic Complex in the Class 6A Div. I State Semifinal in Round Rock, TX. A year after getting run off the field by the same team in the same round of the playoffs, Lake Travis scored 35 second-half points to give North Shore a legit scare before falling valiantly in the end.

The Cavs return to the field in the second half and despite being down 28-3 made a valiant effort to come back but, Galena Park North Shore’s 49-38 win against Lake Travis was too much for the Cavs Saturday at Kelly Reeves Athletic Complex in the Class 6A Div. I State Semifinal in Round Rock, TX

“What a great response by our kids,” said Lake Travis coach Hank Carter. “Football coaches get up there and they talk about being resilient and mentally tough, and I think a lot of people that don’t get it would say that’s just a bunch of coach speak. But this is what it’s about. The way our kids came together and our coaching staff got together with the kids at halftime, made some adjustments, and we fought and clawed. We at least made them nervous and that’s more than we did a year ago. They’re a great team. They’re very well-coached. They’re extremely talented, and they’re very deserving of the victory. But I’m very proud with how our kids responded.”

The big mystery at the start of the game concerned North Shore senior running back Zach Evans, who was nowhere to be seen at kickoff. The 5-star prospect who is almost universally considered the No. 1 tailback in the country was taking the SAT and didn’t check in until the final minute of the first half. Once he finally got on the field, he showed exactly why he’s sought after by almost every major college football program in the country by rushing for 169 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries

His absence, however, wasn’t much of an issue for North Shore’s offense in the first half. Instead of giving it to Davis, the Mustangs handed the ball off to senior Roger Hagan, who rumbled for 117 yards on 22 totes. Junior quarterback Demetrius Davis was also dialed in. He finished with 234 total yards (125 passing, 109 rushing) and four total touchdowns (3 passing, 1 rushing) as North Shore built a 28-3 halftime lead.

“They went to the bullpen and brought out a guy (Hagan) throwing 105 miles an hour,” Carter said. “The Evans kid is tremendous and everyone obviously knows about him. I think, to me, though, the guy that makes them unique and special is their quarterback. He runs the ball as good as any running back that I’ve seen and he’s making great decisions with the football and he’s throwing it on the money. Coach Kay does an excellent job with his team and they played like champions tonight.”

Lake Travis never found a way to truly stop North Shore’s ground game as the Mustangs rushed for just a shade under 400 yards, but the Cavs’ offense got into a groove in the second half and almost sparked an incredible comeback. After throwing for just 26 yards on the first half, senior quarterback Hudson Card left it all out on the field after the break and finished with 357 total yards (290 passing, 67 rushing) and three total touchdowns (2 passing, 1 rushing). 

His determination shined on Lake Travis’s final two drives. With the Cavs trailing by 25 in the fourth quarter, Card broke off an electric 28-yard scoring run where he fought through arm tackles, reversed the field against one of the fastest defenses in the state, and successfully dove for the pylon as a Mustang play tried dragging him down. On the next possession, he made eyes almost pop out of their sockets as he seemed wrapped up by the North Shore pass rush, only to break free, tip-toe the sideline, and complete a 26-yard pass that set up a three-yard touchdown run by Weston Stephens.

“Early on I think they were getting a little bit of pressure on us so we’re probably holding on to the ball for just a little bit longer than we needed to,” Carter said. “They were covering us well. Again, credit to North Shore. But he settled in, made some great plays. I told him on the one that he scored there, ‘oh man, I guess you still can run.’ And he’s doing all that on probably about 50 percent of how his foot oughta work.”

Lake Travis also recovered an onside kick and forced two second-half turnovers to keep hope alive. The first turnover was a leaping interception by sophomore defensive back DJ Johnson, who went up and snagged a hard pass in zone coverage that Davis thought he could get over him. There was also a fumble out of the end zone. And, of course, senior wide receiver Kyle Eaves, who did as much as anybody to keep the Cavs alive with eight catches for 155 yards and a touchdown.

TEXAS vs.OU

Written by Steven Ryan on . Posted in TEXAS SPORTS, UT FOOTBALL.

