The big twelve the place where defensive coordinators drink from the stress and offensive coordinators drink because, "Fuck, what else you gonna do in Lubbock, Morgantown, Ames, Manhattan, Lawrence, Norman, Stillwater, Fort Wayne or Waco?" A fun and competitive conference, that has seen Texas fall off but a group of twor or three schools that have risen to new levels.
Subtractions/Additions
There have been no additions or subtractions since the addition of West Virginia and losses of Nebraska, Missouri and Texas A&M. There doesn’t appear to be much movement on the horizon either, as those, at the head of the conference have been adamant against it.
Recent History
Baylor broke through in 2013 and won the Big XII ahead of 7-2 Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas. Baylor came back to earth a bit in the second half but winning in 2013 was no easy feat. 2012 saw Bill Snyder work his magic in Manhattan and capture the BCS berth and a split title with Oklahoma. 2011 saw Oklahoma State take the title ahead of Kansas State to make it four different champions in three seasons. The league has seen a very nice level of parody over the last couple of seasons but the big programs still loom large.
Coaching Changes
There is only one change among the Big XII coaching ranks, but it was a big one. Mack Brown is gone from Texas after four straight seasons of 9 wins or less after a 10 year streak of no fewer than 10. The irony is that 2013 was Brown’s best finish of those four years and he had his teams working their way back up the standings. To replace Brown, Texas brought in Charlie Strong from Louisville. Strong took over Louisville in 2010, and after some stumbles early went 23-3 in his final two seasons, including a Sugar Bowl victory over Florida in 2012. Strong did a very good job building that program and was one of the best defensive coordinators in the country at Florida for 8 seasons before that. I like Strong and I think he will be good for the program but one has to wonder if those around Texas, a brash and blustering state, will warm to the demure and understated Strong.
Team Write-ups (Division, 2013 W-L, Total Returning Starters, Returning Off (Starters (QB), % yards), Returning Def (Starters, % yards)) *coach records are career numbers
Baylor Bears – (11-2, 9, 5 (Y), 64.3%, 4, 50.9%) Bryce Petty and his 4200 yards, 32-3 TD-INT ratio and good not great 4% sack rate and 10.4 yards/attempt returns for his senior season. That in and of itself would mean the offense would stay at a certain level of production in 2014. Lache Seastrunk is gone and with him 1170 yards on 7.4 yards per carry. The good news is that his replacement is a sophomore, who, in his freshman campaign rushed for 881 yards on 128 carries at 6.9 yards per carry. Shock Linwood should step into the lead role without too many hiccups but the depth behind him has questions. No other back had greater than 51 carries, although both were over 5.5 yards per. The receiving corps returns 5 of the top 6 in yards, but have to replace Tevin Reese at IR (Inside receiver) who was no slouch at 13.5 yards per catch. To replace Reese the Bears will call on Clay Fuller a senior who had 32 catches last season for 512 yards but wasn’t anything to write home about. The receivers to know for the season are Antwan Goodley and Levi Norwood. Goodley plays on the outside and had 1339 yards last year and caught 66% of his targets and Norwood started inside opposite Reese and was no slouch either, at 733 yards and a 78% catch rate. This offense should be really good again with some young blood to supplement a senior heavy squad in Art Briles’ offense. The line should be good but has to replace three starters but one of the returners is LT Spencer Drago a junior who was 1st team All-Big XII. The front four loses just one of the top six options from last season, but that one starter had 11.5 TFLs and 6 sacks, the rest of the rosters returns 12.5. The good news is the entire group is sophomores or juniors and showed signs of very good production. A pair of juniors bookend the line, in the form of Jamal Palmer and Shawn Oakman (former four star) who combined for 33.5 TFLs but need to continue to get pressure on the quarterback. In the middle the top four players from 2013 return including four star sophomore Andrew Billings at the one technique. Billing had 23.5 tackles as a freshman and 4 for a loss and he needs to build on that to create definitive pressure on opposing QBs and be a real force up front for Baylor. Behind what should be a very good young line, the linebackers lose two of the top three tacklers from 2013 but return Bryce Hager who racked up 58.5 tackles in 9 games last year. To replace the departed starters are a pair of sophomores who saw time in every game but mostly late in blowouts. Aiavion Ehrlich