2006 NCAA Football Preview

The Big 12 conference consists of one incredibly strong and talented division, the South, and a division that would have a tough time winning in other major conferences, the North. It goes without saying that any of the top four teams in the Southern division could beat Northern teams like Nebraska and Missouri, which makes the 2006 Big 12 championship game a rubber stamp to a BCS game for the Southern division champion. Look to the Northern division to feature five or six teams that hang around the .500 mark for most of the season while the South will have four teams, maybe five, that make a bowl.

Big 12 North
1. Nebraska- Bill Callahan, now in his third season with the Cornhuskers, finally has the talent to run his West Coast offense after two years of awkward play by option quarterbacks and wide receivers. Callahan has a great defense and a good system, which has Cornhuskers fans believing that they will be able to push their way up the Top 25 list.

2. Missouri- Brad Smith was an incredibly talented quarterback but his performance in Missouri was similar to that of Michael Vick in the NFL: a few moments of incredibly athletic play that punctuated many broken plays and average performance. Chase Daniels will take over and played well in relief of Smith, giving Missouri a more conventional pocket quarterback to get their pass game going. As well, the defense returns seven starters that will provide experienced run and pass stopping to newcomers to the squad.


3. Iowa State- The Cyclones will have a tough time this season, facing Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Texas, Nebraska, and Iowa in a schedule that should test whether Dan McCartney’s team has the heart to compete in the Big 12. If they can get two wins out of those five games, they should be in pretty good shape to stay around .500 for the season.