Sports Betting

There are two clear cut teams here that are the creme of the crop, and that is Texas and Oklahoma without question. My dark horse and possible contender here, who could emerge is Texas Tech, they are loaded provided their quarterback can perform. This division of the conference also has some of the more high octane type teams on offense, and the better talent overall in the conference as a whole. I will tell you that Texas is poised to make a run this year at the national title, and if Mac Brown can win a few big games, the stage will be set. Here are my predictions, and yes, the eventual Big 12 Champion will be from the South this season again.
1. TEXAS
Remember this date, October 8, because that is the game that determines the path the Longhorns take this season, the Red River War in Dallas at the Cotton Bowl against hated rival Oklahoma during the Texas State Fair. Head Coach Mac Brown, long known for his lack of big game wins, dating back to his days at North Carolina, needs to beat OU, something he has never done at Texas. He also needs to win a conference title, something he has never done either in the ACC or the Big 12. The Longhorns have the best offensive and defensive lines in the Big 12 and perhaps in all of college football, the best secondary, one of the best QB's in Vince Young, and a senior laden team hell bent on destruction in 2005. Consider it a 3 games season with a road opener at Ohio State early, which will be a war, then Oklahoma in Dallas and the season ending finale against in-state rival Texas AM in College Station, and that one may be for all the marbles folks.
On offense Cedrick Benson is gone, and QB Vince Young will be given a long leash to make big plays this year (17-2 as a starter), and he has worked hard in the offseason to hone his passing skills. Expect RB Selvin Young to step in and replace Benson this year, he is as big and faster, but has some huge shoes to fill. If he proves to be sluggish, the Longhorns can rely on Ramonce Taylor, a solid backup with 4.3 speed and can get to the corner and is a great slasher. The receivers are above average but unproven so they need a player or two out of this group, and I expect Jordan Shipley and Limas Sweed to both step up, and they have a ton of depth here with speed that will burn weak secondary's this season. The tight end position is rock solid with David Thomas, who is one of the best hands guys at his position in the Big 12 and is a favorite weapon of QB Young. I mentioned the line and it may be the best in the USA this season, so with Young's running ability, and 2 solid RB's, and a balanced attack, look for Texas to move the chains.
On defense the front 4 is the best in the USA, and they have all the tools and experience to wreak havoc in 2004, including rush end Tim Crowder. The linebackers are average, but with a front 4 as dominant as this one will be, they will be better than advertised. The secondary is very fast and all are big hitters, and the cover corners are good and they are very deep at this position. This defense was ranked 16th against the run in the USA in 2004 and I look for that to improve, and their overall 23rd ranking should be in the Top 10 this season. All in all, with solid special teams, an excellent coaching staff, and a favorable schedule other than 3 big games, the Longhorns may be one of the best teams in the nation in 2005, and they are the best team in the Big 12 this season, and are my odds on favorite to win it all in 2005, and make a BCS Bowl, and a possible national title shot.
2. OKLAHOMA
The Sooners dumped another national shot last year, in ugly fashion to Southern Cal. Give them credit with Bob Stoops at the helm, they are always in the hunt, and this year they will not go quietly into the night either. The Big 12 South has better teams than Oklahoma on paper, since they have to revamp the offensive line, Wide receivers unit, QB and a depleted secondary, but this is Bob Stoops, and this guy gets more out of his coaching staff and players as any coach in college ball.
On offense their is some work to do and some changes as well, after getting pounded 55-19 in the national championship last year. Gone is Jason White at quarterback and his experience, and Rhett Bomar a redshirt freshman will battle it out with junior Paul Thompson, who I figure to start the season from my sources in Norman. Thompson is more the style of Vince Young out of Texas and has great speed and agility. Rhett Bomar is from the same mold, but I do not see Stoops or his staff starting a player than has never taken a varsity snap against TCU in their opener. He will however see playing time, and this will be a source of speculation all through fall camp and beyond. Adrian Peterson at running back needs no introduction, and in my opinion, is one of the best in all of college football, and he will carry the load this year on offense for OU. He is NFL caliber talent right now, and a serious Heisman candidate again in 2005. The line is a work in progress, but I think they'll reload just fine, and have plenty of size. The WR's are a different story, losing 4 seniors to graduation, 2 to the NFL draft, and that will take some time to gel a young unit, but look for Travis Wilson to step up big, and he has experience and is very quick. The question mark are the other 3 in rotation, but some young talent is there, and look for Jejuan Rankins to make a mark in 2005. With Peterson at running back to take the heat off of the QB and keep defense's honest, OU will put points up and have more of a ball control attack in 2005.
