The TCU Horned Frogs and Baylor Bears were both passed over for the inaugural College Football Playoff but that should only strengthen their resolve heading in to what should be an extremely competitive season. The Big 12 is expected to feature the closest conference race in the country with most experts predicting a virtual toss up between TCU and Baylor. With no conference championship game, the November meeting between the Horned Frogs and Bears will be that much more important. Here is a look at what to expect in the Big 12 for the 2015 college football season.
Best Coach: Gary Patterson, TCU
Baylor’s Art Briles, Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops and Texas’ Charlie Strong deserve honorable mention here but Patterson gets the nod as the best coach in the conference after guiding TCU to success in the Conference USA, Mountain West and then in the Big 12. Patterson has nine seasons of double-digit wins in 14 years and his team deserved better after being shunned out of the College Football Playoff last season. Patterson has done an incredible job of fostering talent and then maximizing the potential at his disposal in every single conference where he has coached the Horned Frogs.
They’re supposed to be a small school that doesn’t have the recruiting power of Texas or Oklahoma, yet they still go to battle with the big boys in the region and come away with great players. That’s a testament to Patterson and right now, he definitely deserves to be called the best coach in the Big 12 – especially on the heels of a 12-1 season.
Eventual Champion: TCU
TCU blew a 21-point lead versus Baylor last season when they lost 61-58 in an absolute thriller but the memory of that loss will only serve as motivation for this season. They will be looking to earn a measure of redemption. Led by this year’s Heisman trophy favorite, senior quarterback Trevone Boykin, the Horned Frogs not only have the best quarterback in the conference but have arguably one of the best in the country.
Baylor ranked in the top-two in offensive efficiency in two of the last four seasons and is expected to be pretty good again this year despite losing quarterback Bryce Petty. Baylor reloads quite well as they’ve lost Josh Gordon, Terrence Williams, Lache Seastrunk and a number of offensive linemen to the NFL in recent years but losing Petty puts them a step behind TCU – at least to start the year.
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When the two teams meet up this time, the Horned Frogs will have the home advantage with their lone meeting coming in Fort Worth this season. Texas is still in the midst of a rebuild while Oklahoma is retooling as well. That means that if things go by the book, the Horned Frogs should win the conference as expected.
Sleeper Pick: Texas
The Longhorns certainly had their share of issues last season but their defense was an absolute force as they ranked fifth in the nation in efficiency. They return three starters from a secondary that allowed just 5.7 yards per attempt through the air and that’s quite impressive when you consider how many prolific offenses there are in the conference. Texas actually managed to win three of its final four games last season and while the defense is expected to be its biggest strength again this year, their progress will be marked by their improvement on the offensive side of the football. The switch from a pro-style offense to a high-tempo attack should help the growth. If they find a way to score consistently and get it together on offense, look out for this team in the Big 12.
While the schedule will be difficult, improved quarterback play could be the key to the Longhorns being a sleeper play to make some substantial noise in the Big 12 this season.
