The Big 12 Conference is loaded with teams that can make a solid move for some BCS bowls if not a national championship game yet again in 2009. Here is your breakdown of the North Division and who will have a chance to knock off Oklahoma or Texas come the Big 12 Championship Game.
1) Nebraska Cornhuskers
Most will think this is just me being a homer because this is “The Husker Blog,” but this prediction is with a completely unbiased eye. Nebraska made leaps and bounds last season from the completely dismantled Bill Callahan era, and that was with coach Bo Pelini not being able to do half the stuff he wish he could with the NU defense.
This year it will be even more of a revitalization for the Big Red, and it will all be determined nationally in Blacksburg, VA in the late non-conference schedule. If Nebraska can jump that hurdle before the Big 12 season starts, they won’t only be contenders for the Big 12 championship, but possibly a national championship.
Yes, Nebraska lost its quarterback Joe Ganz, who made play after play for the Huskers last season, but the good thing for NU is it has a Joe Ganz clone that will start for them this season in Zac Lee. Lee has been groomed by Ganz to be able to do everything Ganz did and possibly better–mainly because Lee is actually faster than him.
Lee may not have the game experience, but that will come with the fluff games before Virginia Tech. The Huskers’ two big contests in the North will come against Missouri and Kansas–both on the road. If they can get two W’s out of that and make the game against Oklahoma respectable, spirits will be high in Lincoln.
NEBRASKA 2009 SCHEDULE
September 5 - Florida Atlantic
September 12 - Arkansas State
September 19 - @ Virginia Tech
September 26 - UL Lafayette
October 3 - BYE WEEK
October 8 - @ Missouri
October 17 - Texas Tech
October 24 - Iowa State
October 31 - @ Baylor
November 7 - Oklahoma
November 14 - @ Kansas
November 21 - Kansas State
November 27 - @ Colorado
The Huskers have the second-most difficult schedule in the Big 12 North, but they do get lucky without having to play Texas or Oklahoma State in the regular season.
Optimistic record: 10-2
Realistic record: 9-3
Pessimistic record: 7-5
2) Kansas Jayhawks
The Jayhawks are picked by many to win the Big 12 North, and rightfully so. KU is returning basically its entire team from last season and showed flashes of being ready for the big time with a win over Missouri to end the regular season in 2008. The win catapulted the Jayhawks into headlines across the country because Missouri (somehow) was seen as a viable threat to Oklahoma’s run at the national championship game.
That turned out to be a flat out lie as Oklahoma gave Mizzou a swift kick in the butt for the second-straight year in the Big 12 title game. The Jayhawks should be able to knock Missouri off again in 2009 considering the Tigers are missing Chase Daniel, Chase Coffman and Jeremy Maclin–essentially the only reason they won games last year.
The reason I have KU under Nebraska is because although the Jayhawks are bringing nearly everybody back from last season, it’s that “nearly everybody” that went up to Lincoln and lost in a game that was somewhat close until the end. The final score was 45-35 and to be honest, that should have Nebraska worried considering they have to play the Jayhawks in Lawrence this season.
The last couple times Nebraska has traveled to Lawrence it hasn’t been pretty for the team with the N on its helmet.
2007: 76-39 Kansas 2005: 40-15 Kansas
Unfortunately for Kansas, there is just a different air in the Big 12 North right now, and as much as Kansas wants to convince all of us that they are a national power….they’re not.
KANSAS 2009 SCHEDULE
September 5 - Northern Colorado
September 12 - @ UTEP
September 19 - Duke
September 26 - Southern Miss
October 3 - BYE WEEK
October 10 - Iowa State
October 17 - @ Colorado
October 24 - Oklahoma
October 31 - @ Texas Tech
November 7 - @ Kansas State
November 14 - Nebraska
November 21 - @ Texas
November 28 - Missouri (In Kansas City)
The telling time for the Jayhawks will be their last three games of the season. The Nebraska-Texas-Missouri stretch is something to keep an eye on. If KU can take two of those three, they should more than likely topple Nebraska for the Big 12 North. However, if they can’t make it out of that on the upside or if they somehow mess up in the games leading up to it, then they will not be playing for a Big 12 title.
Not to mention they scheduled absolutely nobody for their non-conference games, so KU will be a soft 4-0 heading into conference play, but luckily for them, the first Big 12 game is against Iowa State. After that, we’ll see if KU can rock the chalk.
Optimistic record: 10-2
Realistic record: 8-4
Pessimistic record: 7-5
3) Missouri Tigers
Missouri should and will take a sad drop this year from where they have been in the past. Unless the Tigers can find some miraculous way to survive losing their quarterback, tight end and wide receiver that made the offense what it was, it will be a rebuilding year in Columbia. Considering the significant losses, finishing third isn’t all that bad.
