The Big 12 football conference is comprised of schools that have won 12 national titles, three since the inception of the group, but over the past couple of years have rode backseat to the success of the SEC on the big stage. With powers Texas and Oklahoma boasting the talent to be a top-10 nationally ranked team out of the South division, the chase is on for a Big 12 team to get back to the top of college football betting play.
The 2009 season was one of the most disappointing in school history for Texas. The Longhorns finished the regular season with a perfect 13 betting wins, earning a spot in the BCS Championship game for the second time in the last five years. With the NCAA’s all-time wins leader Colt McCoy under center, it seemed as though Texas was destined to end the SEC’s run at the top on the national stage, but then came one of the most improbable disasters of the season. McCoy was injured on the first series of the championship game. True freshman Garrett Gilbert faltered early after being called upon, but came on late to lead the Longhorns to within one touchdown of Alabama with five minutes to go in the game. The Crimson Tide held on to win the national title, leaving a bitter taste in the mouths of Texas fans who argued that the title would have been theirs if they didn’t lose their star quarterback. Gilbert will be the full-time starter as the Longhorns look to make it consecutive Big-12 championships, but a tough schedule that includes back-to-back weeks versus Oklahoma and then in Nebraska will make it a tough test to repeat.
Oklahoma should be right there competing with Texas for Big-12 South division supremacy, which is fitting given that those teams have combined to win the past six Big-12 Championship games. The Sooners will be without Sam Bradford, the quarterback that was selected first overall in this year’s NFL betting draft, but it shouldn’t make too much of a difference given that he was injured for most of last season. Landry Jones stepped in under center as Bradford’s replacement, throwing for over 3000 yards and 26 touchdowns, but more consistency will be expected after an 8-5 season.
The Red Raiders will look to put last year’s football betting controversy behind them and concentrate on football at Texas Tech, with former Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville keeping his team within striking distance of both Texas and Oklahoma in the south division. Outside of those three there is little chance that another school in the south division of the Big-12 will be able to climb in to the national rankings, with Baylor the least talented of a group that also includes Oklahoma State and Texas A&M. The Big-12 South is once again the stronger division in the conference with the Sooners and Longhorns, and it would be no surprise if either of those teams topples Nebraska for the Big-12 Championship.
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