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Big 12 North

1. Kansas State (6-2 Big 12, 11-2 overall)

It's not so much that K-State has a great team, it's just that the rest of the Big 12 North is so watered down that the Wildcats basically find themselves in the AL Central of college football.

Which is not to say the 'Cats aren't good. They are, and their foe in the Big 12 championship better not be caught napping.

KSU is especially stacked at the skill positions. They the have one of the best returning QBs in the conference at Ell Robinson, and tailback Darren Sproles quietly set a school rushing-record with 1,465 yards. With big (6'5") WR James Terry returning, as well, the offense should be even more clutch than last year, when they converted on over 70% of their fourth down conversions.

They did lose their two best defensive players, but with DE Andrew Shull returning, they should continue to be great against the run.

2. Missouri (4-4, 8-4)

After Kansas State, the deluge.

The only team left in the Big 12 North without major, probably-unanswerable questions might be Missouri. Led by the most exciting QB in the Big 12, Brad Smith, the Tigers are creating more of a buzz around Columbia than they have seen since ... well, you have to go back before my day to answer that question.

It's taken him exactly one season to make his way onto Mizzou's career total offense top-10, and he did it on a Kurt Warner thumb. If you load seven or eight in the box, you'll find out why he threw 15 TDs last year next to 6 INTs. If you play nickel, you'll find out why he ran for over 1,000 yards last year. And he's only a sophomore. Truly a special talent.

After him, not much. Darius Outlaw is a nice receiver, and they return two good LBs, James Kinney and Jason Sampson. But if this team contends -- and they might -- it will be be primarily because of Smith.

3. Iowa State (4-4, 7-5)

Things won't be easy in the post-(QB Seneca)Wallace era, but things aren't all down in Ames this year. The Cyclones will try to compete with defense, as they have two of the best defensive tackles in the Big 12: Jordan Carstens, a weight-room hero who is surprisingly fast for 300 pounds, and Nick Leaders, who had 5 sacks as a freshman last year.

The defense will need to be good, because the offense will be untested. Austin Flynn will start the proceedings, then likely kave a seat in game two after junior Cris Love returns from suspension. Tailback Michael Wagner will try to improve on ISU's 3.7 yards-per-carry average of last year.

4. Nebraska (4-4, 7-5)

If you can remember that last time the Huskers were as bad as they were last year, you are at least in your 50s. Maybe Tom Osbourne was a genius after all. Frank Solich doesn't seem to be, and he's certainly on the hot-seat.

A change of guard at quarterback might be a start, but that may or may not happen. Jammal Lord is the prototypical Nebraska quarterback, much more effective with his feet than arm. With new offensive coordinator Barney Cotton calling for more throws, expect Lord to be pushed, and eventually beaten out, by junior Mike Stuntz midway through the season.

Like Iowa State, Nebraska will try to win with defense, and with eight starters returning, including LB DeMorrio Williams, they may do just that.

5. Colorado (4-4, 5-7)

Try this on for size: only three starters returning on offense. Worst non-conference opponent: UCLA. K-State and Oklahoma in back-to-back weeks. It all adds up to too much for a young Buffs squad to handle.

But, (say it with me once again), CU will try to win with defense, where eight starters return. The defensive line should be outstanding: Gabe Nyunhuis, Marques Harris, and Sam Wilder accumulated 35 tackles for loss. The back-seven is a bit on the more average side.

6. Kansas (1-7, 3-9)

You know things are rough when you give Baylor its first league win since the Garfield administration, but the Jayhawks will have to tread a lot of water to avoid replacing Baylor as the joke of the Big 12.

KU, unlike many conference schools, can at least say they are settled at quarterback. Bill Whittemore was the silver lining on Kansas's dark cloud last year, throwing or running for 22 touchdowns. Leading-rusher Clark Green also returns.

The defense? They return seven starters from a unit that gave up at least 33 points in each of its final nine games. Enough said.

Big 12 South

1. Oklahoma (8-0, 12-0)

On November 1st, 1997, the Nebraska Cornhuskers beat the visiting Oklahoma Sooners 69-7. Later that week, Sports Illustrated was moved to run an article about it, the gist of which was the bemoaning of a great rivalry lost: Nebraska had irrevocably gotten too far out in front of their southern neighbors.

How quickly times have changed, and SI could well run the exact same article again, transposing the words "Oklahoma" and "Nebraska."

The Sooners will win the Big 12 -- and maybe the national championship -- because they have the most crushing defense on the planet. No one else is close. Linebacker Teddy Lehman is an All-American, as is tackle Tommie Harris. Another LB, Lance Mitchell, was the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year last year. The secondary returns starters good for 12 interceptions last year. A newcomer, CB Chijioke Onyenegecha, has blazing 4.3 speed.

