Recent success has Baylor adjusting to the haunted role, instead the hunter
Dallas – Gone are Colorado, Missouri, Nebraska and Texas A&M, add TCU, West Virginia, and you still have the Big 12; despite the teams total only ten.
At the Omni Hotel, where the 2014 Big 12 Conference Football Media Days took center stage, many questions were answered.
With less than a month away from fall practice, Baylor’s Art Briles, Kansas Charlie Weis, Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy, Texas Christian’s Gary Patterson and Texas Tech’s Kliff Kingsbury expressed what needs to improve for a successful season.
Baylor’s Coach Briles took the stand first. The Bear’s are well aware of the hunter’s role. But adjusting to the hunted role, is something new. Baylor won the conference title last season and now walks with a target on its back.
“We have to learn to prepare as the hunted opposed to the hunter,” Briles said.
In his third season with a 4-20 record, Kansas Coach Charlie Weis have employed the spread offense to hide unfavorable weaknesses. The team has set expectations but Weis didn’t care to elaborate on them. He simple said, the team knows what our goals are. Weis will be more of a bystander on game day (barring a critical situation), allowing his coaching staff to control the game. However, early in the week, the team will be under the direction of Weis.
What concerns Texas Christian’s Coach Gary Patterson are scoring points and maintaining possession of the ball. With a bigger experienced offensive line back, it will add to the Horn Frogs positive side. Finding that special someone who makes the offense go, playing mature and smarter are keys as well. Travel time want be as bad, playing ten out of twelve games in Texas is a plus.
Three quarterbacks including JW Walsh will look to lead Oklahoma State. Although he haven’t been named the starter, Walsh has gotten the most snaps this spring. But all three quarterbacks bring something different to table, according to Coach Mike Gundy. He will also keep an eye on youth development as the season moves along. A tall task awaits the Cowboys when it faces National Champion Florida State in the Advocare Classic at AT&T Stadium on August 31 at 7:00 P.M.
“J.W. Walsh took the majority of the reps in the spring with the No. 1’s and has had a great summer,” explained Gundy.
The win in last season’s Holiday bowl Game gave Texas Tech Coach a comfort level in quarterback Web’s game. He struggled part of the season. Web took home the MVP award which helped shore up his up and down year. The Red Raiders point to its improvement, speed at the receiver’s position.
Tuesday will unfold the final five teams in Iowa State, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Texas and West Virginia.