The Red River Rivalry captivated the nation last year with two classic games that helped shape the College Football Playoff picture. No American sport holds its rivalries in higher esteem than college football, but the attention given to each rivalry ebbs and flows with the success of the teams involved.

Miami/Florida St. and Florida/Tennessee are two rivalries that were a major deal in the 90s and early 2000s but nowadays don’t generate many headlines outside their regions. Texas/OU went through a similar lull as the Longhorns suffered through “The Lost Decade” from 2009-17.

But with Texas coming off its biggest bowl win since 2007, and Oklahoma riding high with four straight conference titles, the high stakes are back on. The Red River Rivalry is big-time once again, just as it’s supposed to be.

Texas holds the upper hand in the overall series 62-47-5 much thanks to a commanding lead it built up in the early years. The Longhorns captured 29 of the first 43 match-ups, with two of those non-wins being ties.

Oklahoma then dominated much of the 1950s with nine wins in ten tries from 1948-57 and three national championships under Hall of Fame coach Bud Wilkinson. But Texas retook control with its own legendary coach in Darrell Royal, who led the Longhorns to 12 victories in 13 years from 1958-70, including three national titles of his own.

Since then, the rivalry has been more a back-and-forth affair. Last year’s chapter was especially noteworthy as it was the first time the two neighbors had played twice in the same season since 1903, and neither game was short on drama.
In the traditional regular season game at the Cotton Bowl, Oklahoma overcame a 21-point fourth quarter deficit to tie the game in the final minutes. But Texas, seemingly unfazed, marched right back down the field and got a last-second field goal from Cameron Dicker to win.

Two months later, they met in the Big 12 Championship Game for the first time. With OU playing for a spot in the College Football Playoff, the Sooners prevailed in a 39-27 win that was much closer than the final score would indicate.

Going into this year, tensions are high. Both teams look to be national title contenders and former Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield even called out current Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger during the off-season.

“He couldn’t beat Lake Travis (Mayfield’s high school alma-mater), so I don’t really care (about) his opinion on winning,” Mayfield said. “Westlake (Ehlinger’s high school alma-mater) is a great program, but the two best quarterbacks to come out of there are Drew Brees and Nick Foles. Sam can stay down there in Texas.”

“That will stir the pot. He doesn’t like me, and I hope he knows I don’t like him either.”

Ehlinger has yet to retort publicly and probably won’t, but everyone knows he’s not one to back down from a challenge. He’s got the same swag and confidence Mayfield has, along with a deep love for his university that was instilled in him as a child.

“I will make it my mission to never let this team or this school feel this disappointment again,” Ehlinger said after the Big 12 Championship Game loss.

If both teams can take care of business with the early parts of their schedules, all eyes will again be on Dallas when the two rivals hook up for the 115th edition of the series on Oct. 12.

Like always, the Cotton Bowl crowd will be split at the fifty-yard-line, half crimson, half burnt orange. It’ll be a sight to behold. If you’re a Texas or OU fan, it’s a game you have to go to at least once, and there might not be a better year to attend than 2019.

Horns spring game recap.

Written by Steven Ryan on . Posted in TEXAS SPORTS, UT FOOTBALL.

A blustery wind hampered the passing games and aided the defenses in Texas’s annual Orange-White Spring Game at Darrel K. Royal Memorial Stadium on Saturday in Austin.


The White team, made up of Texas’s No. 1 defense and second-string offense, won the game 12-6, but the storyline was how inept the offense looked against a defense that returned far less experience from last year’s Sugar Bowl champion squad.


“I hope none of us are going to try to take anything away from any kind of offensive performance tonight,” said Texas coach Tom Herman. “(It was) not only difficult, almost impossible, to do much with the wind the way that it was. When there’s really no threat of throwing the football it’s difficult to move the ball.”


It’s often said the defense is usually ahead of the offense in the spring. Even Texas Tech’s spring games during the Mike Leach days typically played out that way. But the numbers from this one look bad, regardless, and the performance largely disappointed a big crowd that would’ve preferred an offensive firework show over a defensive slugfest.


