Will this be the year that a Big 12 North team finally wins the Big 12 Conference? One team has a great shot at it. Here is the rundown:
Bo Pelini has resurected the Black Shirts at NEBRASKA. Their defense gave up 17 or fewer points in every one of their games except two last year. That defense loses super NT Suh, and 4 other starters, but has plenty of depth coming back. The Huskers problems are on offense. They return 10 starters, 8 of which are seniors. QB Lee and company are going to have to find a way to score, being held to 17 or less points in 6 of their games last season. Losing games 9-7 is not going to cut it. The schedule is kind, with games against Texas and Mizzou at home. WAGERING NOTES: Nebraska will be a prohibitive favorite to win the Big 12 North, probably at -200 or more. They may be a good pick to win the Big 12 Championship, if you can get +400 or more. Look for Vegas to really lowball the total on Nebraska games this season.
MISSOURI was suppose to do nothing last season, but still managed to win 8 games. The offense, which was suppose to suffer, scored over 30 points in 8 games. That offense only loses two players, and will have many Juniors starting this season. The defense was very inconsistant last season, as was the team. That defense returns 8 starters. The schedule is not kind, with only 2 of their last 7 games being played at home, and a trip to Nebraska. WAGERING NOTES: Mizzou is 6-12 ATS in conference games in the past two years. They are 0-8 ATS against Big 12 South teams in that time span.
Bill Snyder managed to revive football at KANSAS STATE last year, but 2 FCS games kept them out of a bowl. He will not have that problem this year, as only 1 FCS team is on the schedule, though they do play 6 of their last 8 games on the road. State returns 8 starters on an offense that was held to 17 or less points in half of their games last season. The left side of the line gets hit the hardest. The defense loses 6 of it's starters, and was very inconsistant last season. Itis hard to say where this team is going, but they are at a crossraod this season. WAGERING NOTES: Last season K-State came on strong after a slow start, covering 6 out of their final 8 games. All of those games were against Big 12 teams.
IOWA STATE was the suprise team of the Big 12 last season, winning 7 games, including a bowl game. An offense that did very well at the beginning of the season, but tailed off at the end, returns 9 starters, including their backfield. More consistancy is needed from that unit. The defense ran hot and cold last season and loses 7 starters. They get hit big time in the LB department, losing 4 of their 6 two deep LB's. The schedule is no help, with road games at Iowa, Oklahoma, and Texas, and home games against Utah, Nebraska, and Mizzou. WAGERING NOTES: Iowa State finshes well, going 7-2 ATS in their last 3 games of the season for the past 3 years. They are 1-5 ATS vs Big 12 South teams in the past 2 years.
KANSAS collapsed last season after a 5-0 start. They lost 7 games, and ended up firing their HC after the season ended. New HC Turner Gill inherits an offense that loses all of it's skill position starters, but returns all of it's line and TE. This offense scored 30 or more points in 7 of it's games last season. The defense, which was a siv last season, loses 4 starters and gets hit very hard at the LB position. The schedule is not bad. Kansas ducks Texas and Oklahoma, but gets Nebraska and non-con Southern Miss on the road, and hosts Ga.Tech. Gill has his work cut out for him to rebuild the confidence this team once had. WAGERING NOTES: Kansas is 0-5 ATS as a home dog in the past 4 years. Kansas is 8-1 ATS in non-con games in the past 3 years.
The only reason why Dan Hawkins is still the HC at COLORADO is because the school was too cheap to buy out the last year of his contract. Their offense, which ran hot and cold, only loses two starters. The bad news. The QB controversy between daddy's boy and Tyler Hansen will continue. The defense, which was pourous last season, loses 4 starters and some depth. The road schedule is brutal, with trips to Cal, Mizzou, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. A home game against Georgia is no help either. Hawkins will be hard pressed to save his job this season. WAGERING NOTES: Don't let last year's 7-5 ATS record fool you. 4 of those covers came as 10 point dogs or bigger. Colorado is 6-15-1 as a Road Dog in the past 5 years.
