If you have read any of my editions on the other P5 conferences, you know how this works. If not, (you should check them out though) let me fill you in. I will be reviewing every Big 12 team’s 2018 season. I will talk about what they have to look forward to and be concerned about in 2019. After all of that, I will go over what their goals should be for the 2019 season. If you are looking for a specific team, they are listed in alphabetical order, but my beloved Texas Longhorns are being saved for last.

Baylor

Last Season in Review

Baylor doubled their win total from 2017 after two games, taking down UTSA and FCS opponent Abilene Christian. The Bears lost against Duke, but rebounded with a win over Kansas. Baylor started to skid once they got into the thick of Big 12 play, falling to Oklahoma, Texas, West Virginia, Iowa State and TCU. Baylor did etch out close wins over Kansas State and Oklahoma State in that span, but they still did go on a 2-5 stretch during the middle and end of the season. This all put bowl eligibility on the line for Baylor’s rivalry game against Texas Tech. Luckily for the Bears, they came away with a 35-24 win, setting up a Texas Bowl matchup with Vanderbilt. Baylor came out on top in exciting fashion to finish the season 7-6. After where the program was in 2017, I think all Baylor fans can be happy with a six game improvement.

Offensively, this Baylor team was built on the passing game. Charlie Brewer continued to look solid at quarterback, surpassing 3,000 passing yards, but also improved as a threat in the run game. A split backfield with John Lovett, JaMychal Hasty, and Trestan Ebner always kept opponents on their toes. Tennessee transfer Jalen Hurd had a very good season at receiver with 946 receiving yards. Denzel Mims also had a strong showing at receiver, with 794 receiving yards of his own. On defense, linebacker Clay Johnston led the team in tackles, and also got an all Big 12 nod. Defensive end James Lynch led the team in sacks and tackles for loss.

What to Look Forward to

Charlie Brewer is back at quarterback, and is a play that should be expected to make a leap this season. Brewer battled injuries in 2018, which caused him to step back a bit, but I think he can have a very strong showing in 2019 as he enters the season healthy. The running back trio of John Lovett, JaMychal Hasty, and Trestan Ebner all return which will make a tough backfield for opponents to prepare for. Denzel Mims was one of the most underrated players in the Big 12 last season and is back at receiver. Chris Platt was granted a sixth year of eligibility and will look to take on a bigger role at receiver. Clay Johnston will be back again as the anchor of the defense at linebacker. Defensive end James Lynch is back as the best playmaker on the defense as well. The Bears have a non-conference schedule that is a flat out cakewalk. They play FCS opponent Stephen F Austin to open up the season, then play UTSA and Rice, two G5 teams who had losing records in 2018.

What to be Concerned About

Jalen Hurd had a very strong showing in his one season at Baylor. The receiver led the team in catches and receiving yards and was used some in the run game. A gadget player like that will not be easy to replace. Verkedric Vaughns converted from cornerback to safety and was an impact player for Baylor’s defense. Vaughns was third on the team in tackles, with two thirds of them being solo tackles. His impact at the position will be missed. Drew Galitz was named first team all Big 12 at punter, and will also be a tough guy to find a replacement for.

Goals for the 2019 Season

Baylor’s 1-11 season in 2017 feels like it is far in the rearview mirror. The turnaround that head coach Matt Rhule led in 2018 has many fans excited, and hoping for another leap to be taken in 2019. For this season, I think Baylor should hope to have a winning record in Big 12 play and hope to finish in the top four of the conference. Neither of those things have been done since 2015. A win over rival TCU would also be nice.

Iowa State

Last Season in Review

2018 did not start off to well for Iowa State as with their season opener against South Dakota State called off due to lightning, they had to open things up with the Cy-Hawk Classic against rival Iowa. The Cyclones fell short in an ugly game, and lost again against Oklahoma the following week. A win over Akron was nice, but what was not nice was their loss to TCU the following week, putting Iowa State at 1-3 and 0-2 in Big 12 play. Traveling to then ranked Oklahoma State, the Cyclones decided it was time to kick it in gear and beat the Cowboys on the road. Iowa State worked their Ames magic the following week as they took down an undefeated West Virginia team by 16 points (how many times do I have to say to never play at Iowa State at night?). Wins over Texas Tech, Kansas, and Baylor extended the win streak to five games, and gave Iowa State a good shot at playing in the Big 12 Championship game if they could beat Texas. Unfortunately, Iowa State could not find their footing on offense and lost 24-10. The Cyclones finished off the season with wins over Kansas State in the Farmageddon game (I love this rivalry name) and a win over FCS opponent Drake (I must add that this should feel like a loss since they beat a non-scholarship FCS opponent by three points). At 8-4, Iowa State was set to play Washington State in the Alamo Bowl. In an intense game, they fell just short 28-26. This season was still a very good one that fans should be proud of. Head coach Matt Campbell is doing big things in Ames, and there is a lot to be excited about with this program that has been a cellar dweller for awhile before he got here.

Iowa State was led by a three headed monster on offense. Quarterback Brock Purdy was third on the depth chart going into the season, but saw took advantage opportunity when Kyle Kempt went down to injury, and backup Zeb Noland performed below expectations. In 10 games, Purdy threw for 2,250 yards and completed 66% of his passes while finishing second on the team in rushing yards. David Montgomery ran for 1,216 yards en route to being named first team all Big 12. Receiver Hakeem Butler had a breakout season with 1,318 receiving yards while averaging 22 yards per catch, and being a perfect blend of size and speed (as you can you tell, I am extremely high on him going into the draft). These three by themselves made for a very strong offense. Safety Greg Eisworth led the team in tackles. Defensive tackle Ray Lima had a strong season and was a big contributor on a good run defense. Defensive end JaQuan Bailey led the team with 14.5 tackles for loss and eight sacks. Cornerback Brian Peavy led the team in pass deflections as well as forced fumbles.