The only touchdown came on a drive that started on the opposition’s 1, and it still took four plays to barely punch it in. The two offenses combined for just 284 yards on 105 plays for 2.7 yards per play, which certainly won’t win you any games in the Big 12.


There were eight dropped passes, five bad snaps (albeit all by backup center Rafiti Gharmai, who is new to the position), two turnovers and five sacks allowed. The offenses had less first downs (18) then they had total drives (19).


The quarterbacks combined to complete 24-of-54 passes for 152 yards. QB1 Sam Ehlinger was 9-of-21 for 66 yards with a bad interception and three sacks taken. Backup Casey Thompson was 14-of-32 for 82 yards with an interception but did add 55 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
The only skill position player who truly showed out was freshman running back Jordan Whittington, who carried the rock 12 times for 62 yards and tallied four receptions for 27 yards. It must be noted Texas’s best returning playmaker, wide receiver Collin Johnson, did not suit up.


“It’s a shame our fans didn’t get to see how well we’ve been throwing the deep ball throughout spring practice,” Herman said. “We’ve really come a long way in that regard, but that’s OK. We know the extenuating circumstances… It was even difficult to throw and catch a bubble (screen), let alone a ball down the field.”


The defense had a number of standouts, most notably linebacker Jeffrey McColloch, who intercepted an Ehlinger dump off pass to the running back and returned to the 1 to set up the lone touchdown. He also showed great hands and impeccable timing in knocking away a 4th down pass that was about to fall into running back Keaontay Ingram’s hands on a wheel route.
“Jeff’s had a really good spring,” Herman said. “I told him… last Tuesday’s practice that was as hard as I’d seen him practice from start to finish of a practice. He never took a play off. He was going hard every play. I made sure that he knew that. That that’s the expectation for him now moving forward. Every practice it’s gotta be like that and I think he took that to heart and he’s playing a lot more consistent with a lot more effort.”


The other turnover came when defensive end Pete Mgapi beat the right tackle on an outside move and forced Thompson to severely underthrow a pass that was picked off by Kobe Boyce. Cornerback Jalen Green brought some physicality to the secondary with a pair of big hits that dislodged the ball on should’ve-been completions.


“We’ve challenged Jalen to get more physical. He’s a big, long guy that’s got excellent ability. He’s really, really athletic,” Herman said. “That’s something that he needs to continue to do and I think he’s taken that to heart. I think that he really wants to improve that part of his game, and you saw a little bit of that tonight.”


Joseph Ossai, Ayodele Adeoye, Ta’Quon Graham, Mason Ramirez and Cort Jacquess each logged a sack. Adeoye, Ramirez, Marcus Tillman Jr. and Russell Hine all came away with two tackles for a loss. B.J. Foster joined Green with two pass-breakups, and Montrell Estell led all defenders in tackles with six.


“I thought it was good for our defense,” Herman said. “They had taken a few of these on the chin here lately in the previous few scrimmages so it was nice to send them into the offseason with a little bit of confidence.”
Though it may be tempting, one shouldn’t draw any grand conclusions from what took place. According to reports, the offense was actually the better half in two previous spring scrimmages that weren’t open to the public. Also, there was that pesky wind.


But that shouldn’t stop anybody from getting giddy about a secondary that may be on the verge of doing great things. During the Mack Brown days, some referred to Texas as DBU (Defensive Back University) for all the great players that went pro under the tutelage of renowned defensive backs coach Duane Akina. 


A similar mantra may be developing under current defensive backs coach Craig Naivar. The Longhorns are about to have their second straight DB taken in the NFL draft with Dashon Elliot going in the sixth round last year and Kris Boyd expected to be selected this April.
With Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year (and first-team All-Big 12 safety) Caden Stearns and Big 12 Honorable Mention safety Brandon Jones (who is the team’s top returning tackler) both on the sideline on Saturday, Texas’s defensive backs still stuck to the receivers like glue. When those two re-enter the starting lineup in the fall, the Longhorn secondary could become a no-fly zone.


