There wasn’t much surprise this morning when the media picked Alabama to win the SEC championship this year. The wide-open Big 12 on the other hand? Well, the title is just about anybody’s for the taking this year.
Media members recognize that, voting Oklahoma State as the preseason favorite to win the Big 12. The Cowboys received 15 first-place votes while OSU’s in-state rival, Oklahoma, is projected to finish second with eight first-place votes. Second-year member TCU is projected to finish third with nine-place votes while Texas is predicted to finish fourth with eight first-place votes.
The Longhorns return plenty of individual talent, so fourth seems a bit low. Then again, there doesn’t seem to be much confidence that Mack Brown can get UT back to the top of the Big 12, either. If Texas actually finishes fourth in the Big 12, things could be looking grim for Brown’s future in Austin.
Below is the full poll (first-place votes in parentheses):
- Oklahoma State (15) -- 365 points
- Oklahoma (8) -- 355
- TCU (9) -- 347
- Texas (8) -- 337
- Baylor (2) -- 282
- Kansas State (1) -- 240
- Texas Tech -- 161
- West Virginia -- 126
- Iowa State -- 96
- Kansas -- 56