The Big 12 is becoming more interesting every week, and while I picked Oklahoma to win the conference, there are some teams that do have a chance to unseat them.
The Big 12 is deeper than the Pacific Ocean right now, and the matchups are more intriguing than Elon Musk at a science fair.
Dave Aranda has turned Baylor into a physical team that demands respect, Oklahoma State went from spreading you out to mashing you in, and Kansas is going through a resurgence that rivals the end of the Romanov dynasty. And let’s not forget K-State has shown the ability to be dangerous at every turn.
Oh, and there’s another team in the Big 12 that seems to be turning a corner — the Texas Longhorns. Quarterback Quinn Ewers might be hurt, but Hudson Card has experience and can make the throws Sark needs to put pressure on all three layers of the defense. Speaking of defense, Texas has gone from not being able to tackle a third grade math problem, to shoving ‘Bama around for 3 ½ quarters.
Long story short, the Big 12 is up in the air right now.
I still feel super jacked about picking Oklahoma to win the conference for a couple reasons:
- Jeff Lebby and Dylan Gabriel together are a great collaboration, they are one step away from dropping a hot mixtape, they’re such a good combo. Now, Gabriel has shown he can shine when the moments are the brightest, but he also has the weapons around him and the scrambling ability to turn broken plays into broken dreams for a defense.
- Brent Venables has already seemed to change the identity of Oklahoma from an offensive team that ‘hopes’ to stop you, into a team that expects to punish ball carriers, catchers, and even the refs if they get in the way.
- The remaining schedule sets OU up better than any other team with a chance to win the conference: They get Kansas State, Baylor, and Oklahoma State at home. If they can handle business against Texas, a Big 12 sweep could be in short order.
There is a ton of football left to play and key injuries can happen at any time, but at this point, I couldn’t feel better about picking Oklahoma to come out on top of the Big 12.
Jake Crain is co-host of “Crain & Company.” the Daily Wire’s sports show hosted by former athletes and coaches Jake Crain, Blain Crain, and David Cone.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.