Texas’s 2018 season ended with a resounding Sugar Bowl win over heavily favored Georgia and Ehlinger crowing “we’re baaaaaaaaaaack” to those that stuck around for the postgame celebration.
But the standard that was set by the early 2000s Longhorn teams, the standard that fans and players alike are clamoring to get back to, was not based on any single win or single season. 
It was based on a consistent level of strong play and a culture of excellence that was repeated year after year until winning 10 games just became the norm. As Herman enters year three on the job, we’re about to find out how far along his culture really is.


“We don’t use the words ‘we’ and ‘us’ when we refer to last year’s team because that’s not us. That’s last year’s team,” Herman said. “What last year’s team did in no way shape or form is going to affect what this year’s team can do.
“The biggest thing is that when there’s material testimony, there’s material proof that our way of doing things can produce that kind of joy and those kinds of winning experiences, then guys are a lot more willing to put forth the effort necessary because they have seen in their own eyes and felt with their own hearts what the rewards of doing it that way will be.”

New Year’s Six Bowl Previews (not including Texas)

Written by Steven Ryan on . Posted in Football.

Orange Bowl: #1 Alabama v.s. #4 Oklahoma

The selection committee chose against putting two SEC teams in the playoff for a second consecutive year and instead went with Big 12 champion Oklahoma for the final seed. Oklahoma brings a historically great offense that ranks first in yards per play (8.6, a full yard ahead of second place) and points per drive (4.2). It’s led by junior quarterback Kyler Murray, a terrific athlete whose produced 4,981 total yards and 52 total TDs. The defense, however, leaves a lot to be desired. The Sooners rank 91st in yards per play allowed (5.9) and 107th in points per drive (2.75). Alabama brings a more balanced squad to the table. The Crimson Tide sit one spot behind OU in yards per play (7.6) and points per drive (4.04), but unlike their opponent have a defense to match it. Stocked with next-level talents like linemen Quinnen Williams and Raekwon Davis, safety Deionte Thompson and linebacker Mack Wilson, Alabama’s defense is second in points per drive (1.01) and sixth in yards per play (4.3). Alabama is on one of the most dominant runs in college football history with four national championships in the last nine years. Yet its somehow done that without a truly great quarterback (sorry, A.J. McCarron). Sophomore quarterback Tua Tagobailoa has brought an explosiveness to Alabama’s offense that’s never been seen, which makes some people think this version of the Crimson Tide is the best yet.

Cotton Bowl: #2 Clemson v.s. #3 Notre Dame

This is the only bowl that features two undefeated teams. Clemson is in the College Football Playoff for the fourth straight year. Those last three trips include a runner-up finish in 2015 and a national championship in 2016. Clemson is led by a nasty defensive line that starts three All-ACC first teamers (Clelin Ferrell, Christian Wilkins, Dexter Lawrence) and a third-teamer (Austin Bryant) who will all have their names called early in April’s NFL Draft. The offense has a game breaker at running back in Travis Etienne (1,308 yards, 19 TDs) and a young but talented in quarterback in true freshman Trevor Lawrence, whose completed 65 percent of his passes for 2,606 yards with 24 TDs and only 4 INTs. This is Notre Dame’s first invitation to the playoff party and it comes into this matchup as a double-digit underdog. This is because the Fighting Irish’s undefeated run was less dominant, with half of their 12 wins coming by eight points or less. Clemson had only two such close calls out of 13. Notre Dame’s defense, which ranks fifth in points per drive (1.28) and eighth in yards per play (4.4), is ahead of the offense. But if junior quarterback Ian Book and senior running back Dexter Williams get hot, watch out. Book didn’t start until the season’s fourth game and Williams was suspended until the fifth, which negatively skews the offensive numbers a little bit.

