Big 12 Betting Preview: Two Underdogs That Could Win the Conference
The Big 12 has some big names, but it also has had its share of disappointments over the last few seasons. This year seems like it could be wide open and I've got my eye on two teams that I'll play for the Championship.
Oklahoma is the favorite to win the conference this season. I don't see it happening. They have a new coach, they've lost their best two quarterbacks, and have a lot of ground to makeup. While I do think the team will be improved defensively, they still need to figure out their offensive question marks very quickly. While I think Oklahoma will be a good team, I don't think they will win the conference championship this year. Next year, I think we see them capture it, and they might not look back for a while.
The two teams I'm going to put a play on: Texas at +280 and Oklahoma State at +550. I'm high on Texas and maybe it is irrational. I think that Texas has a realistic chance to win all of their games with the exception of the game against Alabama, and that is a game that they may focus so much on that they pull it out anyway. Again, as I mentioned in my Heisman piece, I am banking on Quinn Ewers to be the starting quarterback. If he is as good as expected, that opens up even more room for star running back Bijan Robinson. Now, can their defense stop anyone? That's the key question here. If they cannot, then expect a change in defensive coordinators at the end of the season or sooner.
Oklahoma State was very good last season at 12-2. They narrowly lost to the Baylor Bears in the Championship game last season and could replicate their appearance this year. They have their quarterback in place, which is obviously a huge key to success and makes me more confident in them than Texas in some ways. I hope the offensive line can come close to matching the protection offered, and they will need to quickly develop another wide receiver. Still, with what they have coming back, and the question marks of the two favorites in front of them, this is my favorite bet to win the Big 12 this season.
Baylor could of course repeat. However, they have some question marks of their own to figure out before I have too much confidence in them. The good news is that they should still make an impact on defense. Not really sure yet that they will be as good as last year, though.
Outside of those teams, I'm not sure anyone really has a chance, so I'll happily play Oklahoma State and Texas.