Next up: Big 12 South.
Bo Pelini has resurected the Black Shirts at NEBRASKA. Their defense gave up 17 or fewer points in every one of their games except two last year. That defense loses super NT Suh, and 4 other starters, but has plenty of depth coming back. The Huskers problems are on offense. They return 10 starters, 8 of which are seniors. QB Lee and company are going to have to find a way to score, being held to 17 or less points in 6 of their games last season. Losing games 9-7 is not going to cut it. The schedule is kind, with games against Texas and Mizzou at home. WAGERING NOTES: Nebraska will be a prohibitive favorite to win the Big 12 North, probably at -200 or more. They may be a good pick to win the Big 12 Championship, if you can get +400 or more. Look for Vegas to really lowball the total on Nebraska games this season.
MISSOURI was suppose to do nothing last season, but still managed to win 8 games. The offense, which was suppose to suffer, scored over 30 points in 8 games. That offense only loses two players, and will have many Juniors starting this season. The defense was very inconsistant last season, as was the team. That defense returns 8 starters. The schedule is not kind, with only 2 of their last 7 games being played at home, and a trip to Nebraska. WAGERING NOTES: Mizzou is 6-12 ATS in conference games in the past two years. They are 0-8 ATS against Big 12 South teams in that time span.
Bill Snyder managed to revive football at KANSAS STATE last year, but 2 FCS games kept them out of a bowl. He will not have that problem this year, as only 1 FCS team is on the schedule, though they do play 6 of their last 8 games on the road. State returns 8 starters on an offense that was held to 17 or less points in half of their games last season. The left side of the line gets hit the hardest. The defense loses 6 of it's starters, and was very inconsistant last season. Itis hard to say where this team is going, but they are at a crossraod this season. WAGERING NOTES: Last season K-State came on strong after a slow start, covering 6 out of their final 8 games. All of those games were against Big 12 teams.
IOWA STATE was the suprise team of the Big 12 last season, winning 7 games, including a bowl game. An offense that did very well at the beginning of the season, but tailed off at the end, returns 9 starters, including their backfield. More consistancy is needed from that unit. The defense ran hot and cold last season and loses 7 starters. They get hit big time in the LB department, losing 4 of their 6 two deep LB's. The schedule is no help, with road games at Iowa, Oklahoma, and Texas, and home games against Utah, Nebraska, and Mizzou. WAGERING NOTES: Iowa State finshes well, going 7-2 ATS in their last 3 games of the season for the past 3 years. They are 1-5 ATS vs Big 12 South teams in the past 2 years.
KANSAS collapsed last season after a 5-0 start. They lost 7 games, and ended up firing their HC after the season ended. New HC Turner Gill inherits an offense that loses all of it's skill position starters, but returns all of it's line and TE. This offense scored 30 or more points in 7 of it's games last season. The defense, which was a siv last season, loses 4 starters and gets hit very hard at the LB position. The schedule is not bad. Kansas ducks Texas and Oklahoma, but gets Nebraska and non-con Southern Miss on the road, and hosts Ga.Tech. Gill has his work cut out for him to rebuild the confidence this team once had. WAGERING NOTES: Kansas is 0-5 ATS as a home dog in the past 4 years. Kansas is 8-1 ATS in non-con games in the past 3 years.
The only reason why Dan Hawkins is still the HC at COLORADO is because the school was too cheap to buy out the last year of his contract. Their offense, which ran hot and cold, only loses two starters. The bad news. The QB controversy between daddy's boy and Tyler Hansen will continue. The defense, which was pourous last season, loses 4 starters and some depth. The road schedule is brutal, with trips to Cal, Mizzou, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. A home game against Georgia is no help either. Hawkins will be hard pressed to save his job this season. WAGERING NOTES: Don't let last year's 7-5 ATS record fool you. 4 of those covers came as 10 point dogs or bigger. Colorado is 6-15-1 as a Road Dog in the past 5 years.
Next up: Big 12 South.