could have the biggest impact foreshadowed by his 3.5 TFLs and 1.5 sacks. The secondary better hope the front four turns’ youth and experience into beastliness because there is not much returning. Slot corner Terrell Burt and Deep Safety Orion Morton are back and combined for 11 passes defensed in 2013 but they will need help from a cache of sophomores who saw limited time last season to step up and mature quickly in new roles. Overall Baylor is going to be really good and one of the three best teams in the conference and one of the best teams in the nation. The key will be the development of the secondary and the ability of the front four to create havoc to lessen the pressure on the back four early in the year. The offense should be one of the elite in the nation and well equipped if shootouts do occur. Head Coach: Art Briles (78-60) Since 2008
Oklahoma Sooners – (11-2, 5 (Y), 32.7%, 9, 77.9%) The order of the next three teams is a jigsaw to me and I originally had Texas ahead on virtue of having returning talent on both sides of the ball. But the longer I looked the more I think Oklahoma’s defense is going to be one of the best in the nation in 2014 and the quarterback play should undoubtedly be better with a quarterback who can throw the ball with any accuracy. Blake Bell is moving to tight end for his senior year in what is one of the most intriguing and unique storylines in recent memory. Replacing Bell is Trevor Knight, a four star sophomore who was alright in his time behind center but has more upside and allows for a wider subset of plays from the playbook. The top three RBs from 2013 are gone leaving the starter job up to high four star sophomores Keith Ford who rushed for 5.8 yards a carry in limited time last year. Behind him are high four star sophomore Alex Ross, freshman five star Joe Mixon and freshman high four Samaje Perine. Wide receiver was as hard hit by departures as running back, with the exception of Sterling Shepard a junior who caught 51 passes for 603 yards last year. He and fellow Junior Durron Neal will need help from new TE Blake Bell, sophomore WRs Austin Bennett & Derrick Woods and a litany of redshirt freshmen. So this offense will be a bit raw, young and talented but with hopefully better quarterback play and good coaching. The reason I’m high on Oklahoma is the other side of the ball however. The defense was good all-around last season but was definitely better against the pass than they were against the run. The line returns the top five from last year but needs to get better against the run. Only two players had more than thirty tackles last year which belies a line that gets blocked far too often in the running game. Junior Jordan Phillips only played in 4 games last season but at 6’6” 334 he has the size to be a clogger up front. If a young but experienced group can make strides in run defense this defense has a great chance to go from good to elite. The linebackers are experienced, talented and very good. MLB Frank Shannon and OLB Domnique Alexander both exceeded 60 tackles, but the playmakers of the group will be the other two OLBs Eric Striker and Geneo Grissom. The pair combined for 19 TFLs and 10.5 sacks and should lead a fearsome edge attack for the Sooners that should drive line coaches crazy. The secondary loses starting CB and FS, Aaron Colvin and Gabe Lynn who combined for 11 passes defensed and 96.5 tackles. The good news is that Quinten Hayes and his attacking style and the next to CBs and NB are back to take the sting off losing two very good defensive backs. The offense needs to gel with young players and a new QB fast, but the defense should be very good and if they shore up the run problems it will be one of the elite units in college football. With most of the best teams in conference coming to Norman this team is set up for a run at the conference crown. Head Coach: Bob Stoops (160-39) Since 1999
Oklahoma State Cowboys – (10-3, 5 (N), 47.3%, 4, 35.4%) Mike Gundy has brought Oklahoma State to a level of prominence that hasn’t been seen before in school history. That isn’t to say that Oklahoma State doesn’t still have questions. Clint Chelf is gone, which means J.W. Walsh is back at the helm. Walsh isn’t the most aggressive player at QB but he completes 60% of his passes and doesn’t take a lot of sacks and is a better runner than Chelf was. Next to Walsh, senior Desmond Roland is back after a junior campaign that saw him average 4.6 yards per carry. Sophomore Rennie Childs will back up Roland and if Roland goes down has a statistical profile that mimics Roland and should be able to fill in nicely. There isn’t much experience in the rest of the depth chart at running back but the top two should be solid. The three of the top four receivers are gone but the positives of the air raide is thre are still three