Guest Post: 2012 Big 12 College Football Preview

Many college football pundits and fans have been predicting the Big 12's imminent collapse, but the additions of the Texas Christian Horned Frogs and the West Virginia Mountaineers have bolstered the faltering league. Some may snicker that the Big 12 only has 10 teams while the Big 10 has twelve, but some feisty newcomers and potentially talented traditional powers will make the 2012 football season compelling. Each Big 12 team is facing at least one big question that will loom over the team for at least the first several weeks of the season.

Baylor Bears

Will the Bears be able to build on last year's successes without superstar quarterback Robert Griffin III? Senior QB Nick Florence has shown ball-handling ability in the past, but athletes like RGIII are almost always irreplaceable.

Iowa State Cyclones

Speaking of quarterback issues, will Jared Barnett step up as quarterback, or will senior Steele Jantz take the field for the Cyclones to start the fall? The dramatic upset of Big 12 champion Oklahoma State was a big win for the Cyclones, but their program needs to work hard in order to produce a better season this year.

Kansas Jayhawks

Will new head coach Charlie Weiss be able to deliver the schematic advantage that he promised Notre Dame and Florida? New defensive coordinator Dave Campo will also need to get his bearings quickly in order for the Jayhawks to have a successful season.

Kansas State Wildcats

Will quarterback Collin Klein continue to be a rushing touchdown machine? He tied the rushing TD record last season with 27, but the Wildcats' suspect offensive line will require Klein to be at the top of his game.

Oklahoma Sooners

Can the Sooners overcome a rough schedule 2012 schedule? Eight of the teams the Sooners face in 2012 finished with a winning season last year, and five of those teams finished last season with ten or more wins. Questions also abound about maligned defensive coordinator Mike Stoops, who had a poor record at Arizona State.

Oklahoma State Cowboys

Who will emerge victorious from three-way battles at quarterback and wide receiver? Star athletes Brandon Weeden and Justin Blackmon have moved on to playing on Sundays, so the OSU Cowboys will need for other players to fill those large gaps.

Texas Longhorns

Will quarterback David Ash cement his ownership of the starting job or will Case McCoy win the job back? This young Longhorns team struggled last year due to youth and inexperience, but an extra year of maturation and steady quarterback play would go a long way towards bringing the Horns back to a position of power.

Texas Christian Horned Frogs

The Big 12 is known for its explosive offenses, but will the Horned Frogs' traditionally stout defense be able to handle this new level of intense play? The Frogs have taken a personnel hit due to the drug scandal that has rocked the whole campus, so they will have their work cut out for them as they face five of last season's fifteen most dynamic offenses this season.

Texas Tech Red Raiders

Will this be the year head coach Tommy Tuberville finally finds his groove in Lubbock? The Red Raiders have been reeling since the tempestuous dismissal of former head coach Mike Leach a couple of years ago, and last year's Raiders took a step back in terms of progress.

West Virginia Mountaineers

The Mountaineers ended their Big East career with a bombing of Clemson in the Orange Bowl, but how will Dana Holgorsen's bombers fare in the Big XII? Quarterback Geno Smith may be one of the most dynamic players in the Big XII this season as the 'Eers seek to make a worthy Big 12 debut.

Who will win the Big 12 championship? Will newcomers West Virginia and Texas Christian find success in their new league? Can traditional powers like Texas and Oklahoma regain some of their former glory?
By Don Phan - Just another sports enthusiast.