The Big 12 enters the 2019 college football season extremely top-heavy, but the perennial leaders could be in for a power shakeup. Oklahoma has won the conference title four years running and is the early favorite to do so again. However, Texas was perhaps officially back at its spot among college football’s elite in 2018, and was the only Big 12 team to beat the Sooners last year. The Longhorns lost the second matchup in the conference title game but return a roster capable of unseating the defending champions.

For the second year in a row, coach Lincoln Riley will have to replace a Heisman-winning quarterback and first overall NFL Draft pick. Like Kyler Murray replacing Baker Mayfield, the Sooners should again be well-positioned to maintain elite quarterback play. Alabama transfer Jalen Hurts takes the reins in Norman, and while he was effectively benched in Tuscaloosa, he led the Crimson Tide to two National Championship games and is an efficient runner and passer.

That bodes well for a team itching to get to the title game, which it fell just short of three of the last four years by losing in the College Football Playoff semifinals. Hurts is helped by a talented supporting cast with receivers Ceedee Lamb, Grant Calcaterra, Lee Morris and Charleston Rambo and backs Trey Sermon, Kennedy Brooks and T.J. Pledger. On the other side of the ball, Oklahoma should be improved defensively, which shouldn’t be hard to accomplish from a season ago. Ten of the 19 players with at least nine tackles last year were freshmen or sophomores, adding more experience to the unit.

If Oklahoma can maintain its high-powered offense, it should once again make a strong challenge for the Big 12 title and reach the College Football Playoff. Don’t be surprised if Texas gives them a run for their money, though.

Here’s a look at how the rest of the conference shapes up:

Texas Longhorns

Texas made a statement with wins over Oklahoma and Georgia in 2018, and it returns star quarterback Sam Ehlinger. The junior signal-caller will have senior receivers Collin Johnson and Devin Duvernay and two all-conference offensive linemen in Zach Shackelford and Parker Braun at his disposal. Hype in Austin is as high as it has been in years, and if head coach Tom Herman can get his team to perform on a more consistent basis, this team has every chance to live up to it.

Oklahoma State Cowboys

All-American receiver Tylan Wallace returns after posting 86 receptions and 1,481 receiving yards, and he is joined by slot receiver Dillon Stoner. Head coach Mike Gundy said the team’s disappointing 7-6 record last year energized him, and if they can find a quarterback, they should be in for an improved 2019.

TCU Horned Frogs

TCU should be characteristically strong defensively, returning linebacker Garret Wallow and defensive backs Jeff Gladney, Vernon Scott, Julius Lewis and Innis Gaines. The Horned Frogs have a deep quarterback battle, with Kansas State transfer Alex Delton making a strong case for the starting spot. If TCU can figure out how to score (which it couldn’t in 2018), it should return to bowl eligibility.

West Virginia Mountaineers

Neal Brown will go into his first season with the Mountaineers without the impressive Will Grier at quarterback. On top of that, he is without all-conference left tackle Yodny Cajuste and four of last year’s top receivers. On the bright side, West Virginia returns one of the most disruptive defenses in the conference.

Baylor Bears

Baylor’s 7-6 record last season was a gigantic jump from its 1-11 record in 2017. The Bears return a massive amount of talent from a season ago, thanks to almost the entire 2017 team being made up of freshmen and sophomores. Another year of progress appears to be on tap in 2019.

Iowa State Cyclones

After a lackluster 1-3 start last season, coach Matt Campbell put in Brock Purdy at quarterback. It quickly paid dividends, and the team averaged 30.9 points a game the rest of the way. Purdy is back, but is without star running back David Montgomery. With an uber-creative offense, the Cyclones should be a fascinating team to watch in 2019.

Texas Tech Red Raiders

Matt Wells takes over the Red Raiders for his first season in charge after Kliff Kingsbury was fired at the end of last season. Quarterback Alan Bowman is back after a promising freshman season, and will have an extremely experienced offensive line protecting him. The bar is perhaps low, but Wells has a chance to surpass it in 2019.

Kansas State Wildcats

Chris Klieman takes over for legend Bill Snyder after a 5-7 record in 2018 broke a streak of eight straight bowl-eligible seasons. Klieman has veterans in quarterback Skylar Thompson, running backs James Gilbert and Jordan Brown, receiver Dalton Schoen and a defense that could possibly start nine or 10 seniors.

Kansas Jayhawks

Welcome to the Les Miles show. In his inaugural season at Kansas, Miles will have unproven quarterback play at best. Junior-college transfer Thomas MacVittie will most likely start, and he completed just 54 percent of his passes last year. On defense, the Jayhawks return just two players from the front seven who made more than six tackles last year. Miles could be in for a rough debut season.