Non-conference opponents are feasting on an awful Big 12
If the start to the 2016 season is any indication of conference strength, schools may want to think twice about lining up for expansion to the Big 12.
The Power 5 conference is off to a putrid start through three weeks of the 2016 campaign, posting an awful 4-10 record against other Power 5, MAC, and AAC schools. Comparing that to the Big Ten's 16-6 record against the same competition, and one can see just how bad the Big 12 has been.
Only Baylor and West Virginia remain undefeated, and the calendar is still 11 days away from reaching October. The defending conference champion Oklahoma just got waxed by 21 points on its home field by Ohio State.
Here's the ugly details from the non-conference schedule thus far.
| Week | Home | Away | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stanford | Kansas State | 26-13 Loss |
| 1 | Houston | Oklahoma | 33-23 Loss |
| 1 | West Virginia | Missouri | 26-11 Win |
| 1 | Texas | Notre Dame | 50-47 Win |
| 2 | TCU | Arkansas | 41-38 Loss |
| 2 | Iowa | Iowa State | 42-3 Loss |
| 2 | Arizona State | Texas Tech | 68-55 Loss |
| 2 | Oklahoma State | Central Michigan | 30-27 Loss |
| 2 | Baylor | SMU | 40-13 Win |
| 2 | Kansas | Ohio | 37-21 Loss |
| 3 | Memphis | Kansas | 43-7 Loss |
| 3 | Oklahoma | Ohio State | 45-24 Loss |
| 3 | Oklahoma State | Pitt | 45-38 Win |
| 3 | Cal | Texas | 50-43 Loss |
In the latest AP Poll, not one team from the conference could be found in the top 15, with Baylor leading the way at No. 16. To contrast that to other Power 5 conferences in the top 15, the ACC, SEC, and Big Ten all have four programs each, while the Pac-12 has Stanford and Washington in the top 10.
The horrendous start to the season is paving the way for the Big 12 to be left out of consideration for the College Football Playoff. No. 6 Houston's opening week win over Oklahoma will almost certainly ensure the Cougars place if they run the table, and it's almost a lock the ACC, SEC, and Big Ten will send their champion to the final four.
The problem for the Big 12 lies yet again on the defensive side of the football. Not one program in the conference ranked in the top 20 for scoring defense in 2015, with seven of the 10 teams in the conference ranking 70th or worse in the country.
That hasn't improved in 2016, as nine of the 14 games listed above have seen the Big 12's opponent score 35-plus points.
The Big 12 has long been thought of as an offensive powerhouse, with five of the 10 programs ranking in the top 15 in scoring last season, but that success hasn't made its way to the national stage.
Texas' national championship in 2005 is the last time the conference could claim the top spot in the country. Last year's conference champion Oklahoma got annihilated by Clemson in the Orange Bowl, the latest in a series of disappointing results for the Sooners in bowl games. During the BCS era, Bob Stoops represented the conference nine different times, but posted a disappointing 4-5 record in doing so.
As the Big 12 looks to expand and bring on at least two new football programs, it should make an emphasis on defense. As the first three weeks of the 2016 season showed us, the pass-happy approach doesn't seem to be working.