players who saw 30 or more targets last season. Sophomore Jhajuan Seales is the headliner here, 8.8 yards per catch, 64% catch rate should fill in well in the number one role which should see at least a 20 target bump. Fellow Sophomore Marcell Ateman caught 58% of his passes, but for a far less impressive 7 yards per catch but if he takes a stop up in his second season he should be a realiable second option for Walsh. Behind those two, inside receiver David Glidden could have a breakout junior campaign. With sure hand (65% catch rate) and a respectable 7.5 yards per catch on the inside he should put pressure on the middle of the defense. Brandon Sheperd (47% catch rate), C.J. Curry (2 targets, four star soph.) and Blake webb (2 targets) will need to step up in increased roles and in Sheperd’s case need to be much more consistent in 2014. Overall this offense should be very good. Gundy and staff have produced a very consistent product but may need to lean on the run a bit more than usual in this season. Two starters are gone but six of the top eight return to the front four this season. Tyler Johnson, DE, is gone and with him 44.5 tackles, 10.5 TFLs and 3.5 sacks is gone but junior Jimmy Bean and Sophomore Emmanuel Ogbah return and could provide a very potent pass rush. Bean had 10 TFLs and 5 sacks and Ogbah in his rookie campaign had 5.5 TFLs and 4 sacks in limited time as a freshman. 6’2” 300 pound James Castleman returns at DT and if he can improve on 5 TFLs he should be a force up the middle but is the only sure thing on the inside. A litany of second year players are going to need to separate themselves and contribute to sure up the other DT spot. The line should be very good and it’s going to need to be as the attrition in the back seven is huge. The linebackers are young but talented, everyone on the roster is a high three or four star recruit. The rock early in the year is going to be junior Ryan Simmons who recorded 58 tackles and 9 tackles for loss in his sophomore year. The choices at SLB and WLB are all really unproven but Krish Catlin and Seth Jackson could step into much increased roles and perform adequately. The top five performers are all gone including top ten pick Justin Gilbert. Much like the linebackers it’s a mixed bag, junior CBs Ashton Lampkin and Kevin Peterson saw considerable playing time last season and should take up leadership roles in a very young back seven. The battle for FS will be interesting with Senior Larry Stephens coming back from injury, sophomore Jordan Sterns saw some time last year and four star RS freshman Jerel Morrow looking for playing time after sitting out last year. Overall the defense needs to replace a lot in the back end but the front four may be good enough to allow a talented roster to mature into roles. The Cowboys may regress some in 2014 but the drop-off shouldn’t be catastrophic. Head Coach: Mike Gundy (77-38) Since 2005
TCU Horned Frogs – (4-8, 7 (N), 78.7%, 8, 77.8%) Garry Patterson is starting his fifteenth season as the head coach of the Horned Frogs, but hasn’t caught lightning in a bottle in the Big XII like they had from ’08-’10. The biggest problem has been the regression on offense since joining the league. Casey Pachall is gone but Junior Trevone Boykin is back and should be in a healthy competition with Matt Joeckel the Texas A&M transfer. Boykin is the more athletic of the two, having run for 405 yards on 91 attempts. Not to say that Boykin isn’t good with his arm. He completed 60% of his passes but wasn’t really efficient in getting the ball downfield (5.8 yards per attempt). Joeckel for his part is a bit of an unknown, he showed flashes of being a much better downfield passer than Boykin, but the sample size was small enough that there is still some questions surrounding him. The other key for Joeckel is that the new offensive scheme should be very similar to what he ran at Texas A&M, with quick attacking throws downfield. The summer news coming out of A&M was that Joeckel is the starter. Whoever starts they need to be better and more consistent than the combination of Pachall and Boykin were in 2013. The returning starter at RB, B.J. Catalon, is back after his sophomore campaign when he ran for 5.3 yards per carry and took advantage of good blocking often. Fellow junior, four star Aaron Green is back as well but his 2013 was underwhelming at just 3.2 yards per carry and he needs to do a better job if he’s going to stave off a pair of talented redshirt freshmen on the depth chart. The receiving corps has depth, only two of the top seven in targets are gone from the 2013 roster. The three WRs you should know most are, Josh Doctson, JR, David Porter, SR, and Ty Slanina, SO. All three return with catch rates above 64%, all three averaged over 6.5 yards per catch with Doctson at 7.9, but most