West Virginia at Texas 11/3
Oklahoma has been the conference champion three years in a row, but that fact doesn’t do justice to how competitive the Big 12 has been as of late. Head coach Tom Herman has the expectations sky high at the University of Texas, even after a disappointing first season in Austin. Herman has continued to recruit high-level players since taking over for Charlie Strong, and the offense that he first unveiled during Ohio State’s 2014 National Championship run and built upon at the University of Houston could be ready to take hold at Texas.
While the Longhorns looks for their next star quarterback to emerge, Will Grier inherits the title of best passer in the conference from Mayfield. Grier returning to West Virginia was somewhat of a surprise considering he had a chance of being a top-50 pick in the last draft. He threw 34 touchdowns to only 12 interceptions in 2017, before a broken finger on his throwing hand ended his season. The Mountaineers never recovered — losing their final three games. West Virginia enters 2018 with a chance to make a run in the Big 12, and Grier could be starting a Heisman campaign if he stays healthy.
