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2003 College Football Preview Ranking the Big 12 August 8, 2003
--Warning: The following may not be suitable for children and some adults-- The Big 12 has three, yes three, teams in the ESPN/USA Today Preseason Top 25, the first time in the history of the poll that a conference has accomplished this. Here's where the warning comes in, should all three be in the Top 5? Let the mass criticizing begin.
North 1. Kansas State 2. Missouri 3. Colorado 4. Nebraska 5. Iowa State 6. Kansas
South 1. Oklahoma 2. Texas 3. Oklahoma State 4. Texas A&M 5. Texas Tech 6. Baylor
We begin, where no one else does, with the North. Kansas State has to be the favorite with Ell Roberson at Quarterback and Darren Sproles at Running Back this may be the best offense ever for Bill Snyder's Wildcats. Now that is saying something. Yes, the defense only returns five starters and, yes, K-State travels to Texas, Oklahoma State, and Nebraska but the defense is always good no matter who is coaching or playing and K-State has won at Texas and Oklahoma State before.
Missouri is the wild card here in the 2003 issue of the Big 12 Conference with 10 returning offensive starters and six defensive returnees. Among those returnees may very well be the best player to lace up in college football this year, Brad Smith, the only man who can come close to being called a "Michael Vick Clone". If not for road trips to Kansas State, Colorado, and Oklahoma the Tigers may have been the pick for the North title, but they may be a year (if Smith returns) from their ultimate glory.
Gary Barnett and Colorado are (A) incredibly stupid, (B) ridiculously confident, or (C) still reeling from a deal made with the Devil, only these three answers can explain the Buffs schedule. Colorado opens with Colorado State in Denver, then home with UCLA and Washington State, then travel to Florida State, before the start of conference play in the Big 12! Without a returning starter at quarterback and one player returning on the O-Line. Good Luck Gary, maybe somebody will give 'ya a mulligan.
The South is getting preposterous. Oklahoma is a National Championship contender, Texas has National Title talent, Oklahoma State is rising to new heights, Texas A&M has the King of Program Building at an established program, Texas Tech throws the ball around like the Harlem Globetrotters, and Baylor still sucks. We'll get a look at OU and OSU in depth in a few days, now for the Texas schools.
Texas no longer has the son of an NFL Great, but they do have somebody with a Chance, so don't Mock them. There you go, I'm done with that crap for the season, I promise. People better hope they aren't contenders or that's all you will hear all year, pathetic headlines about the new Longhorn QB Chance Mock. In all seriousness, Mock is pretty good and barring injury he shouldn't lose out to Vincent Young this year. The Texas offense doesn't hinge on Mock or Young in 2003, it depends on whether or not a certain receiver (eh-hem Roy) and certain running back (eh-hem Cedric) can show up when the Big Boys come to play.
Texas A&M has talent (witness the Oklahoma game in 2003) and now they have a big-time coach, just as long as a better job doesn't open up next year. Dennis Franchione can turnaround a program faster than I can actually turnaround, but he will be gone by the time you celebrate your success. Ladies and Gentlemen, the next coach of the Nebraska Cornhuskers......
Texas Tech must hope that B.J. Symons is as good as Kliff Kingsbury, because it is really hard to outscore people when you can't score. And once again kids, just as every season since the inception of the Big 12 , Baylor brings up the rear. What do you expect? They suck.
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