importantly they should be helped by a scheme that gets them into space. If Boykin doesn’t start at QB he could factor in in the receiving corps once again where he had 26 catches last season and was sure handed if not explosive. The group is deep, with 12 players on the roster who have played and caught balls and should be able to keep level of play up even with injuries. The offense should be better, it’s experienced, deep, and moving to a more explosive system. The quarterback play should be better and if Joeckel wins the job he should have little troubling fitting into this offense. Disclaimer: I love Patterson’s defense. The 4-2-5 is a revolutionary scheme and one that makes a ton of sense from a flexibility and a logical standpoint. The front four was going to be stars and replacements, but Devonte Fields has been separated from the school for a domestic violence incident. That leaes Chucky Hunter as the lone lineman from last year’s starters. He’s a good one though, 31 tackles, 6 TFLs and 2 sacks from the inside is nice production to return. The replacement at the ends are what give me the most encouragement for the line. Terrell Lathan and James McFarland should be the starters and in backup time in 2013 they combined for 12 TFLs and 8 sacks and if they can improve upon those numbers in full time roles they should be a very disruptive force for Patterson and crew. A couple of juniors will fill in the DT rotation and both have shown flashes but need to show the consistency for this to be an absolutely stout front four. All three linebackers are back. All are seniors. All played in every game last season. I have no questions. Do you? Jason Verrett is gone, a first rounder for the Chargers, but the rest of the back five remains intact. The group of six returning from last season combined for 33 passes defensed last year (INTs+Pass breakups) as well as 16.5 TFLs and with an attacking scheme this group should be well equipped to run Patterson’s scheme. As I wrote this I liked this TCU squad more and more and think this is their best chance since joining the Big XII to really showcase what they can do. Head Coach: Gary Patterson (120-44) Since 2000
Texas Longhorns – (8-5, 6 (N), 85.3%, 7, 72.4%) What does one do with Texas? On the surface they bring back a lot of talent from last season on both sides of the ball. The coaching is improved, but there is a change in style and culture that has shocked the system. To date, Strong has dismissed three players (2 RBs and a CB), and suspended two (WRs) more. It seems to be taking hold with part of the roster but will everyone buy in like the senior seem to be. As far as talent, well, this is still Texas and there is depth to be found. David Ash returns for his junior season as an injury prone star in the making who could hold the success of Strong year 0 in his hands. While healthy Ash completed 61% of his passes, at 8.1 yards per attempt and a respectable, if not spectacular, 4.4% sack rate. The problem is if Ash goes down the replacements are a four star true freshman and a four star “dual-threat” sophomore who it still is undetermined whether he can throw the ball. Jerrod Heard is the better choice for me as a true freshman he is more likely the future beyond the first year for Strong and company than Tyrone Swoopes. The running back group brought back everyone from last season and added a four star freshman in the offseason, but that all changed with the coaching change. Joe Bergeron who was third on the roster in yards last season and Jalen Overstreet who saw limited action as a freshman have been dismissed from the squad for not complying with team rules. There is still alright depth even with those losses. Malcolm Brown is back after 904 yards and 9 tochdowns but he isn’t the most explosive option as he only averaged 4.2 yards per carry. To back him up is junior Jonathan Gray who averaged 4.9 yards a carry and did a much better job of taking advantage of good blocking. The only other running back on the roster is the alluded to freshman Donald Catalon who as a four star recruit is talented but will probably need time. The receiving corps only loses one player to graduation or the draft. Mike Davis, who was the leading receiver on the team is gone. Two receivers were suspended, Kendall Sanders and Montrel Meander. Sanders was the third leading receiver by yards but his yards per catch was below five and his catch rate barely topped 50%. The loss of Sanders isn’t good but probably not catastrophic. Meander was a RS freshman and had yet to see the field. The positives are Jordan Shipley (SR), Marcus Johnson (JR) and Daje Johnson (JR) return. They bring back 68.3% 7.2 Y/A, 53.7% 8.5 Y/A, and 60.7% 5.9 Y/A respectively and should be a solid receiving trio for Ash or whoever else plays QB. The rest of the lineup isn’t