What to Look Forward to

Brock Purdy will be back after having a very strong showing during his true freshman season. Iowa State’s offense was very strong in 2018, and can easily be again with Purdy at the helm. Iowa State’s offense should also be very happy about the fact that they return every starter on the offensive line. Tarique Milton and Deshaunte Jones will both be back after being the second and third leading receivers on the team in 2018. JaQuan Bailey and Ray Lima will lead what should be a very stout defensive front that returns every starter from 2018. Greg Eisworth is also back at safety after a strong showing in 2018. The Cyclones will also have the benefit of getting to play Iowa at home in their rivalry game.

What to be Concerned About

Iowa State will lose two star players at skill positions. David Montgomery was the team’s leading rusher by over 900 yards, and had 13 of the team’s 20 rushing touchdowns. Montgomery was the team’s lead back for the last two seasons and will be tough to replace with the load he carried. Hakeem Butler was a standout receiver who was 900 yards clear of the team’s second place finisher in receiving yards. Butler’s ability to catch any ball thrown near him will definitely be missed and will make things a bit harder for Purdy at quarterback. The Cyclones also lose their number one cornerback from last season with the graduation of Brian Peavy. Willie Harvey is another defensive player who will be missed, as he was second on the team in tackles, tackles for loss, and sacks.

Goals for the 2019 Season

Iowa State does not lose too much in terms of quantity, but does in terms of quality. An offensive retooling will likely be needed. Thankfully for the Cyclones, Matt Campbell looks to be brewing up something special in Ames. A bad side of that, depending on how you look at it, is that a six or seven win season is starting to become an exception and not a big deal. Seven wins, or at least a bowl appearance, seems like something to expect from this team. Fans should be hopeful that they can beat in-state rival Iowa for the first time since 2014, and work their Ames magic against someone (just please not Texas).

Kansas

Last Season in Review

Kansas had a very disappointing start to their 2018 season as they fell to FCS opponent Nicholls State 26-23. Luckily for Kansas, they righted the ship in their next game with a win over Central Michigan which was their first road win since 2009 (yes, you read that right). The Jayhawks got to 2-1 the next week with a win over Rutgers. Once conference play started, Kansas fell back to earth as they lost to Baylor, Oklahoma State, and West Virginia in games that were somewhat competitive. Their 48-16 loss to Texas Tech was not too competitive, making their losing streak four games. Kansas found their footing enough in their next game to take down TCU for their first conference win since 2016. They were not as lucky against Iowa State, and also fell in a tight game to rival Kansas State to put their record at 3-7. Kansas ended the season with two moral victories as they actually kept things close against Oklahoma and Texas. The Jayhawks finished 3-9, and showed some signs of life but still have a long way to go. Head coach David Beatty was fired after the season and replaced by legendary former LSU coach Les Miles.

On offense, Kansas was led by true freshman running back Pooka Williams, who ran for 1,125 yards on seven yards per carry while also being named first team all Big 12 as a returner. Williams seemed to shine in big moments as well, surpassing 200 rushing yards against Oklahoma. Quarterback Peyton Bender struggled with his completion percentage, but had a solid 13/3 touchdown to interception ratio. Left tackle Hakeem Adeniji was a nice anchor to the offensive line. Defensively, linebacker Joe Dineen Jr. ran the show with 142 total tackles, and was named first team all Big 12. Defensive tackle Daniel Wise led the team in tackles for loss and sacks. Safety Hasan Defense (who has a very fitting name) led the secondary along with cornerback Shakial Taylor.

What to Look Forward to

I think the impact Hakeem Adeniji has at offensive tackle can not be overstated, and to have him back is a very nice thing for the Jayhawks. Pooka Williams was an electric player at running back and in the return game in 2018, and looks to return for this coming season. Khalil Herbert is a player at running back that is experienced, and can also be called upon. Bryce Torneden and Hasan Defense will be a nice duo at safety. While there is some concern, I think the hiring of Les Miles at head coach will be a good one. Miles has experience winning, knows how to recruit, and will bring some publicity and legitimacy to a program that has just been looked down upon (not totally unjustly) in recent years. With the right assistants around him, I think Miles can have success in Lawrence.

What to be Concerned About

While he will be back, Pooka Williams’s status is a bit unknown. Williams was charged with domestic battery in the offseason. Williams agreed to a diversion program that will drop charges upon completion, but that will not be completed until late November. Williams is currently suspended from the team, but I am sure he will be back. The question of course is what his suspension will end up being, or if there will be one. Williams was possibly the best player on the team as a true freshman and his status will be vital for the success of the team.

Peyton Bender was a two-year starter at quarterback, and there is no definite replacement for him. Whoever does step in at quarterback will also not have three of Kansas’s four leading receivers from the 2018 season. Joe Dineen Jr. shouldered an extremely heavy load at times on defense and to lose him is quite impactful. Daniel Wise was a solid player at defensive tackle, and he will also be missed. Shakial Taylor was the top cornerback on Kansas’s roster, and will not be easy to replace. While I think he will be a success, Les Miles definitely is a risk. Miles was fired at LSU in 2016 and a main reason was that he did not adjust his style to modern times. We do not know what Miles has done to change his style of play either.

