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NCAA Football Handicapping: 2009 Big 12 Football

2009 Big 12 Conference Football Handicapping preview by one of our top sports cappers Ben Burns. Handicapping what really matters-—ATS records—the Big 12 is vastly superior to a lot of football conferences…

Burns’ Big 12 Preview

Ben Burns
Ben Burns

The Big 12 is spewing confidence.

Texas coach Mack Brown and Nebraska AD Tom Osborne claim their conference is top to bottom as competitive as the mighty SEC.

Whatever.

Head-to-head, the Big 12 is not better than the SEC. In both bowl meetings last year, the SEC came out on top, with Ole Miss handling Texas Tech and Florida pushing past Oklahoma. The SEC is deeper and has overall better coaching, with four coaches owning national championship rings.

However, when it comes to what really matters-—ATS records—the Big 12 is vastly superior to the SEC.

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Last season, the Big 12 went 27-18 ATS in non-conference games, compared to the SEC’s rather pedestrian 25-22 mark against the number.

Will the Big 12 be able to continue that trend? It won’t be easy.

Oklahoma and Texas combined to go 19-5 against the spread in 2008.

Both are expected to be powerful again, but another 80 percent ATS winning percentage seems unlikely, especially with the big numbers the Sooners and Longhorns will be laying.

Oklahoma State moves ahead of Texas Tech and Missouri as the Big 12’s third wheel. Kansas and Nebraska should battle it out for the North Division. But, after those teams, the bottom of the Big 12 could struggle.

Projected finish

(ATS records are for last three years.)

South Division

Texas

ATS: 20-17-1 (Home: 11-8, Away: 5-7-1)

Thing to remember: Look for Mack Brown to attempt to establish the running game early in the season. Last year’s leading rusher was quarterback Colt McCoy, the one player the Longhorns absolutely cannot afford to lose to injury.

Bonus: The Longhorns own the best in-conference ATS record since 2000 at 41-31-2.

Oklahoma

ATS: 25-14-2 (Home: 13-4-1; Away: 7-4-1)

Thing to remember: The Sooners must replace four starters on the offensive line. Two reserve linemen also left during the offseason, making depth a concern. This could cause Bob Stoops to pull back on the reigns of his super-fast, no-huddle attack that was so potent last season. An improved defense also could lead to slightly slower offensive scheme.

Oklahoma State

ATS: 21-13-2 (Home: 10-4-2; Away: 9-8)

Thing to remember: Under coach Mike Gundy, the Cowboys are 1-7 straight up against teams ranked in the Top 10. Their regular-season losses last year were to teams ranked No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3.

Texas Tech

ATS: 16-19 (Home: 8-7; Away: 8-10)

Thing to remember: Mike Leach knows how to get his team to rebound. Under Leach, the Red Raiders are 21-11 ATS after a straight up loss.

Texas A&M

ATS: 17-18-1 (Home: 7-4-1; Away: 8-6)

Thing to remember: Texas A&M is going to a no-huddle, high-tempo offense, similar to what Oklahoma used to set numerous NCAA records last season. The Aggies don’t have the personnel of the Sooners, but the offense’s tempo will at least result in more plays. Whether or not it equals more points is up for debate.

Baylor

ATS: 15-18 (Home: 7-10; Away: 7-8)

Thing to remember: Don’t be surprised if the Bears’ offense takes a step back this season. In Art Briles’ second season at Houston, the Cougars averaged 14 points less than they did in his first season and finished 3-8 ATS.

North Division

Kansas

ATS: 24-11 (Home: 12-6; Away: 9-4)

Thing to remember: The Jayhawks return the division’s top quarterback in Todd Reesing and the conference’s top receiving corps, led by Dezmon Briscoe. But their offensive line is extremely shaky. Two redshirt freshmen and two sophomores could possibly start.

Nebraska

ATS: 17-20-1 (Home: 10-11; Away: 6-7-1)

Thing to remember: The Cornhuskers have covered in only four of their last 12 games as road underdogs. They’re at Virginia Tech, Sept 19.

Colorado

ATS: 14-21 (Home: 7-9; Away: 5-9)

Thing to remember: With nine returning starters on offense, this should be the year coach Dan Hawkins finally gets the Buffalo offense rolling.

Hawkins’ Boise State teams averaged more than 40 points a game. The Buffalos, under Hawkins, have averaged just over 21 a game.

Missouri

ATS: 21-17 (Home: 9-7; Away: 7-6)

Thing to remember: New quarterback Blaine Gabbert is a highly-touted pro-style quarterback, who has the potential to make Tiger fans forget about Chase Daniel. Unfortunately, Gabbert doesn’t have Daniel’s weapons. Missouri must replace its top four receivers from last year.

With the fewest returning starters in the conference, including only four on defense, Missouri should take a step back this season.

Kansas State

ATS: 16-18 (Home: 9-9; Away: 6-8)

Thing to remember: At least a dozen players have left Kansas State since 70-year-old coach Bill Snyder came out retirement to return as Wildcats coach.

Iowa State

ATS: 14-19 (Home: 7-10; Away: 7-9)

Thing to remember: The Cyclones have lost 17 consecutive road games. That’s particularly bad news, seeing as Iowa State has only three conference home games.

Play the over on …

Iowa State: Offensive coordinator Tom Herman, who directed Rice’s prolific attacks the past two years, inherits nine returning starters, including dual-threat quarterback Austen Arnaud.

Last season, Rice averaged over 41 points a game. Nine of the Owls’ 12 games went over the total.

This offense will be much more wide-open and tailored to Arnaud’s skills this season than last year’s under Gene Chizik.

The defense is another story, where first-year coach Paul Rhoads has some major questions marks throughout the unit.

Kansas, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma and Texas also will put up points in bunches, but that foursome isn’t going to sneak up on anyone; The Cyclones might.

Play the under on …

Nebraska: In a high-scoring, defense-lacking conference, let’s tread lightly here. But Nebraska could develop into a dominant defense.

Bo Pelini is an elite defensive coach, with an elite defensive tackle in Ndamukong Suh. Some project the 6-4, 300-pound Suh as the No. 1 pick in next year’s NFL draft.

Behind Suh is a secondary with all four returning starters.

In Pelini’s first year, the Huskers held opponents to nearly 10 points less than the previous season.

On the offensive side of the ball, they’re breaking in a new quarterback in Zac Lee, a junior with two career pass attempts. Lee didn’t win the starting job outright until redshirt freshman Kody Spano was injured in the spring.

There are not a lot of stars on this offense.

The coaching staff readily admits ball control will be a big part of their offense.

The Huskers were among the nation’s leaders in time of possession last season.

Talent-gauging Early Games

(Check out these September tests to see how the Big 12 stacks up.)

  • Oklahoma vs. BYU, Sept. 5, at Arlington, Texas
  • Missouri vs. Illinois, Sept. 5, at St. Louis
  • Georgia at Oklahoma State, Sept. 5
  • Baylor at Wake Forest, Sept. 5
  • Iowa at Iowa State, Sept. 12
  • Nebraska at Virginia Tech, Sept. 19
  • Kansas State at UCLA, Sept. 19
  • Southern Miss at Kansas, Sept. 26

David Payne writes for Sports Betting Handicapping Expert Ben Burns.

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