experienced but there is a lot of talent for the new staff and current players to work with. There is talent abound on the roster but it will be interesting to see what the established offensive identity for this team is as the new staff assimilates. Only one BUCK end Jackson Jeffcoat is gone from the defensive line, but along with him goes, 61 tackles, 19 TFLs, and 13 sacks. The good news is DE Cedric Reed is back after 16.5 TFLs and 10 sacks. The other DE should be Shiro Davis, a former four star junior who had 3.5 TFLs and 1 sack playing behind Jeffcoat. On the inside the returning starters bring back a combined 74 tackles, 13.5 TFLs and 4 sacks but Desmond Jackson needs to step up his game to make as big of an impact as Malcom Brown did from the one technique. Behind Brown and Jackson are a pair of four star sophomores who should provide a nice spark. The entire liebacking corps is back with a lot of seniority, the biggest impact could be Jordan Hicks who played in just four games last season, but put up 30 tackles and 2.5 TFLs in those four games. The best returners from last year were Dalton Santos and Steve Edmond who combined for 103.5 tackles, 9.5 TFLs and 11 passes defensed. If Hicks can gel with the other returning starters this front seven could be very good. We have to start of the secondary with those dismissed from the team, RS freshman Chevoski Collins and senior FS Josh Turner. Turner would have been a starter just like last season, Collins would have been his backup more than likely. Even with Turner gone this secondary should be pretty good, three senior starters (2CBs, 1S) and a junior and two sophomores returning with experience and talent. If Qundre Diggs can turn 10 passes defended into three or four INTs this could be a very good secondary and defense. Overall I have no idea what Texas is going to be this year. I think the offense absolutely needs David Ash but absent of him this should still be a competent offense. The defense has a chance to be really good (notice a Big XII patter) and should be the strength of Strong’s first Longhorns team. Head Coach: Charlie Strong (37-16) Since New Hire
Kansas State Wildcats – (8-5, 6 (Y), 47.3%, 4, 53.8%) Bill Snyder is a wizard. That’s all you need to know about why and how Kansas State does what they do. But we might as well break down the personnel used in his sorcery. This year’s squad should be another one of those underwhelming, terrifyingly good Bill Snyder teams. Senior QB Jake Waters is back, off a junior campaign that saw him complete 61% of his passes at a very good 8.3 yards per attempt. So when given the chance to air the ball out waters and the Wildcats took advantage of the play call. The one trend that needs to change this season is the sack rate. At 8.1% Waters saw the ground far too often in 2013. If Waters goes down with injury, it all gets a little hairy. The likely replacements are two RS freshman who haven’t seen the field as collegiate athletes. The top two running backs from last season are gone and with them 1900 yards of production. Waters, the QB, is the leading returning rusher with 439 yards. Senior Demarcus Robinson is the only back with experience, but last season he was useful but not explosive. At 4 yards a carry he was good enough but he was pretty line dependent. Behind Robinson are two sophomore backs, Jarvis Leverett and Charles Jones, but both are unknowns and are going to need to produce early and often. The receiving corps brings a little more help to the offense than the running backs did. Seniors Tyler Lockett and Curry Sexton are back, and both boast 71% catch rates. Lockett was the number one option and the big play threat on the roster average 11 yards a target last season and should be ready for a nice encore to a 2013 in which he gained 1262 yards. Sexton averaged 8.1 yards a catch, but had much less of a workload than Lockett, but still put up 446 yards. Behind them though, it gets bare, Kyle Klein (JR), is back but he also brings his 45% catch rate with him. Other than that you have two second year players, Deante Burton (SO) and Juda Jones (RSFr) who will need to take on greater roles and supplement the two seniors. The defensive line returns 6 of its top 8 producers and two of those are entrenched starters. Senior DE Ryan Mueller and Junior DT Travis Britz return to start on the line and of the two Mueller is the force. Mueller had 57.5 tackles, 18.5 TFLs and 11.5 sacks in 2013 and will be the rock on which the front seven is built. Britz was a good enough force in the middle with 6.5 TFLs and 3 sacks and should be even better in his junior year as he takes on a key role in the defense. Returning with them are questions. Junior DE Marquel Bryant, sophomore DT Demonte Hood, senior DT Valentino Coleman and senior DE Laton Dowling all saw playing time