Questions? in the Big 12 South for the 2010 Season

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The summer of 2010 will officially be in the rear view mirror with the kick off of the football season this weekend. And what a summer it was for the Big 12. The conference was on life support, and then flat-lined, then was brought back to life, albeit minus a couple limbs. But that is for another time; there’s a football season to play.

The Big 12 is starting the 2010 campaign with three teams ranked in the top 10 of the preseason polls. And there are several others that hope to crash the party and make the final season of the Big 12 as we know it a special one.

Ah, yes, optimism reigns supreme in early September for nearly everyone. Despite the positive vibes coming from around the conference, this weekend will bring with it the reality that not everything is perfect. Here is a look at the Big 12 South and the questions each team needs to answer if they hope to turn that optimism into something real.

Baylor

1. Can they stop the run? Baylor finished last in conference last season in stopping the run, giving up 178.8 yards per game on the ground. Gone are the teams three leading tacklers: Joe Pawelek, Jordan Lake, and Antonio Jones. The trio combined for 282 tackles in 2009 and replacing them is not going to be an easy chore. The Bears return linebacker Antonio Johnson which is a big plus but they will have several talented, but inexperienced newcomers around him.
2. Can they sack the quarterback? Baylor finished last season with only 18 sacks on the year, good for 11th in the Big 12. It will help every facet of the defense if they can generate a pass rush.
3. Can defensive tackle Phil Taylor match the hype be brought to Baylor? Taylor brought huge expectations to Waco after transferring from Penn State but didn’t have the kind of impact most expected in 2009. Taylor appears ready to breakout, and if he does, question number one and two might be answered.
4. Can Robert Griffin stay healthy? For the most part, this is out of anyone’s control but Griffin’s injury threw a wrench into last season’s bowl plans. Keeping Griffin out of the training room will go a long way in determining the Bear’s improvement this year.

Oklahoma

1. Will the Sooner’s stay healthy? The Sooners were decimated by injuries a season ago. Gone were Jermaine Gresham, Sam Bradford, and countless lineman. Call it a fluke, but the Sooner’s need to hope the football gods are on their side in 2010.
2. Can the offensive line return to form? Again, injuries hit the offensive line hard. They had to patch together five healthy bodies on a weekly basis. Despite the injuries, the unit overall was still a disappointment. If they get back to their old form, and I’m guessing they will, they have the skill position players with the ability to rack up a lot of points.
3. Can they replace All-American Gerald McCoy? McCoy was selected third in the NFL draft and replacing him wont’ be easy. Defensive tackle Adrian Taylor is still nursing an ankle injury so they will be relying on a couple inexperienced tackles to start the season.
4. How much improvement will Landry Jones make? Jones was thrown into the fire after the Bradford injury but picked up valuable experience in the process. He had a few rough spots during the season, but got better late in the year. Landry’s continued development will be key for the Sooners.

Oklahoma State

1. Will the new offense go? Okie State brought in Dana Holgorsen from Houston to run a more wide open spread offense (Holgorsen worked under former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach from 2000 to 2007). Last season, Holgorsen’s offense at Houston lead the nation in yards per game averaging 563 yards per contest. It will be a different approach for OSU who led the conference in rushing in 2009.
2. Is Brandon Weeden the man at quarterback? My guess is yes, but the 26 year old former minor league baseball player will be making his first collegiate start when the Cowboys open the season.
3. Can a young offensive line keep the heat off of Weeden? In order for the offense to go, Weeden has to have time to dish the rock. Only one starter returns and it’s not All-American Russell Okung who is making a living in the NFL.
4. Can an inexperienced defense stop anyone? Orie Lemon is back at middle linebacker but he will be surrounded by several players seeing a college football field for the first time. Defensive coordinator Bill Young is good, but the freshman need to step up quickly.

Texas Tech

1. Can the Red Raiders run the ball? They have the running backs to do it with Baron Batch and Eric Stephens, but a change to a more balanced offense may take time to come together in Lubbock.
2. Can the defense hold up in the Big 12? Defense wasn’t always a focal point under Mike Leach but it will be under new coach Tommy Tuberville and defensive coordinator James Willis. Tuberville has said over the offseason they lack depth defensively. Can they withstand the rigors over the course of an entire season?
3. Who steps up on the defensive line to go with their anchor, defensive tackle Colby Whitlock? Texas Tech will attack much more than they have in the past in their new 3-4 scheme. Brian Duncan will move to the strongside linebacker position and may also line up at defensive end to help generate a push up front.
4. Can Taylor Potts lead the new Red Raider offense? Potts won a hotly contested quarterback battle over Steven Sheffield and will be the trigger man in Neal Brown’s spread attack. All of their top receivers return which should help Potts in making the transition in Brown’s new offense.

Texas

1. Can Texas get the running game going consistently? Texas was without a dependable running game a season ago causing Mack Brown to make a switch to a more traditional pro-style attack. The focus will be to pound the ball to help set up more play action passes. Will it work or will Texas revert back to their passing ways?
2. Which running back will step up? With the renewed focus on the ground game, Texas is looking for a back to step up and carry the load. Senior Cody Johnson will start the opener but Fozzy Whittaker and Tre’ Newton also will figure into the mix.
3. Can the freshman contribute? Texas hopes so as 13 true freshman were on the two deep depth chart released on Monday.
4. Who steps up at defensive tackle? The Longhorn defense doesn’t have many weaknesses, but if there’s one, it is at defensive tackle. There was a battle to see who would line up next to Kheeston Randall on the interior line. Junior Tyrell Higgins is listed first on the depth chart for the opener, but sophomore Alex Okafor was moved from defensive end to add depth and should figure into the equation as well.

Texas A&M

1. Can the Aggie defense stop anyone? The Texas A&M defense finished last in the conference in both scoring and total defense in 2009. New defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter will bring an attacking 3-4 scheme to College Station to help shore up the Aggie defense to go with their potent offense.
2. How will the Aggies replace three starters on the offensive line? True freshman Luke Joeckel will start at left tackle and several other first time starters lineman will also see action. A&M is loaded as the skill positions but the offensive line doing its part is what will make the offense go.
3. What will be the impact of new linebacker coach Dat Nguyen? This is something I don’t think should be overlooked. Nguyen was the 1998 defensive player of the year for A&M and will bring a wealth of experience and intensity to a unit that will play a key role in the new 3-4 defense.
4. Can A&M solve their Red Zone woes on offense? Despite racking up major yardage last season, the Aggies sometimes stalled once they were inside of the 20 yard line. A&M ranked 87th in the country in their red zone offense and it has been a focus of camp this fall.

Image Credit: Bleacher Report