PFB Roundtable: OSU’s Big 12 Odds, Is Texas Back? And Dark Horses to Win the League

Some early 2018 conference title odds came out recently and Oklahoma State was given the third-best to win the Big 12. The PFB staff got together to dish about those odds, the league and if Texas actually has a shot to upend the Sooners.

Kyle Cox: OSU was picked third in Big 12 title odds behind OU and Texas. Your thoughts on OSU at third?

Jacob Overton: Third is probably right. OU should be no. 1 as the reigning champ, but maybe Kyler Murray declares for the MLB draft and then things get interesting.

Cox: I think third is probably a good spot for OSU given what they are losing on both sides of the ball as well as the revamping of the defense under Jim Knowles. There are too many question marks for OSU to sit much higher.

Nick Welch: Yeah, I’d say that’s about right. The last time OSU opened the season with a brand-new quarterback, 2015, OSU was preseason picked to finish 4th. I’m honestly shocked that they are picked 3rd.

Phillip Slavin: I think that might be generous. I know West Virginia has a history of underachieving, but I would be shocked if they and Kansas State finish outside the top three this year. I think the middle of the conference is going to be very crowded with 3-6 coming down to tie-breakers. OSU could finish 3rd in that case, but I’d probably put my money on 4th or 5th place.

Justin Southwell: Same stuff, different year. What’s next: Golden State vs. Cleveland in the NBA Finals?

Cox: Your thoughts on Texas at second?

Overton: I can’t agree with Texas being no. 2. Texas is _not_ back. You heard it here first.

Cox: A simple “LOL” won’t suffice. Texas has dudes but just can’t seem to find a quarterback that fits what they want to do. They have a couple of guys with experience in Shane Buechele and Sam Ehlinger and some rookies with potential in Casey Thompson and Cam Rising.

I just don’t have any confidence that the ‘Horns can, all of the sudden, figure out how to develop/evaluate arm talent. Without that key puzzle piece, it’s hard to win the Mountain West, much less the Big 12.

Welch: Talent wise, that’s exactly where I would have pegged Texas. However, based on previous season results and their decade long ineptitude to obtain stability at QB, I can’t understand putting Texas that high. The one thing working in their favor though is their conference schedule this year works out very nicely for them (Home vs West Virginia, TCU, Iowa St).

Slavin: **hard eyeroll gif**

Southwell: Stop trying to make ‘Texas is back’ happen. Texas does have a favorable home schedule if that means anything.

Cox: Who is your dark horse Big 12 title contender for 2018 (it can’t be Texas)?

Overton: Their mascot rhymes with “fountain beers” and they’re returning the most proven QB in the Big 12.

Cox: I’m sticking with West Virginia, though I’m not it should be much of a revelation. They return the most accomplished QB in the conference and a couple of all-Big 12 receivers. If the Mountaineers can bounce back after a rough year defensively, they have as good as shot as any team.

Welch: Probably West Virginia. It appears that Will Grier is the only player from the Big 12 really on anyone’s “Early Heisman Watch List” and there’s a reason why, no one in the conference is returning an impactful starting QB save for maybe KState? Anyway, two thoughts on my reasoning. One, the non-conference schedule provides a terrific opportunity for West Virginia to obtain some early solid non-conference wins to boost up confidence (Tennessee and NC State). Second, the conference portion is extremely back-loaded, very much like OSU’s schedule. This could really help a Mountaineer team with fresh faces around Grier to begin to gel before their last 4 games (@ Texas, TCU, @OSU, OU).

Slavin: Darkhorse? I’m going Kansas State. This just feels like the perfect kind of season for the Wildcats to shock everyone by winning 10 games and the Big 12 and sending Coach Snyder off into the sunset on top.

Southwell: West Virginia. They finished with the same record as Texas last season. If people are putting Texas up there, let’s throw WVU up there too.

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