last year but none really flashed anything you would consider special and the need for other impact players may fall to RS freshman four star DE Tanner Wood who could be a much wanted spart alongside the entrenched starters. Five of seven LBs are back, but MLB Blake Slughter is gone and so are his 92.5 tackles, 6.5 TFLs and 3 sacks. Returning WLB Jonathan Truman should be able to pick up some of the slack and didn’t have a terrible 2013 himself (73 tackles, 4.5 TFLs). The remainder of the corps is going to need to grow into increased roles. Sophomore MLB Will Davis saw time in support of Slaughter last season but will need to translate that into a full time role in 2014 and it is still to be determined who will fill the open SLB spot. The back four should be very good despite losing three of the top five DBs, most notably SS Donte Barnett and his 66 tackles, 20 TFLs and 7 pass breakups returns. To pair with Barnett the Wildcats also have senior CB Randall Evans coming back 55.5 tackles and a 2 INTs 12 pass breakup 2013. That ratio should regress to the mean and increase by a couple interceptions which would be a huge coup for any team. Aside from Barnett and Evans the back seven needs some work but with two studs, assimilating new members should be easier than a total rework of the secondary. There is a lot to like from the 2014 Kansas State team but health will be the key on offense where depth is a major issue. Head Coach: Bill Snyder (178-90-1) Since 2009 (also at K State from ’89-’05
Texas Tech Red Raiders – (8-5, 8 (Y), 56.3%, 4, 45.9%) We should start this off with I believe in Kliff Kingsbury but I think year two is going to be a step back. The biggest reason I might be wrong is Davis Webb is back for his sophomore season, but he’s it really, other than high three star true freshman Patrick Mahomes there isn’t anyone to back up Webb on the depth chart. For Webb’s part, he completed 63% completion rate, 29-9 TD-INT ratio, and a very good 1.9% sack rate. If he can continue to push the ball down the field and grow as a sophomore, he should be a perfect fit to grow with Kingsbury and staff. The top two running backs from last season are back and they should be solid, if unspectacular. Neither Kenny Williams and DeAndre Washington was spectacular but as a change of pace from the pass game they should be good enough at four yards a carry to make this team “well rounded”. The spark plug here could be Quinton White, a sophomore who rushed for 10 yards a carry on limited carries as a freshman, if he can continue to work his way into playing time he may take some carries from Williams and Washington and add a dimension not often seen with the air raid. The biggest hinderance to the pass game could be the loss of Jace Amaro who caught 106 passes for over 1352 yards in 2013. The loss of Amaro and lead WR Eric Ward means that Jakeem Grant is going to need to breakout after a 100 target season and a couple senior WR should provide enough experience and talent to keep the pass game from falling completely off the radar in Kingsbury’s second season. The line comes back almost completely intact and need only replace a starter at RG. The D-Line loses two of its top three performers and its few playmakers from last season. The only real bright spot is the return of DE Branden Jackson returns after 9 TFLs and 4 sacks but he and the rest of the line need to be much more active in the run game if this defense is going to improve from slightly below average. There isn’t a lot of experience in the depth chart and the unit needs to shore up early on in the season. Will Smith and his 103 tackles, 10.5 TFLs and 4.5 sacks are gone and that is a huge blow but there are three returning linebackers with greater than 45 tackles returning and BAN linebacker Pete Robertson brins back 9 TFLs and 2.5 sacks from last year and looks poised for a breakout. The secondary lacks experience and loses it’s top four from last season. The bright spots should be at safety where Keenon Ward steps into the starting SS role after playing in all 13 games and FS J.J. Gaines who saw time in five. The rest of the secondary won’t have much in the way of experience and there isn’t much for elite level pedigree either. The defense as a whole will need to lean on experienced linebacker play and learn from early season experience if they are to be anywhere near the average squad they were in 2013. Overall this looks like a step back year but the offense should be pretty good and growing into an elite unit under Kingsbury’s tutelage. Head Coach: Kliff Kingsbury (8-5) Since 2013
Editors Note: Once again Andy Kriha jumped in to write up a team and this time he went from farming redneck (Purdue) to Appalachia (West Virginia). Once again you can find his stuff
at http://everynameistakenalreadyholyfuck.blogspot.com.