Rose Bowl: #6 Ohio State v.s. #9 Washington

For the second straight year, an embarrassingly lopsided loss to a mediocre team cost Ohio State a chance at the playoff. Last year it was a 55-24 defeat to 7-5 Iowa and this year a 49-20 shellacking at the hands of 6-6 Purdue. The Buckeyes sported their worst defense in some time as they allowed 5.6 yards per play (66th in the country) and 1.89 points per drive (40th). Big play prevention was a major problem. Going into the Big 10 Championship game, Ohio State had given up 36 plays of 30-plus yards, seventh-worst in the nation. Washington doesn’t exactly have the explosive type of offense to take advantage of that, though. The Huskies’ senior backfield duo of quarterback Jake Browning and running back Miles Gaskin has been a bit disappointing. Browning threw just 16 touchdowns, 27 less than he had when he guided the Huskies to the college football playoff in 2016. Gaskin’s 1,147 rushing yards on the season are the lowest of his career and his 4.9 yards per carry don’t even rank in the top 100 of NCAA backs. The matchup of Ohio State’s offense v.s. Washington’s defense should be strength on strength. Sophomore quarterback Dwayne Haskins set a Big 10 record with 4,508 passing yards. Washington’s D finished 16th in yards per play and 12th in points per drive.

Peach Bowl: #10 Florida v.s. #7 Michigan

UCF finished its second straight undefeated season and again wasn’t seriously considered for inclusion into the playoff. This means the Golden Knights will be miffed and pumped up to prove their doubters wrong against an LSU team that might not be as excited for this matchup in the desert. UCF lost its best player when quarterback Mckenzie Milton went down with a serious knee injury in the regular season finale, but backup Darriel Mack Jr. was good enough to lead the Golden Knights to a come-from-behind victory in the AAC Championship Game with six total TDs (four rushing, two passing). LSU is a big step up from Memphis, however, and that could be incredibly problematic for UCF’s defense. The Golden Knights fall well short of the gold standard in stopping the run, where they rank 96th in yards per carry allowed. LSU prides itself on being a tough, physical football team and will certainly test that front seven early and often. Group of five teams are 3-1 in New Year’s Six Bowl Games since the advent of the College Football Playoff. UCF beat Auburn 34-27 in last year’s Peach Bowl under similar circumstances and claimed a “national championship” to much uproar. If the Golden Knights do it again, expect another “national championship” parade in Disney World.

Peach Bowl: #10 Florida v.s. #7 Michigan

With the inclusion of LSU and Florida, the SEC became the first conference to get multiple three-loss teams into New Year’s Six Bowls, which seems a bit unfair considering the season 10-2 Washington State had. But alas, here we are. The Wolverines’ defense was considered tops in the country for most of the year but had a disastrous outing in its final game, a 62-39 loss to rival Ohio State. They still put five players (linemen Chase Winovich and Rashan Gary, linebacker Devin Bush, DBs Lavert Hill and David Long) on the All-Big 10 first team and will be frothing at the mouth to rebound from the Ohio State performance. Offensively, Michigan improved from 102nd to 27th in yards per play and 95th to 20th in points per drive behind the leadership of junior quarterback Shea Patterson, who transferred in from Ole Miss. Senior running back Karan Higdon made All-Big 10 first team with 1,178 yards and 10 TDs. Florida was solid but unspectacular in its first season under head coach Dan Mullen, the revered offensive coordinator from the Gators’ Tim Tebow years. The future is bright in Gainesville but Mullen is still in the early stages of building his program. Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh, who is 38-13 in four seasons, is much farther along and enters this game as about a touchdown favorite.

Coach Dodge of Westlake

Written by Steven Ryan on . Posted in HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL.

