The “Big 12” reasons the Big 12 is the best conference (so far) this season:
1. Quarterbacks from the conference could finish 1-2-3 in this year’s Heisman Trophy balloting, which is absurd, although an ancestor of the current league has hogged votes in the past.
The last time one conference had the top three finishers was 1972, when the Big 8 produced the winner, Johnny Rodgers of Nebraska, runner-up Gregg Pruitt of Oklahoma and Rich Glover of Nebraska.
2. Missouri’s prolific offense has not had a “three-and-out” all season. Think about that. Not one first down, second down, third down, punt. The Tigers, with Chase Daniel at quarterback, scored on 15 consecutive possessions in one stretch (13 touchdowns, two field goals).
3. The Big 12’s overall record this year is 44-16. The Southeastern Conference’s is 44-20.
4. The Big 12, unlike the Big Ten, has abandoned its run-oriented, cold-weather principles and evolved football to its highest, spread-offense level.
Texas, once coached by Darrell Royal, won national championships running the wishbone.
“The most proud Coach Royal was when he could win a game without throwing a pass,” Texas coach Mack Brown said this week. “It was a different time, a different place.”
Take 1960, for example. Nebraska completed 24 of 72 passes for 321 yards … for the season. This year, Nebraska completed 20 of 36 passes for 345 yards in its opener.
5. Top-ranked Oklahoma has not lost a fumble. Think about that and then think about USC’s Joe McKnight.
6. Oklahoma State has scored 50 or more points in a school-record four straight games. There have been 43 major-college games this year in which 52 or more points have been scored. The Big 12 has been involved in 17 of them.
7. Missouri has punted 10 times this year, none in the last two games.
8. Texas has scored 236 points in five games, the most since it scored 281 in 1915, yet Longhorns quarterback Colt McCoy wonders what his numbers could be if the coaches took the wraps off.
Texas Tech’s Graham Harrell has launched 237 attempts, Daniel of Missouri has 156, Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford has chucked it 146. McCoy has only 130 attempts.
9. The Big 12 has four teams ranked in the top seven of this week’s USA Today coaches poll, including the top two: Oklahoma and Missouri.
No. 5 Texas plays No. 1 Oklahoma on Saturday in Dallas. A week later, Texas plays No. 2 Missouri. Has anyone ever played No. 1 and No. 2 in consecutive weeks?
A week later, Texas plays current No. 17 Oklahoma State, and a week after that it’s No. 7 Texas Tech.
10. The Big 12 boasts eight of the top 18 quarterbacks in this week’s NCAA pass efficiency ratings. Those eight have combined to throw 112 touchdown passes and only 23 interceptions.
11. The Big 12 has six of the nation’s top nine scoring offenses. Tulsa of Conference USA leads the nation with its 56.4-point average. The next five are Big 12 schools: Missouri (53.4), Oklahoma State (52.6), Oklahoma (49.6), Texas Tech (48.2) and Texas (47.2). Kansas State (43.2) ranks ninth.
12. Texas Tech, one of the prolific passing offenses of this century under coach Mike Leach, has also rushed for more than 100 yards in all five games.
