In order to bide the time as we helplessly wait for college football to get here, we’d like to take a walk through each Big XII team and talk a little about their biggest strengths and weaknesses.  If we get really ambitious, we may even take a quick glance at some of their important dates on the schedule.

Texas : K-State : Nebraska : Texas A&M : Missouri

And now it’s time to come after a man. And not only a man, but a man that’s now well past 40.  If that’s not fair game, I don’t know what is.  Expectations are high in Stillwater – kind of comes with the territory when you’re “athletic department” is being run by a billionnaire  – and if their man can keep it together, it just might be warranted.

Biggest Strength: Offensive Balance

For two years in a row, OSU has been known as a high powered offense.  Not exactly a rarity in the Big XII.  The difference being, they do just as much damage on the ground as through the air.  And with much of that offensive personnel returning, the same is to be expected this year.  The Pettigrew loss will undoubtedly hurt as he was a fabulous blocker on the end.  But keeping Russell Okung for another season surely didn’t break Gundy’s heart. They did lose Washington (center) and Denning (guard), but they’ve got plenty of size to fill in amongst all three returning starters.   And that’s not even to mention Zac Robinson, Kendall Hunter, & Dez Bryant…all of whom are capable of not only Big XII accolades, but some on the national level as well.  Their play-calling doesn’t always make a ton of sense.  But even with that speedbump in their way, this offense will be carving out chunks of yardage both on the ground and through the air.  There isn’t a defensive coordinator in the country looking forward to lining up against them.  Offensive coordinators, on the other hand…

Biggest Weakness: Defensive line

One of the biggest mysteries of last year to me is still the pressure they were able to get on Chase Daniel in Columbia.  Honestly, they only had 15 sacks on the entire season and yet, Missouri’s o-line couldn’t keep them out of the backfield all night.  And we all know what happened when Chase had to move that fat ass.  But looking ahead, the Pokes didn’t have a legitimate pass rush all season and unless they’ve improved dramatically, a big change isn’t on the horizon.  From the stance, they lost Chatham and Tea and while they return several others (Chinasa, Burton, & Price), we haven’t seen anything from them to warrant much buzz.   And worse yet, they won’t be getting much help from their secondary as the only returning starter from the nation’s 110th ranked pass defense is Parrish Cox – a good one, to be sure, but only one man.  The Cowboys are stacked with athletes and there’s no way not to love their offense, but they simply can’t expect to win the Big XII south if they can’t find a way to generate a dependable pass rush.

Schedule stuff…

10/10 @ Texas A&M

10/17 v. Missouri

10/24 @ Baylor

10/31 v. Texas

Really, the first three shouldn’t be a problem at all for a top ten type team.  But if they’re really hoping to contend for the Big XII, they need to take all four considering that they close in Norman this year.   And aside from the opener against Gerogia, there aren’t any other logically losable games on the schedule.  That doesn’t mean Gundy won’t find a way, but he won’t have a good excuse if it happens.