Remember back in the days of the old Big Eight when Oklahoma seemed to rule the roost year in and year out?
It seems like old times in the Big 12 South Division, as the Sooners have dominated the division and won five of the last six division titles.
The Sooners and Texas have been the lead dogs in the South for a number of years, but somebody might be crashing the party in 2008. Texas Tech has asserted itself as one of the best offensive teams in the nation, and they could be in line for a title run in 2008.
Will it be the same song, next verse in the South with either the Sooners or Longhorns taking the title? Or will Texas Tech be the South's version of last year's Missouri or Kansas and take over the division? Here's a brief look at the Big 12 South Division.
Baylor Bears
Four coaches have tried and failed, but Art Briles could be the guy that helps the Bears break out and be a competitive program, something they failed miserably at in 2007 after going 0-8 in league play.
The Bears, who have finished at the bottom of the division 11 times in 12 seasons, do have some good talent up front, but have a lot of questions at quarterback. Their best hope may lie in sophomore running back Jay Finley, who showed some tremendous potential in the spring game. Tackles Jason Smith and Dan Gay will lead an improved offensive line.
The Bears are going to have some challenges even before hitting the Big 12 part of the schedule, as they have two bowl teams in Wake Forest and Connecticut on the schedule. They face very tough road tests in conference, going to Oklahoma State and Nebraska on consecutive weeks, as well as November journeys to Texas and Texas Tech.
Briles has a track record of building winners out of losers, having turned the University of Houston's program around and building a once-humdrum high school program into a Texas state champion. If he can make Baylor a winner, it might be one of the best turnarounds since Bill Snyder at Kansas State.
Oklahoma Sooners
About the only disappointment Sooner fans had last year was the team's stumbling yet again in a BCS bowl. The Sooners won their second straight Big 12 title last year and look to be the front-runner again in 2008.
The Sooners have a tremendous amount of returning talent, led by sophomore quarterback Sam Bradford, who had an outstanding freshman season in throwing 36 touchdown passing and leading the nation in pass efficiency.
The Sooners' schedule looks quite favorable this year, with a road test at Washington early in the year the only intriguing non-conference game. They'll get the toughest teams on their schedule (Kansas, Texas Tech, Nebraska) at home and play their annual Red River Rivalry showdown with Texas in Dallas.
The Sooners are in prime position to win an unprecedented third straight conference title this year, and have the tools to get over the hump and put themselves in position to win their second national title this decade.
Oklahoma State Cowboys
Oklahoma State had its moments last year, as their high-flying offense averaged over 40 points per game. Unfortunately, their defense let them down at key moments and they needed a win over Indiana in the Insight Bowl to finish above .500.
The Cowboys have some great talent back on offense, led by dual threat Zac Robinson at quarterback and tight end Brandon Pettigrew, who some say could be the first tight end taken in next year's NFL draft.
The Cowboys have a very favorable schedule, starting with a key road test at Washington State. They do have some tough road battles at Missouri, Texas and Texas Tech that should challenge them in conference play.
This is arguably the most talented team Mike Gundy has had in Stillwater. It will be interesting to see how this team stacks up against the top teams in the division.
Texas Longhorns
In most programs, 10 wins is cause for celebration. At the University of Texas, it's more cause for concern, especially when their losses came to rivals Oklahoma and Texas A&M, to say nothing of an unexplainable loss at home to Kansas State.
Quarterback Colt McCoy and wide receiver Quan Cosby lead a very balanced offense, and the Longhorns should have some impressive efforts on defense led by Frank Okam and Derek Lokey.
Texas is renewing a rivalry with a long lost Southwestern Conference brother as they face Arkansas in non-conference play. They have tough road tests at Texas Tech and Kansas, but most of their key games will be at home in Austin or nearby Dallas.
Anything less than the best is not acceptable for Longhorns' fans. This team has a challenge before it to finish at the top of the South Division in 2008.
Texas A&M Aggies
Taking a page out of Nebraska's book on hiring football coaches, the Aggies have called on former Green Bay Packers head coach Mike Sherman to lead a team that sputtered to a .500 finish in conference play.
The Aggies have a balanced offensive attack and will no doubt be led by their freight-train of a running back, Jorvorskie "J-Train" Lane. The big fella has slimmed down some after playing at near 300 pounds last year and will be tough to stop once again.
The Aggies get a tough test in non-conference play when Miami (Fla.) comes to town. The conference schedule is pretty favorable for the Aggies, with the season-ending trip to Texas the only tough road game on the docket.
Sherman's transition from the NFL to college will be interesting to watch as the Aggies rebuild and try to get themselves back near the top of the division race.
Texas Tech Red Raiders
Texas Tech showed just how explosive their pass-happy offense is last year, putting up huge offensive numbers and finishing with an impressive win over Virginia in the Gator Bowl.
Everybody knows about quarterback Graham Harrell and receiver Michael Crabtree, who will no doubt snag much of the headlines this season. But their defense is going to be the one to watch, led by junior defensive end Brandon Williams.
The Red Raiders should light things up early in the season, and they'll have key conference road tilts at Kansas and Oklahoma that will show a lot of people just how good these guys are.
The old adage about defense winning championships is going to be important to the Red Raiders' success. They undoubtedly have the horses to put up a ton of points this season, and they could go all the way if their defense can step up in 2008.
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