Sooners Favored in Big 12 South

DALLAS -- Oklahoma has been picked to win the Big 12 South Division in a preseason poll of media that cover the Big 12 Conference. The Sooners will be gunning for the fourth Big 12 title in Bob Stoops' eighth season at at the helm.

Nebraska was the pick in the Big 12 North.

Oklahoma welcomes back 13 starters from its 2005 squad, including Adrian Peterson who became the first running back in OU history to amass 3,000 rushing yards (3,033) in his first two seasons. The Sooners finished 8-4 overall and 6-2 in the Big 12 last year while ending the season with a win over then-No. 6 ranked Oregon in the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl.

Defending national champion Texas was picked to finish second in the South, followed by Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Oklahoma State and Baylor. Nebraska returns 16 starters off of last year's 8-4 team that tied for second (4-4) in the North and beat Michigan in the MasterCard Alamo Bowl. The Huskers led the Big 12 in red zone defense in 2005, holding the opposition scoreless 33.3 percent of the time it penetrated the 20-yardline while also recording an NCAA-leading 50 sacks.

Iowa State was chosen to finish second in the North, followed by Colorado, Kansas, Missouri and Kansas State.

The winners of the North and South divisions will square off in the 2006 Dr. Pepper Big 12 Championship, Dec. 2, at Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium. The game will be telecast nationally by ABC at 7 p.m. CT.

Big 12 teams will be in Kansas City Monday-Wednesday for the annual Big 12 Football Media Day. The 2006 season opens with a full slate of non-conference games beginning Aug. 31.

2006 Big 12 Preseason Football Poll (Media Vote)

North
1. Nebraska (21)                 160
2. Iowa State (5)                  128
3. Colorado (2)                      93
4. Kansas                               85
5. Missouri                             82
6. Kansas State                      40

South
1. Oklahoma (23)                163
2. Texas (5)                         144
3. Texas Tech                      106
4. Texas A&M                       81
5. Oklahoma State                 49
6. Baylor                                46

(first place votes in parentheses)

Previous Big 12 Preseason Football Polls
(indicates actual finish)

1996
North
1. Nebraska (1)
2. Colorado (2)
3. Kansas State (3)
4. Kansas (5)
5. Iowa State (6)
6. Missouri (4)

South
1. Texas (1)
2. Texas A&M (3)
3. Texas Tech (2)
4. Baylor (6)
5. Oklahoma (4)
6. Oklahoma State (5)

1997
North
1. Nebraska (1)
2. Colorado (4)
3. Kansas State (2)
4. Missouri (3)
5. Kansas (5)
6. Iowa State (6)

South
1. Texas (4)
2. Texas A&M (1)
3. Texas Tech (2)
4. Oklahoma (5)
5. Oklahoma State (3)
6. Baylor (6)

1998
North
1. Nebraska (2)
2. Kansas State (1)
3. Colorado (4)
4. Missouri (3)
5. Kansas (5)
6. Iowa State (6)

South
1. Texas A&M (1)
2. Oklahoma State (4)
3. Texas (2)
4. Texas Tech (3)
5. Oklahoma (5)
6. Baylor (6)

1999
North
1. Nebraska (1)
2. Colorado (3)
3. Kansas State (2)
4. Missouri (6)
5. Kansas (4)
6. Iowa State (5)

South
1. Texas A&M (4)
2. Texas (1)
3. Texas Tech (2)
4. Oklahoma State (5)
5. Oklahoma (3)
6. Baylor (6)

2000
North
1. Nebraska (2)
2. Kansas State (1)
3. Colorado (4)
4. Kansas (5)
5. Iowa State (3)
6. Missouri (6)

South
1. Texas (2)
2. Oklahoma (1)
3. Texas A&M (3)
4. Texas Tech (4)
5. Oklahoma State (5)
6. Baylor (6)

2001
North
1. Nebraska (2)
2. Kansas State (4)
3. Colorado (1)
4. Iowa State (3)
5. Missouri (5)
6. Kansas (6)

South
1. Oklahoma (2)
2. Texas (1)
3. Texas A&M (4)
4. Texas Tech (3)
5. Oklahoma State (5)
6. Baylor (6)

2002
North
1. Colorado (1)
2. Nebraska (4)
3. Kansas State (2)
4. Iowa State (3)
5. Missouri (5)
6. Kansas (6)

South
1. Oklahoma (1)
2. Texas (2)
3. Texas Tech (3)
4. Texas A&M (5)
5. Oklahoma State (4)
6. Baylor (6)

2003
North
1. Kansas State (1)
2. Colorado (5)
3. Nebraska (2)
4. Missouri (3)
5. Iowa State (6)
6. Kansas (4)

South
1. Oklahoma (1)
2. Texas (2)
3. Oklahoma State (3)
4. Texas A&M (5)
5. Texas Tech (4)
6. Baylor (6)

2004
North
1. Kansas State (6)
2. Missouri (4)
3. Nebraska (3)
4. Colorado (1)
5. Kansas (5)
6. Iowa State (2)

South
1. Oklahoma (1)
2. Texas (2)
3. Texas Tech (4)
4. Oklahoma State (5)
5. Texas A&M (3)
6. Baylor (6)

2005
North
1. Colorado (1)
2. Iowa State (2)
3. Nebraska (3)
4. Missouri (4)
5. Kansas State (6)
6. Kansas (5)

South
1. Texas (1)
2. Oklahoma (3)
3. Texas A&M (4)
4. Texas Tech (2)
5. Oklahoma State (6)
6. Baylor (5)

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Related News

Related Videos

Sponsors