BIG XII NORTH
Champion: Colorado
Runner-Up: Nebraska
Overrated: Kansas
Spread-Beater: Kansas State

A lot of pressure will be on Colorado and particularly the coaching staff this season. The results have been very disappointing with the current administration. This should be the breakthrough season as the Buffaloes should feature a great rushing attack and one of the better offensive lines in the nation. 5-3 was good enough to win the North last season and catching the top north contenders at home should give Colorado a big edge.

The return to relevance for Nebraska took a positive step last season with nine wins including a nice bowl victory over Clemson. The Huskers will break in a new QB and will not have a great deal of experience on either side of the ball but the talent level should be very high. A tougher schedule than many of the North rivals likely will prevent a rise to the top but another solid bowl season should be in order.

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The return of Bill Snyder to Kansas State may seem like a bit of a gimmick, but it might just work. Snyder instantly brings credibility back to this program and the Wildcats could deliver a great season as they draw the most favorable schedule in this division. Eight starters are back on defense and replacing QB Freeman may be easier than it appears as the rest of the offense should have plenty of play-makers.

If all schedules were equal Kansas would likely be the team to beat in the Big XII North but the Jayhawks must play the big three from the South division and will face a very difficult second half schedule with five of seven away from home. QB Reesing and the offense could still post big numbers and an extremely weak non-conference schedule should lead to a hot start to the season. The defense will again struggle however and Kansas will be a go-against team late in the year.

After back-to-back North division titles Missouri is due for a predictable fall this season. The Tigers return just nine starters and lose key players on both sides of the ball. Catching a few winnable games at home should allow for a respectable season but making a bowl game looks difficult.

In a surprise move former Iowa State coach Gene Chizik was hired at Auburn despite going 5-19 in two years with the Cyclones. Improving on last year’s two wins looks very possible but the conference schedule will not produce many opportunities for a team that is yet again in transition. There is some experience at ISU but not much past success.

BIG XII SOUTH
Champion: Texas
Runner-Up: Oklahoma
Overrated: Texas Tech
Spread-Beater: Oklahoma State

The college football world centered on this division last season as three teams were highly ranked and battling for BCS spots and the end result was filled with controversy. There will be several high quality teams in this division again in 2009 but Texas, the team that many felt should have been there last season, appears to have the best shot this year. The Longhorns return nearly the entire offense from last season as well as the top five tacklers on defense. Texas only gets to play one division home game but they face more favorable North match-ups and a much easier non-conference schedule than their rivals.

There is certainly enough talent returning for Oklahoma to reach the BCS championship again this season. The Sooners will be tested with three tough non-conference games and also will play five road games in eight weeks featuring a slew of challenging games. Oklahoma must re-build its offensive line, losing four starters from last year but the defense should be very good and the offense will likely again post huge numbers.

This is the year that Oklahoma State could make a serious run at this division. The Cowboys will only play four road games and will be favored in three of those games. OSU has great talent at the skill positions and is a few upsets away from being a major player in the national picture.

Having to replace a QB has never been a big concern at Texas Tech and this year the team should be able to make the transition despite returning just four starters on offense. Last year was nearly a dream season for the Red Raiders but a significant step back is in order although this should be a solid bowl team.

After showing significant progress last season Baylor should be in position to challenge for a bowl berth this season. The schedule will present challenges but 16 starters are back in action and QB Robert Griffin will become a household name. This is a team that can now compete in the Big XII and will be a few upsets away from a winning record.

A very soft non-conference schedule should allow a strong start for Texas A&M. The defense that used to be among the best nationally was a joke last season and the offense does return ten starters. A reasonable schedule might allow the Aggies to a reach a bowl game but they look like the division’s worst team.