Goals for the 2019 Season

Kansas football is in a pretty dark place (I really feel like they are going to beat Texas again now that I have said this). Les Miles is a step in the right direction, but the Jayhawks need more than just a step to turn things around. The gap between them and just the lower end of the Big 12 was significant. Kansas will need to take baby steps. For 2019, the Jayhawks have two non-conference games they can definitely win. They should aim to win those, and try to be competitive in Big 12 play while hoping to steal a game.

Kansas State

Last Season in Review

Kansas State fans had reason to be concerned after the first game of the season when the Wildcats won but failed to pull away from FCS foe South Dakota. The Wildcats lost the next week to Mississippi State, but rebounded with a convincing win over UTSA. Kansas State then went on a pretty bad losing streak, falling to West Virginia, Texas, and Baylor. A win over Oklahoma State temporarily stopped the bleeding, but a loss to Oklahoma and a close loss to TCU put the Wildcats at 3-6. Kansas State was able to right the ship with a win over rival Kansas in the Sunflower Showdown and a win over Texas Tech the next week, meaning bowl eligibility was on the line against Iowa State. Sadly, Kansas State could not bring home that win and finished the season at 5-7. After the season, longtime head coach and Kansas State legend Bill Snyder retired and former North Dakota State head coach Chris Klieman was hired.

On offense, Kansas State went almost entirely through running back Alex Barnes. Barnes put up 1,355 rushing yards on the season as a very strong and physical back. The success Barnes saw can partially be owed to a pretty solid offensive line led by right tackle Dalton Risner. Isaiah Zuber led the team in catches, receiving yards, and touchdowns and would have done better if not for spotty quarterback play. Defensive end Reggie Walker was the best playmaker on the defense with 12.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, and four forced fumbles. Cornerbacks Duke Shelley and AJ Parker combined for five interceptions and 15 pass deflections.

What to Look Forward to

Isaiah Zuber and Dalton Schoen will be back at receiver in 2019 after finding as the two leading receivers for the Wildcats. Skylar Thompson is going to be back at quarterback after seeing significant time in 2018. The hole at running back was filled by Ball State graduate transfer James Gilbert. Gilbert ran for 1,332 yards in 2016, but has not played a full season without injury since then. On defense, Kansas State returns nine starters from 2018. Reggie Walker will return at defensive end, and could be one of the best defensive players in the Big 12 for the 2019 season. Kansas State also returns the entirety of their starting defensive line. Linebacker Da’Quan Patton led the Wildcats in tackles in 2018 and will return, as will fellow linebacker Justin Hughes who had a strong season, despite missing three games. AJ Parker and Kevion Mcgee are back at cornerback and should make for a pretty good duo at that position. At safety, Denzel Goolsby missed some time in 2018, but will be back and should return to his form in 2017, which would help out a lot for this Kansas State defense. While Bill Snyder was an amazing coach for Kansas State and probably saved the program many years ago, and elevated the team way beyond their expected ceiling in the late 1990s and early 2000s, it really feels like he mailed it in a bit these last few years. I think bringing in some new blood with Chris Klieman will be good for this program. Klieman has enjoyed success at the FCS level with North Dakota State, coaching and sustaining (Craig Bohl did the building before he left for Wyoming) the Alabama of the FCS. The success of Craig Bohl at Wyoming also reinforces the fact that Klieman can definitely see success in Manhattan.

What to be Concerned About

Running back Alex Barnes was the heart and soul of Kansas State’s offense in 2018, and replacing him will be quite difficult. Barnes had 256 carries last season, while all other running backs had 56. Barnes had 1,355 rushing yards while all other running backs had 220. His usage and production were very high, and it is hard to find someone to fill that. Ball State grad transfer James Gilbert had decent numbers in 2018, but he still had less than half the yards Barnes had while playing weaker competition. Whoever does fill the hole at running back will also not have the luxury of having Dalton Risner blocking for them at right tackle, who is on to the NFL and will be a rare first or early second round pick, which does not happen too often at Kansas State. While I do think the hiring of Chris Klieman was a good one, there is some reason for concern. Klieman has never been a head coach at the FBS, much less P5 level. Klieman also is getting this job because of his success at North Dakota State, but he inherited a program that had just three-peated as FCS National Champions, so it must be asked if he improved the program or just sustained success without building upon it. Kansas State will also be going through their third offensive and defensive coordinators in as many years, which can be rough on the players.

Goals for the 2019 Season

Kansas State is and has been among a group of teams that can be considered the middle class of the Big 12. The Wildcats fell far in that group in 2018. For 2019 and the first year of the Chris Klieman era, Kansas State should expect to keep their same spot in the hierarchy, and return to a bowl game. Anything beyond that, would be a pleasant surprise. Beating Iowa State, and beating Kansas handily would also probably not hurt.

Oklahoma

Last Season in Review

Oklahoma looked pretty good to start off the season, blowing out Lane Kiffin and FAU, and dishing out more of the same to UCLA in week two. A trip to Iowa State led to a pretty competitive game, but Oklahoma came out with the victory. Army made Oklahoma fear for their life, but the Sooners eventually came out with a win in overtime. A win over Baylor put Oklahoma at 5-0 heading into the Red River Shootout. In that game, Oklahoma ultimately fell short against Texas as their late comeback was not quite enough. The Sooners took out their frustrations against TCU and Kansas State the next two weeks, but had to fight for a shootout win at Texas Tech. Oklahoma again had to fight for their lives in the Bedlam game against Oklahoma State, winning 48-47 after a late Oklahoma State two-point conversion fell short. Oklahoma again let their opponent hang around too long in their next game against Kansas. This all set up a game against West Virginia with the winner advancing to the Big 12 Championship. Oklahoma came out on top in Shootout, and then disposed of Texas in the Big 12 Championship. Oklahoma was named to the playoff as the fourth seed, given the unfortunate task of playing Alabama in the Orange Bowl. The Sooners played well late, but could not do enough to overcome a poor first half showing as they lost 45-34. Oklahoma finished the season 12-2, in what I would call a successful year.