West Virginia Mountaineers – (4-8, 7 (Y), 68.7%, 7, 74.9%) Country roads, take me home, to the place I belong, West Virginia, mountain momma, take me home, country roads.” Ah, good ole West Virginia. WVU is a beautiful campus situated in downtown Morgantown and is known primarily for rioting, Bob Huggins, and its abundance of married housing for those brother-sister pairs that want to go to school together. 2013 was not kind to this proud football community. They started out by eking out a win against William & Mary, a school known primarily for turning out the comedy duo of John Stewart and Anthony Weiner. That game was played in front of 56350 West Virginians or as my Icelandic friends call them, “Hilly Billies.” By the time their dismal 4-8 season was ready to mercifully come to a close, they were playing in front of a mere 33735 ‘billies. For reference, 1-11 Purdue’s most poorly attended home game was played against Illinois in front of 37459 farm folk. Luckily for the Mountaineers, this year is looking much brighter (Figuratively of course, it’s still gonna be pretty difficult to see through all that coal ash). At the quarterback position, WVU returns seniors Clint Trickett and Paul Millard who each threw for over 1000 yards last season. Trickett figures to be the starter and if he can stay healthy, the passing attack should benefit from a consistent presence at the most important position. Unfortunately, it appears Storm McPherson won’t be seeing much action on the field so on game day he’ll likely be found roaming the sideline with his five sisters who are known collectively as the “Riders on the Storm.” The stable of running backs will be led by Dreamius Smith, named as such because his eyes are just oh so dreamy. Last year Captain Dreamy Eyes rushed for 545 yards and 5 TDs behind starter Charles Sims. As the starter this year, expect him to at least double those numbers. The pass catchers will be led by former San Francisco 49ers standout Vernon Davis who figures to have a bounce back year after a mere 33 yards and 0 TDs for the Mountaineers in 2013. The defense will again be led by Karl Joseph, named after his mother’s heroes Karl Marx and Joseph Stalin, who according to WVU’s official stat sheet had one fumble recovery which he returned for two touchdowns last year. Also on defense is the star linebacker known simply as Shaq. Assuming the Mountaineers live to see another day after facing Alabama in week 1, they will go on to play Towson (from the same conference as that William & Mary team that gave them a scare last year) and Big Ten power Maryland before getting on with their conference schedule. My prediction: 6-6 with an appearance in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl. Head Coach: Dana Holgorsen (21-17) Since 2011
Iowa State Cyclones – (3-9, 16, 10 (Y), 73.1%, 6, 44.4%) Paul Rhoads’ tenure at Iowa State can be defined as consistently moving towards average, and, “Shit. How did they beat them?” Iowa State took a step back last season and in a Big XII that has a very strong middle, how much room for growth is there? Sam B. Richardson and Grant Rohach are both back and it isn’t really clear if they are going to split time again or not. Rohach was the starter coming out of spring practice and was a slightly better option last season because he was a touch more accurate but not enough to separate them. Rohach makes sense since he is younger but Rhoads and company have a bad habit of juggling quarterbacks. Two of the top three running backs are back but neither one is a big play threat. Both Aaron Wimberly and DeVondrick Nealy both averaged 4 yards a carry, which is a nice average but suggests that neither hits a hole and goes or does much independent blocking. Two of the top three WRs and the top TE from last season return, but much like the running game, where are the big plays going to come from? Quenton Bendrage was the top receiver but was 7 yards a catch, E.J. Bibbs, TE, was sure handed but under 8 yards a catch as well, in fact only running back Aaron Wimberly was above 8 yards a catch. The offense is underwhelming, plodding and unable to sustain drives, and someone with experience is going to need to change their ways or the problems of last year are just going to transfer to this year. The defensive line loses seven players from last year’s eleven that saw action, including three of the top four tacklers. Cory Morrissey should be the best player once again, but will he or anyone else apply pressure? The line as a whole only had 8.5 sacks last year and only three of those