| | By Todd Cooper
Special to ESPN.com
12-2-2000.
It seems so simple, just another date marking just another Saturday in a season full of college football. But look closely. There's something profound, something symbolic, about that date in Big 12 country.
On that day, 12 teams will have been whittled to two. And those two will battle for the 2000 conference championship.
12-2-2000.
For a season, all arrows will point toward that target date -- the first Big 12 championship game held at Arrowhead Stadium. And for a season, it looks as if the 12 teams will come at it from a dozen different directions.
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Mon, August 14
The Big 12 is continuing to improve and evolve. In the last few years they've brought in great coaches like Mack Brown, Bobby Stoops, Gary Barnett and Mike Leach to go along with Frank Solich and Bill Snyder. Now the big 12 can really take shape and become a powerhouse.
The North is clearly a two team race between Nebraska and Kansas State. Nebraska has everything in line to make another championship run. They have a balanced schedule with an emotional match up against Notre Dame early, Kansas State in November and Colorado at the end of the year. Nebraska should go into Manhattan undefeated, from there we'll see what happens.
Kansas State will be a dominating team from an athletic standpoint with a great defensive attack under defensive coordinator Phil Bennett. David Allen is a superior special teams player but this year they'll be looking for him to carry football which should be interesting. Quincy Morgan may be the most gifted wide receiver in college football. They need to add depth to tailback and settle on a quarterback; Jonathan Beasley had a successful year but was inconsistent.
Texas should win the South. They don't play Kansas State or Nebraska and they play most of their tough games at home. Their defense could dominate the conference. They need to settle the QB issue between Major Applewhite & Chris Simms early before it becomes a controversy in the media. A platooning situation at quarterback can be a dark cloud hovering over a program. They'll need another receiver besides Montrel Flowers to step up. The offensive line is strong, but they'll need to work on protecting their QB late in the season.
But the Big 12 is improving and teams like Oklahoma, Colorado, Texas A&M and Kansas will tough tests.
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The Oklahoma of Billy Sims, Barry Switzer and a wishbone past hopes to literally throw that tradition away through the powerful arm of quarterback Josh Heupel. Likewise, Oklahoma State (the alma mater of Barry Sanders and Thurman Thomas) and Missouri (once known for hard-nosed bucks like Corby Young and Warren Powers) promise to open up their option offenses with passing attacks. Same for the once-well-grounded Texas Tech.
On the other hand, Colorado hopes to temper its passing game with a more potent ground attack.
In the end, the question is: Will the changes be enough to upend Nebraska, the favorite of the north division (and the nation), or Texas, the strength of the south?
To be sure, those two teams have no desire to buck tradition. The Longhorns still will use a Texas-sized ground attack combined with a passing game led by either gritty Major Applewhite or Chris Simms, the son of former New York Giants star Phil Simms.
And Nebraska will continue its smashmouth ways behind quarterback Eric Crouch, a giant line and explosive wingback Bobby Newcombe.
Statistics seems to be on the side of the Huskers and 'Horns.
In the past six years, conference stats show the team that stops the run and runs the ball runs the league. From '94 to '99, Nebraska, Colorado, Texas, Kansas State and Texas A&M have had their best years in the conference because they've ranked in the top 25 in rushing and defending the rush.
Then again, the conference saw several passing records fall in 1999, including most yards in a game (Colorado); completions in a game and season (Oklahoma); and most yards in a season (Texas).
So will Y2K be a passing fancy or a run to the Orange Bowl?
One thing's for certain: By air or by land, the season promises to be full of battles.
With five teams ranked in the top 25 and Colorado knocking on the door, Big 12 teams will no doubt do their fair share of beating up on each other.
And on 12-2-2000, the north will face the south in what promises to be an uncivil war.
Todd Cooper is a staff writer for the Omaha (Neb.) World-Herald
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