Day 4 of our New Year’s Resolutions lands us in the Big XII. Lots of teams here who have glaring needs on one side of the ball. Can they fix this? Our final conference will be tomorrow and we head out West for the Pac 12.
TCU
Go from strength to strength. We often see teams who have newfound success stick with the guys who’ve been there and not change, which in the moment seems reasonable. But in the new world of the portal you need to capitalize on success by bringing in studs via the transfer portal and that’s exactly what Sonny Dykes has done that by already getting JoJo Earle and Tommy Brockermeyer from Alabama, Jack Bech from LSU, and Avery Helm from Florida. Keep striking while the iron is hot and bringing in guys who’ll improve your roster.
Added a few upgrades ? #GoFrogs #DFWBig12Team #FiestaFrogs pic.twitter.com/GAk9Docpg8
— TCU Football (@TCUFootball) December 20, 2022
Kansas State
Keep your defense firing on all cylinders. The Wildcats will always run the ball well and have a salty O-line, Chris Klieman’s teams do that. It’s maintaining that 12th ranked national defense that will be critical if they want to repeat as Big XII champs in 2023. Conference DPOY Felix Anudike-Uzomah is probably off to the NFL and Julius Brents was a solid CB for them. Replacing them and maintaining the tenacity on that side of the ball will ensure the Wildcats keep the success rolling.
Texas
Don’t get the pitchforks out for Sark like you did for Tom Herman. In four seasons, Herman never won fewer than 7 games yet he was told to hit the road. Sark will win 8, maybe 9, in year two. The Horns should be good next year, but some losses are likely. This fan base needs to be realistic about their current state, know they aren’t the power they’ve believed themselves to be for years, and trust Sark’s process. Replacing Bijan Robinson will be critical for Sark as well as Quinn Ewers, who will be the starting QB next year.
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Texas Tech
Utilize the portal to address needs. Year 1 for Joey McGuire was a success. Going 8-5 with a bowl win over Ole Miss capped off a season where they beat Houston, Texas, and Oklahoma in OT. Winning 3 more than the projected preseason is always a reason to celebrate. McGuire has also killed it in recruiting, signing the #4 class in the conference and a national top 25 (I talked about them recently in my 5 surprise teams in recruiting). For McGuire the goal now should be find the more immediate needs and hit the portal. The Raiders look to be a team trending upwards at a rapid rate, getting guys into Lubbock shouldn’t be tough.
It just means more ?#WreckEm | #WhatsNexŦ pic.twitter.com/um5HC05mFD
— Texas Tech Football (@TexasTechFB) December 29, 2022
Oklahoma State
Find your QB. Every conference has at least one, the Cowboys are the Big XII team who needs to figure this out. When Spencer Sanders was injured this caused major problems, when he entered the portal they got worse. Garrett Rangel doesn’t appear to be the guy, Gunnar Gundy is not the guy. Mike Gundy better be active in the portal or have someone in mind he can coach up, which he is skilled at doing. The offense for years has put a lot of responsibility on the QB. If they don’t have an adequate one in 2023 it could be a season of few points and many punts.
Baylor
Find balance on offense. RB Richard Reese was the conference offensive freshman of the year and he has a promising future. The Bears have run the ball well in recent years, that shouldn’t change. Throwing the ball was another story this year, though. Blake Shapen never looked very comfortable in the pocket and you get the feeling that Dave Aranda wouldn’t be opposed to getting a veteran QB through the portal, the previously mentioned Spencer Sanders has been mentioned. The late recruiting flip of Austin Novosad to Oregon was a huge loss in that regard. Most of the receiving corps looks to return so that is a positive for whoever is taking the snaps next year.
Oklahoma
Use the offseason momentum to your advantage. I disliked the Venables hire, and I still am not sold as year 1 was atrocious. That being said, the Sooners have recruited extremely well and brought in studs via the portal. Keep this energy going, trust the process, and year 2 of the Venables era will be better. It really couldn’t be much worse, but there’s much to be excited about in Norman.
Kansas
Find a way to improve the defense. The new America’s Team was a renaissance on the field this year and a pleasant surprise for us all. The offense was ranked #13 in the nation behind Jalon Daniels and Devin Neal, both of whom will return in 2023. The defense however didn’t get the memo to be better. The Jayhawk D finished with a national ranking of 106. Some defensive portal signings didn’t workout last year, Leipold can’t have that on D this coming offseason. He needs to figure out who can play and how to create depth on that side of the ball if the Jayhawks truly want to take a step up and not just be a flash in the pan.
West Virginia
Plan for the inevitable. I was shocked that Neal Brown was not let go after the regular season. A 5-7 campaign was not what they needed and he has not lived up to expectations. I hate to talk about firing a coach who’s employed, these are men with families who need an income, but his firing seems like it is destined to happen before the 2023 season is done. The lack of an AD for a long period of time in Morgantown probably saved him, now only wins will save him and they might be tough to come by unless a new QB is found. Having possible successors in mind, a plan for who to reach out to, and what you want in your future head coach is a good idea for Mountaineer administration. They should be able to bring in a solid replacement. After all, it is Almost Heaven.
Iowa State
Find yourself again. The Cyclones are at their best when they’re fighting in a phone booth, throwing rocks, and turning the game into a grind it out brawl. Get back to that. The Cyclones dipped to an unacceptable 4-8 with a lone conference win. Matt Campbell’s strength has been winning these grind it out wins, before the final game against TCU he only had one other loss by 17 or more points, much of this comes down to the playing style. Replenish the O-Line, find your RB’s, and get multiple TE’s who can be utilized. That will go a long way for a turnaround in 2023.
