Midseason Big 12 Football Conference Champion Prediction

By kellyanderson on October 12, 2014

As we reach the midway point of the college football season, there is already a clear favorite rising to the top of the Big 12 Conference, and that team happens to be based out of Waco in the Baylor Bears. When you look at the talent they have on the field and you see how the remaining schedule shapes up for them, it’s easy to see why the Bears will win this conference for the second year in a row. The Texas Longhorns are no longer the big bad bully they used to be on the recruiting trail, and you can see that when blue chip athletes are constantly deciding to head north on I-35 rather than stopping in Austin.

Players want the chance to get on the field as quickly as possible so that they can showcase their talent and get noticed in the national spotlight like the Jameis Winstons of the world. And the second kids saw that the Heisman trophy could go to a speedy little quarterback who played for a small private school, that let them and the country know that you no longer have to go to a traditional power to get big time attention from the media.

But even with Baylor’s recent success on the field and in recruiting, not many gave them a chance to win the Big 12 this year. All of the focus went to the Oklahoma Sooners because of their recruiting class and because of the way they finished the 2013 season with a big bowl win over the Alabama Crimson Tide. But what the media and fans fail to realize is that Oklahoma is basically today’s version of the USC Trojans from the early 2000s. They are a team that is full of slightly overrated talent that can’t get motivated for every game like a true contender can, and you saw this on display with their recent loss to TCU.

Also college analysts seem to overlook the fact that wide receiver U (Baylor) is still bringing in kids who can score from 80 yards out at any given time! Just look at the 6-foot-3, 215-pound Jay Lee or the sterling freshman K.D. Cannon if you need proof. As a freshman Cannon already has an 89-yard touchdown under his belt!

Their quarterback Bryce Petty seems to be the latest plugin at that position who can throw 10 to 15-yard strikes down the field while hitting receivers in stride so that they can run circles around defenders on their way to the end zone and eventually the NFL.

And the final piece that separates them from the pack is their 6-foot-9, 280-pound giant in Shawn Oakman. He plays on the defensive line, and he reminds me of Julius Peppers when he was in college — a man amongst boys who could honestly take over the game whenever he wanted to. The fact that they now have a defense to complement their explosive offense is what makes this team special.

Baylor’s schedule sets up nicely for them as all of their tough games, which include Oklahoma State and Kansas State, are at home, a place where they average over 59 points per game. Their one remaining tough test on the road is against the Sooners, but recent history has shown that that team is only average at best when it comes to winning the big games. And you can be certain that kids from Texas will not be afraid of going into Norman to play a game of football. Have you seen “Friday Night Lights”?

So once the Bears get past Bob Stoops and company, they will easily run and shoot their way to the Big 12 title.

Kelly Anderson is a blogger for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @bgipp01 or add him to your network on Google.