The biggest contributing factor for Oklahoma’s success this season definitely was how well the offense thrived with Kyler Murray under center. Murray stepped in for a Heisman winner and the Sooners did not miss a beat as Murray threw for over 4,000 yards and ran for another 1,000 with 54 total touchdowns. Murray was an incredible dual threat that no defense really shut down. Murray also had two very high level receivers in CeeDee Lamb and Hollywood Brown. Lamb always seemed to make a catch when needed, and Brown was an absolute speed demon. An early injury to running back Rodney Anderson had many fans worried about the run game, but Trey Sermon and Kennedy Brooks each eclipsed 900 rushing yards and were a deadly backfield duo. Oklahoma has five players on their offensive line make first or second team all Big 12, so it was definitely a solid unit. Defensively, Oklahoma had their fair share of struggles, but linebackers Kenneth Murray and Curtis Bolton put up eye popping stats with 155 and 142 total tackle respectively. Kicker and punter Austin Seibert was again solid as well.

What to Look Forward to

Oklahoma has dipped into the quarterback transfer market once again, bringing in former Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts. Hurts was named SEC Offensive Player of the Year in 2016, but has since lost his job to Tua Tagovailoa. Do not let the fact that he was a backup fool you. Hurts is a great athlete, who has experience playing against high level competition and will be a great leader for the Sooners. CeeDee Lamb is back at receiver, and will be one of the nation’s top receivers in 2019. The backfield duo of Trey Sermon and Kennedy Brooks was quite effective later in the season, and they will both be back. On defense linebacker Kenneth Murray racked up tackles, and will be doing more of the same next season. Tre Brown, Parnell Motley, Brendan Radley-Hiles, and Tre Norwood are all back and will make up a pretty talented secondary. Oklahoma just had what has been called their best ever recruiting class. Headlining the class is Spencer Rattler, the nation’s top quarterback prospect, as well as Jadon Haselwood, the nation’s top receiver and another five-star receiver in Theo Wease. Oklahoma made what I believe to be a very good hire at defensive coordinator in Alex Grinch. Grinch completely improved and built up Washington State’s defense before spending a year as co-defensive coordinator at Ohio State.

What to be Concerned About

Oklahoma loses a Heisman trophy winner in Kyler Murray, who was a dominant player and a very difficult one to slow down. While Jalen Hurts is a very good quarterback, Oklahoma is still going to see a definite downgrade at the position as Kyler Murray and Baker Mayfield before him were the best quarterbacks in college football at the time. Hurts might be a top 15 quarterback in the country, but he is going to be compared to the last two Heisman winners and will ultimately fall short of that. Hollywood Brown is gone to the NFL and with him goes a receiver that would always leave opposing defenses on their toes. Oklahoma also loses four starters on the offensive line, including Dru Samia and Cody Ford, who will be playing on Sundays for the foreseeable future. Oklahoma is one of the few teams in the country to use a fullback (I wish there was more) and their fullback Carson Meier, an underrated offensive contributor, is gone. Linebacker Curtis Bolton had a nose for the ball, racking up 142 tackles last season, and will also be gone. Austin Seibert was the leading scorer in Oklahoma’s history and was a four-year starter at kicker. He will be tough to replace.

Goals for the 2019 Season

With four straight Big 12 Championships, Oklahoma has put their name right behind Alabama and Clemson in the hierarchy of college football’s elite programs. Oklahoma should expect to extend their streak to five straight Big 12 Championships and three straight playoff appearances. What Oklahoma should be hoping for though is their first playoff win. Getting to the playoff is pretty great but at some point, they have to do something when they get there.

Oklahoma State

Last Season in Review

Oklahoma State started off 2018 strong by disposing of two weaker opponents in Missouri State and South Alabama. In their first real test against Boise State, the Cowboys improved to 3-0 with a 41-17 win. Unfortunately, the high from that win was short lived as Oklahoma State fell flat in a 41-17 loss against Texas Tech. A win over Kansas was nice, but it was followed by losses against Iowa State and Kansas State, putting the Cowboys at 1-3 in Big 12 play. Their bye week seemed to be good for Oklahoma State as they took down Texas, (I still have nightmares of Taylor Cornelius running for first down after first down and Tylan Wallace being impossible to cover in that game) but fell back to earth with a loss to Baylor. In the Bedlam game at Oklahoma, the Cowboys struck fear into the hearts of Oklahoma, but missed a late two-point conversion to lose 48-47, falling to 5-5 on the season. An upset win over West Virginia secured bowl eligibility, but their quest to keep TCU out of a bowl failed in a 31-24 loss. An exciting Liberty Bowl win over Missouri meant Oklahoma State finished 7-6 in what was a pretty weird season. While they did beat two of the three best teams in the conference, they finished 2-4 against teams who finished the regular season with six or fewer wins. Also seven of their final eight games were decided by eight or fewer points.

