By Alex Apple Ah, the land of offense…the perception of the Big
12 as offense-only is not accurate. Oklahoma and
TCU sport defenses that would often succeed in any
conference. Tom Herman hopes to revive Texas in a
similar manner. Oklahoma is atop of the league with
teams like Oklahoma State, TCU and second year
West Virginia trying to knock them off the pedestal.
The conference could use traditional powerhouse
Texas to return to form under head coach Tom
Herman’s second year of supervision.
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WILL GRIER QB West Virginia
Grier is in the Heisman conversation after eleven strong games
for the Mountaineers in 2017. Last season, he tossed thirty-four
touchdowns while throwing for 3,490 yards with a 162.7 passer
efficiency rating. Grier possesses an NFL caliber arm with the
ability to escape pressure in the pocket and has a knack for
making game-changing plays once outside the pocket.
JUSTICE HILL RB Oklahoma State
The rising junior is one of the most explosive playmakers in
the country. In 2016, he led all FBS running backs in rushing
yards and last year he racked up over 1,500 on the ground with
sixteen touchdowns to add on. Expect a huge 2018 campaign
from this running back in Stillwater if OSU’s passing game
keeps defenses off guard. They’re replacing a lot of talent in
James Washington and Mason Rudolph.
DAVID SILLS V WR West VIrginia
A once-committed quarterback is now one of college football’s
biggest red-zone threats and is an absolute scare to the opposing
defenses. The 6’5, 200-pound receiver had sixty receptions
and eighteen of those were touchdowns, which ranked first in
FBS. Expect a lot of scoring from the Mountaineers this season
from possibly the best quarterback and wide receiver combo in
the country. Both Oklahoma and TCU have smaller cornerbacks
which could give West Virginia a needed edge over two
of the conference’s top teams.
CFT 2018 CONFERENCE PREVIEW