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Baylor head coach Art Briles has a fantastic pedigree developing signal-callers, but it’s the running backs in Waco that have everyone talking. The duo of Lache Seastrunk and Glasco Martin might just be the best in America.
There’s no doubt that Kansas State has some talented players sprinkled on its roster. There is also no doubt that aging head coach Bill Snyder deserves all the credit in the world, as he has more than once made this program contend nationally – at a football school that could well be a Bowl Subdivision team (or worse) – without him.
The departure of longtime starting QB Geno Smith signals the departure of a gifted passer and a gifted athlete who put up some mind-numbing statistics. Moreover, it’s not just Smith who says goodbye to Morgantown for the greener pastures of the NFL.
Texas Christian University is in better shape than most Big 12 teams at the quarterback position, although its success still rides on a massive “what-if”.
The Clemson Tigers should definitely be considered among a handful of teams capable of winning the national championship this final season of the BCS. They have a very good base of talent, a schedule that is challenging enough to put them in the equation and seem to have found the ability not to fall completely apart when you least expect, the way a number of Clemson teams have done in the past.
Florida State might be back. They made it to the Orange Bowl last season and took care of upstart Northern Illinois behind a fast and punishing defense that reminded us of Bobby Bowden’s best teams.
2013-14 Preview (ACC) Maryland Terrapins
The start of the Randy Edsall era at Maryland has been less than stellar. Not sure why but the program got tired of coach Ralph Friedgen even though he won there as much as any previous coach they ever had, probably more, including 9 wins in his last season – a number they have fallen short of the last two season, combined.
NC State is hoping a new coach can get them out of mediocrity and hopefully bridge the gap that is growing between them and those folks in Chapel Hill lately. The guy they chose is Dave Doeren who came to Northern Illinois and didn’t screw up what others had built there.
The Sooners have their usual wealth of talent on the roster, but it’s unlikely that the transition from longtime starting QB Landry Jones to bulldozing goal-line threat Blake Bell will occur without some (likely considerable) growing pains.
Texas’s main advantage this season is being able to feature the most pedigreed, most accurate – and really, just downright best – QB in the Big 12, with junior David Ash. Ash had a poor outing against hated rival Oklahoma (which is mildly concerning) and TCU, but he played against the Horned Frogs while nursing a broken rib.
The Buffalo Bulls went 2-8 in 2010. They went 3-9 in 2011. In 2012, the Bulls went 4-8. The team has slowly been getting better, and expectations are definitely higher for the 2013 season. Jeff Quinn will have his most talented team since he has been here.
Kent State had a special season last year, but they’ll have to do it in 2013 without Darell Hazell who is now the head coach at Purdue. Hazell did an amazing job turning around this Kent State program, and losing him will almost certainly hurt this team.
Ball State used to be a perennial doormat in football, but that is no longer the case. The Cardinals put together a very good season in 2012. Ball State has been winning by outscoring its opponents. If they are going to take that next step toward a MAC title, they’ll have to be better on defense.
Western Kentucky made a ton of progress under head coach Willie Taggart, but Taggart took the head position at South Florida during the offseason. Western Kentucky decided they wanted to hire a big name, and they brought in Bobby Petrino to be their new coach.
The Eagles have fallen. From 1999 through 2010 they won at least 7 games every season but they have won just a total of 6 the last two seasons combined.
North Texas will make the jump from the Sun Belt up to Conference USA this year. A couple years ago this team was one of the worst in the nation, but Dan McCarney is doing a nice job putting the pieces of the puzzle back together slowly. Can North Texas continue to grow in a more difficult conference in 2013?