As per usual, Oklahoma State had a very explosive offense. Quarterback Taylor Cornelius had big shoes to fill after Mason Rudolph’s graduation, but he did admirably. Cornelius threw for just shy of 4,000 yards on 8.2 yards per attempt, while also adding in 10 rushing touchdowns. Justice Hill was still solid at running back, despite missing time due to injury. Hill also did not need to carry as heavy of a load because of the emergence of Chuba Hubbard, everyone’s favorite Canadian running back. Hill and Hubbard combined for a pretty strong backfield duo. Receiver Tylan Wallace was a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award with 1,491 receiving yards on 86 catches. Tyron Johnson provided nice support in the receiving game with 845 receiving yards of his own. Defensive end Jordan Brailford was the best playmaker on the defense with 17 tackles for loss and 10 sacks. The attention given to Brailford by opponents also allowed for fellow defensive end Jarrell Owens to have a strong season. Linebacker Justin Phillips led the team in total tackles. Cornerback AJ Green was stout in coverage with 11 pass deflections.

What to Look Forward to

Oklahoma State will still have some offensive firepower with the return of Tylan Wallace. Wallace will be one of the best receivers in the country this season, and an extreme challenge to cover. Dillon Stoner will step into the number two receiver spot after surpassing 550 receiving yards the last two seasons. Chuba Hubbard will be back at running back, and should be able to build upon last season as more carries will go his way. Oklahoma State will be having a quarterback battle this offseason, but it is not one devoid of talent. Spencer Sanders was a four-star recruit in the class of 2018, and Dru Brown was a two-year starter at Hawaii before transferring to Oklahoma State and redshirting in 2018. AJ Green will be back at cornerback, and should be one of the best ones in the Big 12 in 2019.

What to be Concerned About

Taylor Cornelius will be gone after putting up solid numbers at quarterback during his one season starting. Justice Hill was a major impact player at running back, and will not be easy to replace. Receiver Tyron Johnson is also gone, meaning teams can put more attention on Tylan Wallace. Oklahoma State looks like they will struggle up front on defense in 2018. Jordan Brailford left early for the NFL, and Justin Phillips graduates. Those two were a big part of Oklahoma State’s defense and will definitely be missed. Safety Kenneth Edison-McGruder was third on the team in tackles and will be gone. Oklahoma State also loses offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich to Ohio State. While I think Sean Gleeson was a good hire, he will be making quite the step up, as he was the offensive coordinator at Princeton in 2018.

Goals for the 2019 Season

Inconsistency plagued the Cowboys throughout 2018. Sometimes they looked like a Big 12 contender. Other times, they looked like a bottom feeder. That is an issue that Oklahoma State needs to solve in 2019. More than three Big 12 wins will be expected as well. For 2019, Oklahoma State should hope for eight wins, and to play spoiler for a team like they did with Texas and West Virginia in 2018.

TCU

Last Season in Review

TCU started 2018 off strong with a win over FCS for Southern, and a win over SMU in the Battle for the Iron Skillet (awesome rivalry name). In a game against Ohio State, TCU was not so lucky as they lost 40-28. Still, the Horned Frogs could be happy about keeping it close. What they could not be happy about was losing to Texas in their next game. A win over Iowa State seemed to right the ship, but TCU fell to Texas Tech in their next game. A blowout loss at the hands of Oklahoma was rough, but what stung worse was a loss at Kansas. That loss put TCU at 3-5 with five losses in their last six games. They also were 1-4 in Big 12 play at that point. A win over Kansas State took some pressure off, but a blowout loss to West Virginia made it to where TCU needed to win their last two games to be bowl eligible. Their wins against Baylor and Oklahoma State allowed the Horned Frogs to close out the regular season at 6-6. After an extremely ugly game that was highly entertaining, (I am unashamed about the fact that I watched most of this game) TCU came out on top in the Cheez-It Bowl against California to finish off the season 7-6. While that record might not look good, TCU had an insane number of injuries and simply getting to a bowl game was a pretty impressive feat by the team and head coach Gary Patterson.

I think you would be hard pressed to find a team more effected by injuries this season than TCU. With these injuries, many different players got to see extensive time. The one star of the offense was receiver Jalen Reagor. Reagor had 1,064 receiving yards on 72 catches, and also ran for 170 yards and two touchdowns on 13 yards per carry. Reagor was the one player opposing defenses always had to key on, and was able to shine after KaVontae Turpin was kicked off the team. Darius Anderson and Sewo Olonilua split carries in the backfield, with each of them being effective power backs. Defensive end Ben Banogu wreaked havoc on opposing offenses with 18 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles. Fellow defensive end LJ Collier has a strong season himself with 11.5 tackles for loss and six sacks. Cornerback Jeff Gladney picked off two passes and had 12 pass deflections.

What to Look Forward to

Jalen Reagor will be back at receiver and should again be the star of the offense. Reagor’s ability at receiver will also be a big help to whoever ends up starting at quarterback and he also will be deadly in the return game. At running back, Darius Anderson and Sewo Olonilua are both back, and should be one of the best duos at running back in the conference. Four starters will be back on the offensive line. At cornerback, Jeff Gladney will return and also should be one of the best ones in the conference. Corey Bethley improved as a playmaker at defensive tackle, and is someone I think make a leap in 2019. Also on the defensive line will be South Carolina Shameik Blackshear, who I believe will be an impact player at defensive tackle. TCU’s schedule is pretty favorable as the only P5 team they play is Purdue in non-conference play, and they play Texas, Baylor, and West Virginia at home.

