Big 12 South once again loaded
By Jerry Michalsky, Sports Editor
Last season the Big 12 South football division did something no other conference, let alone division has ever done. They had four teams ranked in the top eight in the country during a four-week span.
More to the amazing facts is that three teams finished the regular season at 11-1. The three were Texas, Oklahoma, and Texas Tech. Another first which was brought about by the Big 12 South was for the first time in the 74-yard history of the Heisman trophy award was that four of the five top finishers came out of the same division.
Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford took the prestigious award and the Longhorns Colt McCoy finished second. Texas Tech’s Graham Harrell and his teammate Michael Crabtree finished fifth.
Gone are both Harrell and Crabtree, but back are Bradford and McCoy for another year.
A lot of folks are looking at the school in Austin to maybe bring home a national championship, and with McCoy back and his favorite target Jordan Shipley back for another year. Not to mention on the defensive side of the ball where the orange and white are loaded with future NFL player Sergio Kindle to lead the bunch.
The Sooner’s and Bradford look to be ready for another season of throwing big numbers and points on the score board. Just a junior, Bradford looks to repeat as the Heisman winner and to also bring home a BCS title to Norman.
After losing Harrell and Crabtree to the NFL, Texas Tech still has Mike Leach as the head man in Lubbock and many believe as long as the pass happy Leach is there the Red Raiders will continue to produce a winner. Oklahoma State also will be dangerous and could possibly end up in the AP top 10, with both Texas and Oklahoma. The Cowboys return some record breakers of their own and could very well play in a BCS bowl game when all is said and done.
Baylor and Texas A&M round out the south side, but are two very good football teams who can produce a winner on any given Saturday.
The Bears return the prolific Robert Griffin III at quarterback, and the Aggies and Ex-NFL head coach Mike Sherman are only going to get better. Wait I forgot something, and that is the Big 12 North division. Unless you want to look at some staggering numbers and see why I only talked about the South.
Last season the south held a 15-3 advantage over the North in one-on-one match ups. With Oklahoma’s 62-21 whipping over Missouri in the Big 12 title game, the South has claimed the last five Big 12 titles by an astounding 233-51 margin. Enough said about the North.
All though the Longhorns won the red river rivalry by a 45-35 score last year, the Horns were still snubbed from getting a national title shot. The two teams will meet this year on October 17th in Dallas with both teams possibly holding the #1 and #2 rankings in the land when they meet.
We have some of the best college football around and hopefully the Big 12 South will live up to all the hype.
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