The rebuilding process will start with a heck of a team in Illinois. The Fighting Illini were one of very few teams who even challenged Missouri to start the ’08 season, and now one would think that since Mizzou lost nearly all the playmakers that Illinois would pounce on the down Tigers.
After that, Mizzou gets Bowling Green, Furman and Nevada before the start of conference play–wake me up when that’s over. The Tigers should make it through that without geting declawed, but their first conference game might be their biggest conference game they play all season. Big enough to say if they lose, the season could be gone, and if they win the season could be on.
That of course is a conference opener against Nebraska in Columbia. The good thing for the Tigers is the fact that they have shredded the Huskers the last three times NU has come across the borders into Missouri. Consecutive scores of 41-24, 41-24 and 41-6 against Nebraska have the Huskers tired of allowing 41 points to Mizzou, but most would think 41 is a tall order for an offense without its top three playmakers from last season.
Missouri isn’t completely out of the hunt for winning the Big 12 North, but they are a distant third. Who knows, I thought the same thing about Missouri after they lost Brad Smith, so I’ve been wrong about them before.
MISSOURI 2009 SCHEDULE
September 5 - Illinois (In St. Louis)
September 12 - Bowling Green
September 19 - Furman
September 25 - @ Nevada
October 3 - BYE WEEK
October 8 - Nebraska
October 17 - @ Oklahoma State
October 24 - Texas
October 31 - @ Colorado
November 7 - Baylor
November 14 - @ Kansas State
November 21 - Iowa State
November 28 - Kansas (In Kansas City)
This conference schedule is pretty brutal early, but definitely dies off in the end. What this means is the Tigers will have to come out firing early or not fire all season. If Mizzou gets clawed up in the Nebraska-Oklahoma State-Texas-Colorado stretch, nobody will care what they do in the final four games. Personally, Mizzou will probably come out of that stretch 1-3 (2-2 if the Tigers are lucky) and if that does happen, the season will be over for people in Columbia.
Hell, they barely beat Northwestern in the Alamo Bowl to end last season just because they were pouting about losing to Kansas and Oklahoma in their last two games. If they don’t win, they pack it in. It’s how Missouri works.
Optimistic record: 9-3
Realistic record: 7-5
Pessimistic record: 6-6
4) Colorado Buffaloes
Colorado ended the 2008-09 season with a bad taste in their mouth. They rightfully should have beat Nebraska in Lincoln–a game that was changed quickly by a 57-yard field goal off the foot of Husker kicker Alex Henery in the waning minutes of the game. If Henery misses that field goal, CU runs out the clock and fans in Lincoln might not have been too excited to play Clemson in the Gator Bowl. To be honest, Nebraska wouldn’t have been in the Gator Bowl.
This season is not looking much better for Colorado, as almost all the teams around them have improved including Nebraska and Kansas in the North. The one win the Buffs might get that they didn’t get last season will be over Missouri. Another helper fact is that CU gets Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri (The top 3 in the north) all at home in 2009.
The true test for Colorado will take place in their fourth game on October 1. The Buffs travel to West Virginia for a rematch of the big win Colorado was able to notch last season in Boulder. Luckily for the Buffs that doesn’t have to concern them much in terms of conference play, but it doesn’t really help when a road game at Texas is buddied up right next to it.
For Colorado, a lot of expectations (what little there are) are riding on the shoulders of people nobody has heard of. The receivers might be the worst in the Big 12 right there next to Iowa State. For Colorado to have a real chance at any success this season, Cody Hawkins will need to step up and try to be comparable to other quarterbacks in the Big 12 (Bradford, McCoy, etc…). In the end…good luck.
Colorado 2009 SCHEDULE
September 6 - Colorado State
September 11 - @ Toledo
September 19 - Wyoming
September 26 - BYE WEEK
October 1 - @ West Virginia
October 10 - @ Texas
October 17 - Kansas
October 24 - @ Kansas State
October 31 - Missouri
November 7 - Texas A&M
November 14 - @ Iowa State
November 19 - @ Oklahoma State
November 27 - Nebraska
The non-conference schedule for the Buffaloes is somewhat impressive just because they have to go to take on the Mountaineers at their place, and Toledo has been a team that can cause mediocre teams fits. Add Colorado State to it all and I will grade the non-conference schedule a solid B. Conference schedule doesn’t look too great for the Buffs as they have to take on Texas, KU, Oklahoma State and Nebraska with OSU and Nebraska being back to back to end the season….ouch!
Colorado might play one good team close, but don’t expect any huge upsets for CU in 2009.