Q: You’re on the most respected coaches in the state. You could probably coach any school in any city but you choose to coach here at Westlake in Austin. What do you love most about coaching at Westlake and living in Austin?
A: My favorite part about coaching at Westlake is just the great tradition that this place has. I love being at places that have tremendous tradition. There have been a lot of great players and a lot of great coaches that have come before us. Just like we did when we were at our run at Southlake Carroll, we wanted to make sure that we honor what came before us by continuing to raise the bar and making sure that we’re keeping this program in the very top five to ten teams in the state of Texas year-in, year-out. It’s not just a team very year. It’s a program that people have built around here and we want to continue to do that.
Q: One of my favorite parts about covering you last year was seeing the extra respect you paid to your opponents after games. After the Niceville (Fla.) game, you brought all the Niceville kids together and thanked them for coming to Texas. After the Lake Travis game, you went up to (Lake Travis quarterback) Matthew Baldwin and gave him a few extra words of encouragement. Why do you go out of your way to do that and how do you feel about the state of sportsmanship today>
A: One of the things is we want our players always to absolutely respect our opponents. We’re going to prepare extremely hard over the course of the week. We’re going to study them. We’re going to know everything that we can about them. One thing that I think is the biggest form of flattery is that you respect your opponent, and you prepare as hard as you possibly can. The one thing that we want to always make sure that never happens is we don’t get beat because we disrespected someone. As far as the stuff after the games, I take a lot of pride in being in the brotherhood of high school football in the state of Texas. This is something very special. Just because you’re not on the same team doesn’t mean your not in the same brotherhood, and so when the game is over with I want our players, I want our coaches to show respect to the people that we played against. I’ve always got something to say. We’ve been watching them all week long and want to encourage those guys for the rest of the year and let them know what we think about them, that they did a good job, and that’s just something that hopefully will permeate through our entire team.
Q: How you do feel senior quarterback Taylor Anderson has grown since he was first thrust into the starting role as a young sophomore?
A: Taylor is a veteran now. Taylor has started 22 games for us. Probably no one ever expected him to start seven games as a sophomore but we were 6-1 in the starts that he had as a sophomore. Obviously, last year, led us to a 14-1 season. It’s not even close. He is truly an outstanding leader because of his toughness and the one thing about Taylor, Taylor is a guy willing to do whatever it takes for his football team. I think the epitome of mental toughness was in last year’s Lake Travis game. He had a really bad first half as far as production. He threw three interceptions in the first half, and a lot of guys could’ve gone in the tank right there. He comes in at halftime and tells his teammates, ‘hey guys, y’all keep playing. I’m going to be alright. I’m going to get my stuff together.’ He rushed for about 125 yards, a couple touchdowns in the second half, led us to a victory. So that’s who he is. There are a lot of dual-threat quarterbacks in the state of Texas right now. He’s one of them. He’s a guy who rushed for 1,100 and threw for 3,000 (yards) last year and he accounted for about almost 50 touchdowns.

Westlake at Pflugerville 2017

Q: What do you think makes Tony Salazar such a special defensive coordinator?
A: He comes from a great lineage of defensive coaches. He learned under Pete Fredenburg and the guys at Mary Hardin-Baylor that play tremendous defense. He’s very intelligent, very passionate. He’s a guy that’s a tremendous teacher of the game. A lot of times people don’t equate coaches as teachers. We’re all teachers. It’s just our classroom when we’re coaching football is a little bit different. It’s out here in the open. It’s here between the white lines. But Tony is (somebody) I wouldn’t trade for anybody in the world.
Q: Name one player that lot of guys might not know but you think has had a great preseason camp and could potentially turn some heads this season?
A: A guy that a lot of people probably haven’t heard of yet or is not a household name is Drew Webster. Drew played a bunch of football for us last year but he wasn’t a starter at safety. He played enough to almost be a starter. So on the defensive side of the ball, it’s him. On the offensive side of the ball, I think that Tripp Graham – our running back – is going to surprise a lot of people in the replacing of Nakia Watson.

Big 12 2018 Preview

Written by Steven Ryan on . Posted in TEXAS SPORTS, UT FOOTBALL.