The strength of the team is defense this season, with a strong front four being the featured asset, including Larry Birdine who is a solid rush end, and they have some young talent and JUCO depth here, and they will be tough against the run. They are deep and extremely fast at linebacker and can cover sideline to sideline about as well as most teams DB's, and they will be tough to get around the ends on. The weakness is the secondary, and hopefully all those top recruiting classes will pay off, because all 4 starters are gone, and the top nickel back as well. This will hurt early, and any good team with a throwing QB will have success here, at least till they get their feet wet. They are really in trouble here, and the roster is yet to be determined but some players have dropped redshirts and others have been converted from other positions to fill in the blanks. Running teams will struggle, while passing teams like Texas Tech may thrive against them. All in all, Bob Stoops will somehow pull 9 wins out of these guys, and with a great running back to eat up the clock, they can mask a few weak spots until this team gels. Trips to Nebraska, Texas in Dallas, Texas Tech, and UCLA loom large this year for OU, but at the end of the day, this team has enough talent and speed, with solid coaching to give anyone a game.
3. TEXAS TECH
Mike Leach has his hands full of talent in 2005. All the stars are lining up for the Red Raiders in 2005, including a very favorable schedule. Off an impressive 45-31 win against California in the bowl game last year, this team enters the 2005 campaign full of steam and ready to roll, and they did plenty of that in 2004 including hanging 70 points on Nebraska and TCU last year. This team is no fluke and are my DARK HORSE in 2005 in the Big 12 South.
On offense they have no equal, they simply go for broke every play and run a spread attack that ranked #1 in passing in the nation last year. This team is sneaky good, with a better than perceived defense, a solid running back and a risk taking approach that inspires the players to play over their heads.
The QB position goes to 5th year senior Chris Hodges, and while his experience as a starter is not good, the schedule is so soft early he can experience some growing pains. He looked solid tin the spring, and unlike some of his previous peers, he is mobile and is a risk taker and sources say his is capable of making big plays. The reliance on the passing game overshadows one of the best kept secrets at RB in the Big 12, Taurean Henderson, who had 16 TD's rushing last year, and is quick and elusive, and of course, can catch the ball and break big plays. Shannon Woods is a solid backup at RB who had a big spring camp and adds depth here as well. The WR unit is deep, fast and all have good hands. The star of the bunch is Jarrett Hicks, and at 6'4" is taller than most DB's and he comes down with the ball if it is anywhere near him. The rest of the crew is sneaky fast and all have good hands, including Joel Filani who lit up Cal in the Bowl game last year and is a banger over the middle with no fear. The usual for Tech this year, short passes and a quick strike offense that is hard to defend and with such a vast array of weapons and a good RB, they once again will average over 30 ppg and be a nightmare to defend.
The good news is this defense is better than most expect out of a Mike Leach team. They can rush the passer, and look for sack leader from 2004, Keyunta Dawson to step up and make a huge splash at DE in 2005, and his 40 yard dash time in spring ball was 4.48! The front four returns 3 starters, and the key is the Red Raiders ability to stop the run this year, as last year they ranked 77th in the nation last year. I see that improving with an experienced line and a solid group of linebackers led by Brock Stratton. The secondary is of no concern as they ranked 15th in the nation in 2004 against the pass, and return 3 out of 4 starters, and a great safety in Duane Slay and one of the best cover corners in the Big 12 in Antonio Huffman. This defense ranked 7th in the Big 12 last year, and I expect them to be in the Top 4 in 2005. Special teams was an issue last year, they have a great punter averaging 42 yards per punt, but some work was needed in the kicking game so hopefully that improves and Tech also returns the #1 ranked returner from 2004 in the Big 12. Look for the Red Raiders to be a world beater at Lubbock this year as they are every year, and win some big games, and if Oklahoma falters and Texas should struggle for any reason, Texas Tech could be in the drivers seat in the Big 12 South.
4. TEXAS AM
Look for the Aggies to operate at a high level in 2005, and they also could be a contender. I am not sold on them this year, and they were very inconsistent last year, losing to bottom dweller Baylor and getting blown out in a few games, and there are some serious holes to fill in 2005. I am not sold on head coach Dennis Franchione's program yet, but with all world Reggie McNeal at quarterback, this team can put some points on the board and hang tough in many games this season. A favorable schedule early may mask some weak spots they have, and a true road test at Colorado in early October will be a good barometer of where they are at. They also get Texas at home this year in the final regular season game, and that, as always, is the biggest game of the year in the state of Texas.
On offense it starts and end with QB McNeal. This guy is simply a top 2 QB in the Big 12, and maybe top 4 or 5 in the nation in terms of ability to do what it takes to score with his abilities. He took some serious punishment last year as an option throwing QB, but he is quick, elusive, and can throw the ball. He rarely throws it away and had only 4 interceptions in 2004, and is underrated as a passer, as he has a golden arm in my opinion. The problem is he had no help to balance the offense with running the ball last year. Look for Courtney Lewis off an injury filled 2004 to step up with highly touted freshman banger Jorvorskie Lane to contribute. This will be KEY for Texas AM this season, because if they balance their attack somewhat, QB McNeal may have the best trio of receivers in the Big 12 to throw to. With Kerry Franks, Chad Schroeder and DeQawn Mobley, they bring experience, speed and depth to this position, if NcNeal can bust loose out of the pocket and get these guys in man-to-man coverage, this team could put points up in a hurry. Add in the fact that the offensive line returns 3 of 4 starters, and you may have a high octane offense here, that has multiple schemes and is hard to defend.
