How important is turnover margin in the Big 12?

We all know turnovers are one of the biggest factors in how successful your team is on Saturdays but just how successful has it been within the Big 12?

How about this:

The last five seasons, the Big 12's leader in turnover margin has won the conference. The leader in 2013? #OKState: http://t.co/a2CTd6zcIM

— Dane Beavers (@DaneBeavers) November 11, 2013

That’s right.

2012 KSU — 1.54 (third in the nation)
2011 OSU — 1.62 (first in the nation)
2010 OU — 1.00 (sixth in the nation)
2009 Texas — .64 (15th in the nation)
2008 OU — 1.64 (first in the nation)

So which team leads the Big 12 in turnover margin this season?

Oklahoma State does at 1.45 — good for second in the nation (behind Houston’s ABSURD 2.08 mark). Baylor comes in second at a pretty good 0.82 a game.

That bodes well for the Pokes come Saturday’s title-defining slate.

And while a 1.45 turnover margin per game doesn’t sound like a lot, consider this:

That’s actually 2.9 drives per game you’re altering. You get 1.45 drives a game that the other team would have had. And when your net points per drive is 1.35 like OSU’s is, that adds up to an extra four points a game.

That could come in hand on Saturday.