Oklahoma
When you’ve won three straight Big 12 championships like Oklahoma, you’re No. 1 until proven otherwise. But the gap between Oklahoma and the rest of the conference probably shrunk this offseason. The Sooners lost a legend in 2017 Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Baker Mayfield (formerly of Lake Travis). They also must replace unanimous All-Americans in left tackle Orlando Brown and tight end Mark Andrews. It’s safe to say Oklahoma won’t lead the nation in yards per play like it has the last two years. With a defense that hasn’t ranked above 70th during the same time frame, the time is ripe for someone else to take over the throne. But the Sooners are 26-2 in the Big 12 the last three years, and a run game that returns two preseason All-Big 12 offensive lineman with a preseason All-Big 12 tailback in Rodney Anderson (who rushed for 1,079 yards in his last eight games last year) could absolutely pummel a conference that’s isn’t exactly known for its defensive physicality.
West Virginia
Having the best quarterback goes a long way in the game of football, and that’s especially true in the Big 12. The first team all-conference QB has won the league each of the last six years, and this year’s best gunslinger hails in Morgantown. Senior Will Grier averaged nine yards per attempt last year. No other returning Big 12 quarterback averaged more than 7.7. Grier also has a bevy of weapons in senior wide receiver David Sills (who led the country with 18 touchdowns last year), senior slot-man Gary Jennings (fourth in receptions with 97) and two potentially high-impact transfers in former Alabama wideout T. J. Simmons and tight end Jovanni Haskins from Miami. There are certainly questions on defense and in terms of depth, but this offense has the potential to blow the Big 12 away. The Mountaineers also benefit from getting Oklahoma at home on Black Friday in conditions that could be mighty uncomfortable for a team from the south.
TCU
After a two-year adjustment period to get used to the Big 12, TCU has shown it can win against the big boys three top-ten finishes in the last four years. Recruiting has picked up with it. After averaging a 247 composite recruiting ranking of 39 between 2013-2015, the Horned Frogs have averaged a top 25 mark the last three seasons. Head coach Gary Patterson will say he doesn’t care about star ratings, but teams that recruit better typically have an easier time reloading. TCU will start a young quarterback behind an inexperienced offensive line, but the skill position talent has never been better. Senior Kavontae Turpin and sophomore Jaelen Reagor are home run hitters out wide, and the 1-2 punch of junior running backs Darius Anderson and Dewo Olonilua could be devastating if the offensive line opens up holes. Seniors Ty Sommers (a versatile DE/LB hybrid) and Ben Benogu (16.5 tackles for a loss) return to lead a defense that topped the Big 12 in scoring and yardage last year. The unit could be bolstered further by linebacker Jawuan Johnson, a graduate transfer from Northern Illinois who made 18 tackles for a loss last season.
Oklahoma State
There’s more uncertainty than usual in Stillwater, but with three ten-win seasons in a row – and six in the last eight years – it’s hard to see the Cowboys falling too far out of contention. The offense should trend more toward the ground game with 5-foot-10 dynamo Justice Hill returning from a 1,467-yard, 15-TD sophomore season. Who starts at quarterback is anybody’s guess after Mason Rudolph (4,553 yards, 35 TDs) graduated to the NFL. But whoever wins the job will have two sure-handed targets at wide receiver in senior Jalen McCleskey and sophomore Dillon Stoner, with plenty of potential breakout stars ready to emerge alongside them from a deep position group. Head coach Mike Gundy let go of defensive coordinator Glenn Spencer this offseason after ranking in the bottom half of Big 12 scoring defense for the third time in the last four years. He will be replaced by former Duke defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, whose 4-2-5 scheme may be a better fit for the Big 12.
Kansas State
Long live Bill Snyder. The old wizard is still pulling wins out of his hat at age 78. His newest trick is a two-quarterback system with sophomore Skylar Thompson and junior Alex Delton. It’s sometimes said that if you have two quarterbacks, you actually have none. But Snyder brought both to Big 12 media days and each provides a different flavor to the offense, with Thompson being the better passer, but Delton the better runner. They both had their moments last year and will be aided by an offensive line that returns all five starters, including All-American right tackle Dalton Risner, and a strong running back core led by junior Alen Barnes. For the Wildcats to really contend, however, they need to get back to playing defense. Kansas State hasn’t ranked in the top half of the country in yards per play allowed for the last three years.