What to be Concerned About

After last year’s starter Shawn Robinson, transferred to Missouri, TCU is looking for a starting quarterback. As a result of that, the Horned Frogs are in the midst of what could be the most interesting quarterback battles in the country, with four people having a realistic chance of winning the job. Michael Collins, a transfer from Penn, stepped in when Robinson went down last season. Collins only completed 56% of his passes, but had a touchdown to interception ratio of 6/2, and had a better passer rating than Robinson. Collins is still recovering from a season ending injury he suffered in 2018, meaning he has not been able to practice this spring. Justin Rogers was the highest ranked recruit to ever sign with TCU as one of the top dual threat quarterbacks in the country, but sat out his freshman season because he was recovering from a knee injury he suffered in high school. From the recovery of that injury, Rogers developed a drop foot condition, meaning he does not have full use of his foot. Because of this, Rogers was limited in practice during the season, but looks to be ready to play now. Alex Delton graduate transferred from Kansas State after Bill Snyder retired, and it appeared unlikely he would win the starting job this season, despite starting for parts of 2017 and 2018. Max Duggan is a four-star recruit who just signed with TCU, and is enrolled and practicing with the team now. This quarterback battle will be intriguing, but I honestly have no idea who or what to expect from it, and I worry the quarterback situation at TCU will be in full disarray going into the season.

Receivers Jaelan Austin and Jarrison Stewart are both gone, decreasing depth at the position. The defensive end duo of Ben Banogu and LJ Collier are also gone, meaning there will be two less playmakers, and far less talent up front for the Horned Frogs. Linebackers Jawuan Johnson and Ty Summers will also both be gone.

Goals for the 2019 Season

In 2018, TCU could have definitely won eight or nine games if the injury bug did not bite them. This season, they should be hoping to reach that mark. This team does lose some talent, and has some question marks, but Gary Patterson always finds a way for his teams to punch above their weight class. This team will be no exception. TCU should expect to at least be back in the upper middle class of the Big 12, and hope to be knocking on the Championship door this season, or sometime soon.

Texas Tech

Texas Tech stumbled out of the gate to start 2018 with a loss to Ole Miss. they rebounded quickly though by pummeling Lamar, beating Houston in a shootout, and taking down then ranked Oklahoma State. A loss to West Virginia was disappointing, but expected. The Red Raiders again rebounded with a win over rival TCU, and a blowout win over conference punching bag Kansas. That win put Texas Tech at 5-2. From there, things went downhill. First, there was a 40-31 loss at Iowa State. After that, the Red Raiders put up a good fight but fell 51-46 to Oklahoma. Their loss against Texas was also close, leaving some hope from fans that they could at least make a bowl game, as they say at 5-5 then. Their offense fell apart in a 21-6 loss to Kansas State, making their rivalry game against Baylor a battle for bowl eligibility. Texas Tech fell short in that game, finishing 5-7 and capping off a five game losing streak to end the season. Head coach Kliff Kingsbury was fired (and somehow got an NFL head coaching job) and Utah State head coach Matt Wells was brought in.

As per usual, Texas Tech has quite a bit of offensive firepower. True freshman Alan Bowman emerged as the quarterback of the future. The team was 4-1 in games where Bowman played the entire time, and struggled once he went out with a collapsed lung. In just eight games and five full ones, Bowman threw for 2,638 yards and 17 touchdowns while completing 69% of his passes. Bowman and whoever else played quarterback connected often with receiver Antoine Wesley. Wesley had 88 catches for 1,410 yards on the season. Any receiver who stands at 6’5” and has some athleticism is going to be difficult to cover, and Wesley was no exception. Fellow receivers Ja’Deion High and TJ Vasher also put up strong numbers 804 and 687 receiving yards respectively. While Texas Tech’s defense was not a group of world beaters, it did look better than what I was used to seeing from them. Cornerback Adrian Frye picked off five passes in addition to five pass deflections. Safety Vaughnte Dorsey picked off four passes of his own, and was second on the team with 39 solo tackles. Dakota Allen was solid at linebacker, being named first team all Big 12 despite missing time and playing through an injury.

What to Look Forward to

Quarterback Alan Bowman has fully recovered from the partially collapsed lung he suffered against Oklahoma. Bowman is one of the players I am most excited about watching in 2019 as he looked very good in his spots at quarterback, and had Oklahoma on the ropes before he left that game with injury. TJ Vasher is returning and is the likely candidate to take the number one receiver spot. I think Vasher is a potential breakout candidate. The running back trio of Ta’Zhawn Henry, Da’Leon Ward, and Demarcus Felton will all be back, as the three often split carries in 2018, and will be a tough group to prepare for. Four starters are back on the offensive line, which is definitely a good thing. At cornerback Damarcus Fields and Adrian Frye are both back, making for a good duo. Linebacker Jordyn Brooks led the team in tackles last season and will also return. Riko Jeffers was second on the team in tackles in 2018, and will be back as well. The hiring of Matt Wells as head coach is one that I definitely believe will be successful. Wells helped the program at Utah State, and won eleven games in 2018 there.

What to be Concerned About

Texas Tech loses their best offensive weapon in Antoine Wesley. Wesley was one of the top receivers in the country and eased the pressure of whoever was at quarterback as he could always come down with contested catches. Ja’Deion High, their second leading receiver, is also gone. On defense, the Red Raiders lose many of the players responsible for their improvement. Dakota Allen was a very good linebacker, and also was a veteran leader for their team. His absence is not one to take lightly. Vaughnte Dorsey and Jah’Shawn Johnson were also two great players to have. Dorsey was sound in coverage, and a great playmaker while Johnson was another veteran leader.