Optimistic record: 9-3
Realistic record: 6-6
Pessimistic record: 4-8
5) Kansas State
Kansas State is trying to evoke a little Nebraska magic down in Manhattan. The Huskers brought legend Tom Osborne closer to the Husker football program once again, and the team went out under main man Bo Pelini and got 9 wins and a Gator Bowl victory over highly touted Clemson. The Wildcats are hoping the same thing can happen for them considering they are bringing back the beloved Bill Snyder to begin coaching once again near Aggieville (and no I’m not referencing Texas A&M at all). There’s just one problem, they are bringing back Snyder to coach, something Nebraska won’t consider anymore in terms of Osborne.
The Wildcats didn’t do half bad under former coach Ron Prince, and what impressed me most was the fact that Texas could never knock off KSU with Prince at the helm. So although he did nothing but beat Texas through most of his tenure, he’ll always have Mack Brown hating him. Now on to Mr. Snyder.
Frankly, the man had his legacy sealed in Manhattan. The man could have not lifted one more finger and he would have been remembered by Wildcat after Wildcat as possibly the greatest coach to ever grace the field now named after him. But what does he do? Of course he comes out of retirement to get blasted by a much different college football world.
It will be interesting to see if Snyder is up with the times of college football in 2009, so I can’t officially say he will be laughed out of Manhattan–but I will go with close to. Snyder’s coming back to the Big 12 Conference at a time where the big guns are all back for the big teams. Sam Bradford is back in Norman, Colt McCoy in Austin and Zac Robinson in Stillwater. The one break Snyder will get is the fact that those are all quarterbacks in the south, but he still has to face the defending Heisman Trophy winner.
Kansas State 2009 SCHEDULE
September 5 - Massachusetts
September 12 - @ UL-Lafayette
September 19 - @ UCLA
September 26 - Tennessee Tech
October 3 - Iowa State (in Kansas City)
October 10 - @ Texas Tech
October 17 - Texas A&M
October 24 - Colorado
October 31 - @ Oklahoma
November 7 - Kansas
November 14 - Missouri
November 21- @ Nebraska
November 28 - BYE WEEK
One rare thing when you look at the KSU schedule is the fact that they do not get a break at all in the middle of the season. They will never have an extra week to prepare for an opponent and heal up from the previous game. That makes life pretty hard for the Wildcats down in Manhattan, and it’s very doubtful that the bye week they finally get at the end of season will be a good one, and it certaintly won’t be giving them more rest in preparation of a Big 12 Championship game. Snyder won’t be able to turn the ship around in one year, but who knows, maybe the old smash-mouth style of football will catch all the defenses waiting for the spread off guard.
Optimistic record: 8-4
Realistic record: 6-6
Pessimistic record: 4-8
6) Iowa State
Now to the part of the Big 12 North preview I don’t think anybody would like to really talk about–the Iowa State Cyclones. It pains me to write about the Cyclones in the somber mood because I do have a friend that is a die-hard Cyclone fan, so much to actually make him think ISU can actually make a bowl game in 2009. (I laughed internally…)
This isn’t a blow to Paul Rhoads self-esteem by any measure. The poor guy was just left absolutely nothing to work with by former coach Gene Chizik who got a first-class ticket straight out of the land of doom. Austen Arnaud will under-perform like always and there won’t be anybody around him to really help him, which makes things even worse for the first-year coach.
Rhoads himself even seemed quiet and to himself at the Big 12 Media Days because he knew he couldn’t really step up to the microphone and say his team was going to be good in 2009. In the end, will Rhoads make Iowa State respectable again? Yes. Will he bring them far enough back to where they will compete for a legitimate shot at the Big 12 Championship? Not in the next 5-10 years. I sure hope Rhoads wants to stay in Ames and really get his hands dirty, because that’s the only trick to turning this pony around anytime in the next decade.
Iowa State 2009 SCHEDULE
September 3 - North Dakota State
September 12 - Iowa
September 19 - @ Kent State
September 26 - Army
October 3 - Kansas State (in Kansas City)
October 10 - @ Kansas
October 17 - Baylor
October 24 - @ Nebraska
October 31 - @ Texas A&M
November 7 - Oklahoma State
November 14 - Colorado
November 21- @ Missouri
November 28 - BYE WEEK
Like Kansas State, the Cyclones don’t get a break once they play their first game. In fact, the biggest break they get will be after that first game (9 day break) before they get ready for their much-hated rival Iowa. It’s hard to say that this team has even a fighting chance of doing anything in year one under Paul Rhoads, but one can always hope.
Last year, ISU started 2-0 and couldn’t win a game the rest of the season. I see this happening pretty much in the same way, but with a loss to Iowa tossed in. The Cyclones should be 3-1 heading into conference play, and even though Rhoads has the easiest conference schedule he will have in the next three years (No Texas or Oklahoma), I still don’t see the Cyclones mustering up a Big 12 win this season. If my friend reads this, I apologize in advance!
Optimistic record: 6-6
Realistic record: 3-8
Pessimistic record: 2-9
Love it or hate it, this is the way I see the Big 12 North in 2009. Let me know what you think!