Photo UT Athletics

Texas
Texas is one of those blue blood programs that’s always one good coaching hire from being great. Is Tom Herman the guy? Some of the best coaches from the last 20 years made significant jumps in their second seasons at programs with similar stature to Texas. Bob Stoops, Jim Tressel, Pete Carroll and Nick Saban (at Alabama) went a combined 27-22 in their inaugural campaigns before going 50-4 in year two and embarking on dominant runs. For Texas to make that leap, it’ll have to replace some key players on a defense that carried a laggy offense to seven wins last year. But the Longhorns always have some talented dudes. Senior defensive end Breckyn Hager (from Westlake) and senior cornerback Kris Boyd both made the preseason All-Big 12 team. The offensive line was a disaster last year but will be helped by potential NFL left tackle Calvin Anderson, a graduate transfer from Rice (and formerly of Westlake). I’ll bet anybody sophomore Sam Ehlinger is the opening day starter at QB. He’s a better fit for Herman’s offense with his power running style, and if he cuts down on the turnovers, it could go a long way in Texas flipping its 1-4 record in games decided by a touchdown or less.
Texas Tech
One of the biggest surprises from the preseason All-Big 12 team was seeing three Texas Tech players on defense in senior linebacker Dakota Allen, junior nickelback Justus Parker and senior safety Jah’Shawn Johnson. But the Red Raiders were better than usual on defense last year and could improve further with 20 of 22 players returning on the two-deep. Texas Tech had a revolving door at defensive coordinator for a while (six in six years) before settling on David Gibbs in 2015. After two tough years of implementing his system and building a culture, Gibbs’ unit finally moved the needle in year three and could be poised for even better things this fall. The offense must figure out who it’s quarterback and wide receivers are, but that’s never been a problem in Lubbock. With an offensive line that returns all five starters, Texas Tech fans are optimistic their team could pull off it’s first winning record in conference play since 2009.
Iowa State
Iowa State shocked everybody with upsets of Big Championship Game participants Oklahoma and TCU on its way to an 8-5 record – its best mark since 2000. Can the Cyclones keep it going? According to Pro Football Focus, junior David Montgomery has the highest elusive rating of any returning running back in the country. Quarterback Kyle Kempt was granted a sixth year of eligibility after completing 66.3 percent of his passes with 15 touchdowns and just three interceptions last year. But he’ll miss playmaking wide receiver Allen Lazard, who graduated after making back-to-back All-Big 12 first teams. Iowa State caught the Big 12 off guard when it switched to a 3-3-5 defense right before conference play. The scheme was a better fit for their personnel and helped the Cyclones hold their league opponents an average of two touchdowns below their season scoring averages. Get that kind of production again, and last year can definitely be repeated.
Baylor
Even though I have them ranked No. 9, I actually think Baylor has a lot of promise. If I were to separate the Big 12 into tiers, I would have OU/WVU/TCU as the contenders, Kansas as the lone punching bag, and the other six programs battling it out in a solid middle class. With good health, a few friendly bounces, and maybe some atrocious Big 12 officiating that works in its favor, I could see this team sneaking into the top half of the conference. I feel this way because quarterback Charlie Brewer played magnificently for a true freshman. The Lake Travis product completed 68.1 percent of his passes for 1,562 yards (7.7 yards per attempt) with 11 touchdowns and four picks. He’s arguably the second-best returning QB in the league. I also believe in head coach Matt Rhule’s ability to develop players, especially on defense. In his last two years at Temple, he had six players selected in the NFL draft, and five of those came from the defensive side. That’s more than any Big 12 member produced from its defense during that time.

Kansas
The Jayhawks haven’t won more than one conference game since 2008. Of their last 66 Big 12 contests, they’ve lost 63 of them. They lost every game against FBS competition last year by double-digits. The average scoring margin in their nine Big 12 losses was 32.1. Head coach David Beaty inherited a dumpster fire when he stepped in before the 2015 season. Previous coach Charlie Weis’s reckless plan to invest heavy on junior college players backfired and left Beaty with only 38 returning scholarship players. Beaty’s been playing catch-up from day one and is, unfortunately, running out of time. Coaches typically don’t make it past year four without significant improvement and Kansas just hired a new athletic director who might want to bring in his own guy. If Beaty does save his job, it’ll be because an experienced squad that returns 91 percent of its production (second in the country) gels together and does much better in the turnover department, where its -17 mark was worst in Power Five last year.