Goals for the 2019 Season

The firing of Kliff Kingsbury was definitely a difficult thing for Texas Tech as he did a lot of things well, but other things horribly. This season will be one defined by change, and I think it is a positive one. I also think the path back to at least competency is not a very difficult one. I think fans should expect to return to a bowl game and any improvement on that should be welcome. While it does not need to happen this season, Texas Tech needs to try and work their way up the hierarchy of Big 12 teams in Texas, as they have fallen in that.

West Virginia

Last Season in Review

2018 started out strong for West Virginia, as they blew out Tennessee in their season and took care of Youngstown State in their next outing. Their game against North Carolina State was unfortunately cancelled due to a hurricane. After that game was cancelled, resulting in an off week for the Mountaineers, they rattled off a win over Kansas State, held off a late comeback by Texas Tech, and took down Kansas to sit at 5-0. West Virginia then had the misfortune of playing a night game at Iowa State and lost 30-14. The Mountaineers rebounded from that well, as they blew out Baylor, won a back and forth game at Texas, and blew out TCU. Controlling their own destiny in their path to a Big 12 Championship appearance, the Mountaineers unfortunately floundered. They were upset by Oklahoma State, (I am very proud of calling this upset before it happened) lost a shootout against Oklahoma, and lost to Syracuse in the Camping World Bowl to finish the season 8-4. This season for West Virginia was good, but definitely a bit disappointing as they came into it with aspirations of winning or at least challenging for a Big 12 Championship. After this disappointing season, head coach Dana Holgorsen left to take the job at Houston and the Mountaineers hired Troy head coach Neal Brown.

West Virginia had one of the best quarterback-receiver combinations in the country with quarterback Will Grier and receiver David Sills. Grier was one of the nation’s top quarterbacks, throwing for 3,864 yards and 37 on just under 10 yards per attempt. Sills had 65 catches for 986 yards and an impressive 15 touchdowns. Sills had some reinforcements at receiver as well with Gary Jennings amassing 917 yards and 13 touchdowns of his own. On the ground, Kennedy McKoy led the Mountaineers in rushing yards with Martell Pettaway also being a contributor (who also tore through Texas’s defense). Trevon Wesco was solid at tight end both in run blocking and pass catching. Yodny Cajuste was a great anchor for the offensive line at left tackle. Linebacker David Long really filled out the stat sheet with a team-leading 108 total tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss, seven sacks, and two forced fumbles. Defensive tackle Kenny Bigelow was a great run stuffer. Safety Kenny Robinson finished second on the team in total tackles and added four interceptions. Cornerback Joshua Norwood was solid in pass coverage with 10 pass deflections.

What to Look Forward to

West Virginia should have a solid backfield in 2019 with the return of Kennedy McKoy and Martell Pettaway. Marcus Simms looks to step into the number one receiver spot, and I think he will have a better chance for success this season as he was a part of a loaded receiving corps in 2018, and will get a chance to be the main focus in 2019. The Mountaineers also dipped into the transfer portal at quarterback, landing Oklahoma transfer Austin Kendall. Kendall was a highly touted recruit in the class of 2016, and just could not ever be the guy in a quarterback room with extreme talent. Just because he never started at Oklahoma does not mean he does not have the potential to be a solid quarterback. Kenny Robinson will be back at safety, and should be the best player on the defense in 2019. Robinson is the type of versatile player any defense needs as he could step up and make a big tackle and also be sound in coverage. Joshua Norwood is back at cornerback and should be one of the best ones in the Big 12. Jovanni Stewart is back at linebacker after finishing second on the team in tackles for loss in 2018. Darius Stills will be back and will command attention at defensive tackle. I also am excited about the hiring of Neal Brown, as he has been a great up and comer in the coaching circle for the past couple years.

What to be Concerned About

Will Grier was a very good quarterback for the Mountaineers. He could always make plays at quarterback and also keep drives alive with his accuracy throwing the ball. West Virginia also now has a very inexperienced quarterback room due to his departure. There might be talent, but experience is important too. David Sills was the ultimate red zone target at receiver and someone that could always help a quarterback. His absence will be felt. Gary Jennings also was a very talented receiver who put up only slightly worse stats than Sills who will also be hard to replace. The loss of Yodny Cajuste will be very hard on the offensive line. David Long could do almost everything at linebacker, and will be missed. Kenny Bigelow often drew double teams at defensive tackle and could dominate in the trenches. That impact will be missed on a defense that already struggled.

Goals for the 2019 Season

I think most people would naturally assume that 2019 will be a step back for West Virginia. With the talent they lost and the hiring of a new coach, the expectations are lower but still present. Fans should expect gradual improvement, and to at least a bowl game. The hope should be for the Mountaineers to have a winning record in Big 12 play and finishing in the top half of the conference while setting themselves up for success in 2020.

Texas

Saving the best for last, we finally get to talk about my beloved Texas Longhorns. Be warned as I might venture into the territory of a massive homer.