return. A sophomore influx at end and tackle in the form of Darius White and Pierre Aka need to add some explosiveness to the table and help sure up a shallow unit. Only one LB is gone but that loss is huge. Jeremiah George is gone and along with him, 108 tackles, 12 TFLs and 3.5 sacks. This unit will be tested early and often and 100 tackles for one of the three starters isn’t really unrealistic considering the dearth of positives in the front four. The back four has some experience but outside of Sam E. Richardson at CB and his 7 pass breakups and sophomore CB Nigel Tribune and his 7 passes defensed the cupboard is pretty bare. The defense doesn’t really inspire much confidence and with a lot of holes to fill another set of regression in 2014 isn’t unheard of for the team as a whole. Head Coach: Paul Rhoads (27-36) Since 2009
Kansas Jayhawks – (3-9, 7 (Y), 58.2%, 9, 73.5%) I’m going to treat Kansas like a mid-major, 1 because there are 25 days until the season starts and two because Kansas will still be the worst team in the conference by far and might not be favored in any conference other than CUSA and, maybe, maybe, the MAC. A lot coming back on a defense that was middle of the road nationally last season. The secondary should be good with 33 passes defensed total and only two players from last season gone. Charlie Weis has given up play calling duties but how much of a difference can John Reagan really make year one. None of the offensive positions really show much promise even with a fair amount of starters returning. The good news is that Kansas really has stagnated and looks to have bottomed out which means there is nowhere to go but up. Head Coach: Charlie Weis (39-47) Since 2012
at http://everynameistakenalreadyholyfuck.blogspot.com.
West Virginia Mountaineers – (4-8, 7 (Y), 68.7%, 7, 74.9%) Country roads, take me home, to the place I belong, West Virginia, mountain momma, take me home, country roads.” Ah, good ole West Virginia. WVU is a beautiful campus situated in downtown Morgantown and is known primarily for rioting, Bob Huggins, and its abundance of married housing for those brother-sister pairs that want to go to school together. 2013 was not kind to this proud football community. They started out by eking out a win against William & Mary, a school known primarily for turning out the comedy duo of John Stewart and Anthony Weiner. That game was played in front of 56350 West Virginians or as my Icelandic friends call them, “Hilly Billies.” By the time their dismal 4-8 season was ready to mercifully come to a close, they were playing in front of a mere 33735 ‘billies. For reference, 1-11 Purdue’s most poorly attended home game was played against Illinois in front of 37459 farm folk. Luckily for the Mountaineers, this year is looking much brighter (Figuratively of course, it’s still gonna be pretty difficult to see through all that coal ash). At the quarterback position, WVU returns seniors Clint Trickett and Paul Millard who each threw for over 1000 yards last season. Trickett figures to be the starter and if he can stay healthy, the passing attack should benefit from a consistent presence at the most important position. Unfortunately, it appears Storm McPherson won’t be seeing much action on the field so on game day he’ll likely be found roaming the sideline with his five sisters who are known collectively as the “Riders on the Storm.” The stable of running backs will be led by Dreamius Smith, named as such because his eyes are just oh so dreamy. Last year Captain Dreamy Eyes rushed for 545 yards and 5 TDs behind starter Charles Sims. As the starter this year, expect him to at least double those numbers. The pass catchers will be led by former San Francisco 49ers standout Vernon Davis who figures to have a bounce back year after a mere 33 yards and 0 TDs for the Mountaineers in 2013. The defense will again be led by Karl Joseph, named after his mother’s heroes Karl Marx and Joseph Stalin, who according to WVU’s official stat sheet had one fumble recovery which he returned for two touchdowns last year. Also on defense is the star linebacker known simply as Shaq. Assuming the Mountaineers live to see another day after facing Alabama in week 1, they will go on to play Towson (from the same conference as that William & Mary team that gave them a scare last year) and Big Ten power Maryland before getting on with their conference schedule. My prediction: 6-6 with an appearance in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl. Head Coach: Dana Holgorsen (21-17) Since 2011
No comments:
Post a Comment