On defense this team should be very good up front returning 3 out of 4 and a top rush end, so they are stacked up front. The weak spot early will be the secondary, and they got shredded last year but return those starters with a years experience, and should improve. Once again a weak schedule should help the learning curve somewhat here and I expect Erik Mayes to emerge as a good cover corner, and touted freshman Danny Gorrer to get the other starting job, but in the Big 12 south, inexperience will kill you at the cover spots if you cannot rush the passer, so it is a work in progress on defense. The linebackers are led by Lee Foliaki slated to be the best of the bunch, but speed is lacking here, so they must rely on the front 4 to stuff the run. All in all a middle of the pack defense with some weak spots due to inexperience or lack of speed. The Aggies will have to outscore some good teams this year, and I look for a ton of high scoring games this year involving the Aggies, and a 8 win season.
5. OKLAHOMA STATE
Things are unsure in Stillwater this year as 11 year assistant Mike Gundy takes over the helm as head coach since Les Miles trotted off to Florida. The cupboards are not bare, but this will be a work in progress this year, and one of the most brutal October schedules in the nation awaits the Cowboys with road trips to Texas AM, Iowa State, then home to play Texas and then a roadie to Oklahoma in October in that order. You may be looking at 0-4 right there, and then the Cowboys play Texas Tech at home the following week, needless to say they could lose all 5 games in those 5 weeks, which is why I ranked this team 5th in the division.
On offense first year offensive coordinator Larry Fedora from Florida wants a "no huddle" offense with a spread attack led by star QB Donovan Woods, who is a good one to say the least. He could emerge as a major force in the QB mix in the Big 12 this year and can make plays on his feet as well. The balance on offense will be using QB Woods mobility and ability to throw, since the running game lost it's star last year and has unproven talent and most likely freshman Mike Hamilton will start with little depth behind him. At receiver D'Juan Woods, older brother of Donovan at QB, will shine in this spread attack system and could be a top 3 receiver in the Big 12 this year, but depth is an issue and WR Chijuan Mack is the best of an inexperienced bunch but has a knee injury which will limit him. All in all, this offense will lack balance and will need some younger players to step up and fill some key roles at skill positions, so I consider it a rebuilding year with a new scheme.
On defense, the Cowboys are a mess, with JUCO transfers and young inexperienced players filling all major roles, especially on the line, and teams will be able to run on them. The linebackers are led by Paul Duren, but they lack speed and depth, also a weakness exposed by a good running team. The secondary is experienced and good, but lack size, and in the Big 12 South, that is a death sentence. Not much more to add as this is a rebuilding year and the Cowboys will struggle against high octane teams with a good secondary and they are going to be a go against type team for me this year. A 6 win season would be a huge step for head man Gundy, but I do not know if the Cowboys can make it, as health to skill positions will be key down the stretch.
6. BAYLOR
Baylor looks to be the worst team in the Big 12 again, and I doubt they win a game in conference play. The schedule includes every major power in the North, and every major power in the South division. A 3 win season, to match last year's record would be about all I expect from the hapless Bears this season. They are playing 6 bowl teams not to mention they have not won a road game in their last 24 attempts. They also have not has a winning season in 10 years, and we can make that 11 right now.
On offense, look for 3rd year coach Guy Morris to stick to the plan, strike with quick passes, and a vast array of off tackle mis-directional type run plays. They have 2 potential starters at QB, either Dane King or Shawn Bell, neither are not that good but King had 1300+ yards last year as a starter before an injury, and Bell is also the QB who led them to a shocking win over Texas AM. At running back they lack size but Paul Mosley, who I saw play in Lincoln last year, has some ability, and if he gets more touches this year, may be a 1000 yard guy, but time will tell. The line is young and inexperienced but Morris wants them to develop and sources say this was a major priority in the offseason. They have 2 good receivers in Zeigler and Gettis, but not much depth, and I expect this team to produce no more than 17 ppg this season, and looking at the 102nd place ranking on offense in 2004, they might be lucky to break under the 100th place ranking in 2005.
On defense, they were horrible in 2005 ranking 104th against the run, 62nd against the pass and 92nd overall. They have 2 stars in the secondary, and Maurice Lane is the best of the bunch, and is potentially an all Big 12 performer. They have some depth here, and they'll need it as teams will attack them, and this unit plays a ton of zone coverage, so underneath the zone is open for teams in this division to pick apart as the line and pass rush are still non-existent this year with young players and little depth. The linebackers with Crooks and Tolbert are above average, but all in all, this defense lacks big play potential and depth, and in this south division, it could get ugly again. This team has recruited well the past 2 years and some young players that will gain experience and make them a better ball club in time, but the bad news is, the Bears will be licking their wounds most of the season.
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