Last Season in Review

2018 did not start off too well for Texas as they lost their season opener to a mediocre Maryland and struggled to beat a just plain bad Tulsa team. With optimism at a new low, Texas decided to kick things into gear with a win blowout win over USC, and a convincing win over TCU in the next week. A win at Kansas State made it four straight wins for Texas going into the Red River Shootout against Oklahoma. In that game, the Longhorns survived a late surge from Oklahoma to come out 48-45 winners. A win against Baylor put Texas at 6-1 and at number six in the AP Poll. Unfortunately, not all great things last as Texas fell at Oklahoma State and made it two losses in a row as they fell to West Virginia in Austin. Their win at Texas Tech was intense, but it was able to finally stop the bleeding. In a game that helped determine who would play in the Big 12 Championship, Texas also played a great game and took down Iowa State, and also beat Kansas to end the regular season 9-3. In a rematch with Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship, Texas was not quite so lucky as they lost 39-27, but did bounce back with a victory over Georgia in the Sugar Bowl to finish 10-4. This season had some hiccups, but it definitely was the best season Texas has had in the post Mack Brown era.

A catalyst behind Texas’s success this season was the improved play of quarterback Sam Ehlinger. Ehlinger three for 3,292 yards this season with a touchdown to interception ratio of 25/5. Ehlinger also was an elite dual threat as he ran for an additional 482 yards and 16 touchdowns while the rest of the team combined for eight (he also caught five passes). The grit and toughness Ehlinger played with was very easy to see and he elevated Texas’s offense to another level. Ehlinger also had two big and elite receivers to throw to. Lil’Jordan Humphrey hauled in 86 catches for 1,176 yards and Collin Johnson caught another 68 passes for 985 yards. These two were tall with large catch radiuses and were not super fun to cover (I loved watching them completely manhandle Oklahoma’s cornerbacks and be completely unguardable on every slant route they ran). Tre Watson and Keaontay Ingram split carries in the backfield that did not produce many big plays, but could get the hard yard. On defense, Charles Omenihu was named Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year as he put up 18 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks. Linebacker Gary Johnson led the team in tackles and showed some versatility as he had 16.5 tackles for loss and also shifted back to safety when injuries hit the secondary. Fellow linebacker Anthony Wheeler was second on the team in tackles. Kris Boyd was named first team all Big 12 at cornerback and had 15 pass deflections. True freshman Caden Sterns was also named first team all Big 12 at safety.

What to Look Forward to

The heart and soul of Texas’s offense returns in Sam Ehlinger. Ehlinger can always find a way to salvage a big play out of what looks like a broken one. That ability is always important to have. His big improvement in 2019 leaves fans with reasons to be optimistic. Keaontay Ingram was a good hard yard running back during his freshman season and will return for 2019. Collin Johnson chose to return to school and could be one of if not the best receiver in the country. Center Zach Shackelford often looked like the best player on Texas’s offensive line and will be back as well. Texas returns two very good players at safety as Brandon Jones returned to school, and Caden Sterns became a freshman All-American and first team all Big 12. B.J. Foster is another member of the secondary who shined in his freshman season who should make more noise in 2019. Cameron Dicker looked solid at kicker in his freshman season and will be back and better. Texas is bringing in the best recruiting class in the Big 12 and the third best in the country. This class was big on receivers. Five-star athlete/receiver Bru McCoy flipped from USC, and vaulted Texas’s class into the top three (and more importantly ahead of Texas A&M). McCoy was a big get as he is a top 10 player in the class. Fellow five-star athlete/receiver Jordan Whittington was another big signing as well. Texas also dipped into the transfer portal to pick up offensive guard Parker Braun out of Georgia Tech. Braun was a first team all ACC guard in 2018, and left Georgia Tech after their coaching change.

What to be Concerned About

Texas loses depth in an already thin backfield with the graduation of Tre Watson. Lil’Jordan Humphrey was one of the best playmakers in the country at receiver, and could always come down with a catch or gain some yards afterwards. His presence will be missed. Andrew Beck was an underrated part of the team at tight end and fullback and a player that will be missed more than most people think. Beck was sound in run blocking, and had his fair share of catches in addition to being a veteran leader for the Longhorns. Texas loses three starters on the offensive line from last season. While Sam Ehlinger is a star quarterback, his reckless style of play leaves him prone to injury. In 2018, Texas had a very good backup in Shane Buechele, but will have a greater reason for concern in 2019 if Ehlinger goes down as Buechele transferred to SMU and fellow quarterback Cameron Rising transferred to Utah. Charles Omenihu will also be gone, as well as the other two defensive line starters from 2018. Omenihu was a constant disruptor, and those players are hard to find. Gary Johnson is also gone after being Texas’s leading tackler in 2018. Anthony Wheeler is another linebacker who will be gone, and also made an impact on Texas’s defense. Cornerbacks Kris Boyd and Davante Davis are both gone as well, making a young secondary lose two veterans. PJ Locke is also gone after being a hard hitting safety that has been a staple in Texas’s defense for awhile. Texas will be tested early in the season as they play LSU in the second week.

Goals for the 2019 Season

2018 was a season where Texas looked to have turned a corner. Saying the phrase “Texas is back” might be a bit premature, but there is a real level of optimism for Longhorns fans like there has not been for awhile. With that optimism, now comes heightened expectations. Tom Herman did well in his second season as head coach, but still has a horrible habit of his team’s playing to the level of their competition that has lingered in from his stint at Houston. Texas should expect to rid themselves of that soon. In terms of record, Texas should expect at least nine wins and a return to the Big 12 Championship, while hoping to win that Big 12 Championship and maybe even punch a ticket to the playoff.

And this concludes my Where Are We Now? series. For the next couple of months, I will be posting articles about subjects that just interest me relating to college football. For my next article, I will be talking about the most underrated players in the NFL Draft. Even though we are in the offseason, there are definitely still things to talk about in the world of college football.

To be notified when I post, follow me on social media. On my Instagram, I have my projected standing for Big 12 this season.

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