Predictions and Parsing

The Big 12's season kicks off in mere hours, so here's a brief recap of our regular-season predictions:

NORTH DIVISION
Nebraska          11-1  (7-1 Big 12)
Missouri            9-3  (5-3)
Colorado           5-7  (3-5)
Kansas State      6-6  (2-6)
Kansas               5-7  (2-6)
Iowa State          4-8  (2-6)

SOUTH DIVISION
Oklahoma          11-1  (7-1)
Texas A&M       10-2  (7-1)
Texas                  10-2  (6-2)
Texas Tech          8-4  (4-4)
Oklahoma St.      6-6  (2-6)
Baylor                  5-7  (2-6)


So Nebraska and Oklahoma tangle in Cowboys Stadium for the Big 12 Conference Championship -- their last meeting for the foreseeable future. Is that waxing poetic or what? The two do NOT meet in the regular season, so this is their only potential pairing. Since the Big 12's inception in 1996, Oklahoma leads the series 5-4 -- and holds a 44-38-2 mark all-time.

So what are your thoughts on all this? Where did we go wrong? Is Baylor doomed once more? Is Mike Sherman my father-in-law? (No, he's not.) Will Missouri be able to play its way out of the offseason controversy? Does Dan Hawkins keep his job? Chime in and let us know where you stand and who you're picking to dominate or to croak.


The Big XII minus II

It's also worth bringing up for the first time a topic that we're sure to re-visit time and again this season: the departures of Colorado and Nebraska. There are loads of commentary out there already, and it's been that way since June. But now that the season is officially underway -- and a couple months removed from the doomsday scenarios of conference realignment -- have your own thoughts on the matter changed?

Despite the fact that the two historically best North teams are on the way out and 100-year-old series are coming to an abrupt end, I'm more excited about what lies ahead for the Big 12: a full conference slate and a true Big 12 champion. Sure it'll be different at first, but I have to say I prefer it to the rotating, two-year interdivision schedule, which never really allowed for rivalries to develop between North and South teams.

A few cross-division pairings have been intriguing in the past -- think Texas-Kansas State (K-State leads 4-2 since 1998) or Oklahoma State-Kansas (Pokes lead 29-28-3 all-time) -- and have the potential to become true grudge matches. Heck, throw in a trophy -- the Silver Branding Iron or the Golden Oil Derrick -- and you've got yourself a true rivalry.

As for Buffaloes and Cornhuskers, I wish them good luck (they'll need it), but I think it's also safe to say they won't be missed. I imagine one or the other will add a Kansas or Iowa State or Baylor to their nonconference schedules every once in a while in the years to come. But if you're still angry after this season, the next venues for revenge come in places like the Alamo Bowl or the Holiday Bowl or even the BCS. And won't that be even sweeter?


More to come this week: Week One Outlooks

Greetings!

Thanks for joining us here for the inaugural season of The Big 12 This Week's blog.

We're setting up this blog as a complement to the print version that runs in your local newspaper. Here you'll get a different take on the Big 12 season in real time, as opposed to just once a week. And while the amount of content in the print version is limited by the physical size of the page, there are no limits to this site. So we'll be able to ramble on and on and on and on to your heart's desire.

That leads us to the most important thing: You. This medium will allow you to be a part of the discussion -- and that's certainly encouraged. WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

What do you think of our predictions? Who are your picks to win or lose? What's your favorite conference team? Most despised opponent? Got a stadium you love to visit? Is there a coach you can't stand? At the tailgate, brat or hot dog? Got a Saturday recipe you'd like to share with the world?

Feel free to shoot us comments through this site or to thebig12thisweek@gmail.com -- though it's worth mentioning that we'll treat this as a family-friendly place in regard to language,  taunting, rival-bashing and when vividly describing your own college gameday experiences.

Bookmark us and check back often for updates -- or register to become a follower and have them e-mailed to you (it's free!). We're still new to the blogging experience, so we'll be changing the look around often to find what works. We're also hoping to add some other fancy-shmancy stuff to keep it interesting -- like videos, polls, etc.

So, again, welcome to The Big 12 This Week -- and let's get the season started. I don't know about you, but I'm ready for some football ...