On the offensive side of the ball, this could be a just-good-enough unit like Ohio State had last year. QB Jason White, named starter in the spring, will have something to prove coming off a serious knee injury, but he's a smart player who won't make many mistakes.

The offensive line is deep, and things could be fun in the backfield between Kejuan Jones, who scored 14 touchdowns last year, and Renaldo Works, who blew everyone away in the spring game. This is the team to beat not only in the conference, but in the country.

2. Oklahoma State (7-1, 11-1)

Has anyone noticed that there is not only another sheriff in Oklahoma, but another OSU that could be BCS bowling this year? If you haven't, take notice -- the Cowboys are the second-best team in the Big 12 and one of the top-five teams in the country.

With all due respect to Texas's Roy Williams, Rashaun Woods is the best wide receiver in the conference and my pick for Big 12 Player of the Year. With a year of eligibility remaining, Woods already owns much of the Big 12's record book (catches, yards). His stat line last year was jaw-dropping: 107 receptions, 1,695 yards, and 17 touchdowns, including 3 TDs against Oklahoma, in a game where he picked up 226 yards.

The rest of the offense is none too shabby itself. QB Josh Fields will once again be the man delivering the ball to Woods, and tailback Tatum Bell averaged a whopping 6.3 yards-per-rush last year, while his understudy, Seymore Shaw, averaged 5.6 in his own right.

If the Cowboys are going to be the top-five team I've proclaimed them, the defense, particularly the secondary, must step up. Good news about that: safety Elbert Craig and CB Darrent Williams broke-up 23 passes last year, and they both return.

3. Texas (6-2, 9-3)

The University of Texas, sporting more undergraduates at one campus than any other school in the nation, is developing a reputation as the school that can't quite ever put it all together. They have 40 wins in the last four years, but no national championship game appearances. They finally made the Final Four last year in basketball, only to bow out quickly. This year, expect Texas to not quite do it again.

Thinking that they had no shot of ever recruiting another quarterback with a name as great as Major Applewhite, the Longhorns somehow did just that, and the man charged with filling Chris Simms' shoes might be Chance Mock. Mock has better feet than Simms did, but not as good of an arm.

As such, prepare for Roy Williams' numbers to take a bit of a dip this year. Not that it will matter, he will still be a first-round NFL choice and is still the best wide receiver in the conference this side of Rashaun Woods.

Tailback Cedric Benson will be called on heavily this year, and his statistics match those of Ricky Williams at the same point of his career.

The O-line is thin. Defensively, the team is looking good with nine starters returning, but losing Cory Redding hurts. In a loaded Big 12 South, Texas can compete, but they won't take it all. Note: I'm already calling their September 13th home game against Arkansas the Upset of the Year as the Razorbacks will surprise.

4. Texas A&M (3-5, 5-7)

In a top-heavy Big 12 South, the first of the also-rans are the Aggies, with too many question marks to compete. The biggest problem is the defense, where just five starters return, there is no depth to be found anywhere, and no all-conference players likely among the starters. It will also be a defense in transition, as they ditch the 3-4 for the 4-3.

Offensively, A&M fans are excited about the QB situation. Dustin Long set records last year, including 7 touchdowns against Texas Tech, and then there's Reggie McNeal, who orchestrated the upset over Oklahoma. Nothing special in the other skill positions or the line, however. Just not enough.

5. Texas Tech (1-7, 3-9)

That noise you just heard was the thud of Texas Tech falling back to earth after years of being a solid bowl team. Kliff Kingsbury, who holds the NCAA records for attempts and completions, cannot be replaced. B.J. Symons is the unlucky guy behind the steering wheel now.

Only five starters return from the defense, but just one, safety Ryan Aycock, is a senior. In order to salvage the season, Tech's receivers -- the top four return from last year -- and running backs most respond to Symons as well as they did to Kingsbury. A tall order, indeed.

6. Baylor (0-8, 1-11)

Guy Morriss, who turned around the Kentucky program, is trying to do the same at Baylor. Building UK up will seem as easy as coaching the '85 Chicago Bears next to the task he has ahead of him.

Baylor finally got a Big 12 win last year, over Kansas, but they are still looking for their first win against a Big 12 South team in an eon. This is not the year to do it. With the Brian Dennehy scandal hanging over the campus, it will be a long and nightmarish year for the Bears, even by their own standards.

The Bears are the worst team in any BCS league, but at least we can say wide receiver Robert Quiroga could start for a few other schools in the league, and make at least a small impact for all of them.

Stay tuned for more college football previews from Kevin Beane!

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