Offense and high-octane aerial attacks are what the Big XII is known for. Current NFL players Sam Bradford, Robert Griffin III, Michael Crabtree, Dez Bryant, and Justin Blackmon are just a few examples of the explosive players the conference has produced in recent years. And this season looks to be no different. Many teams retained much of their talent from last season and will look to put on shows similar to the West Virginia-Baylor shootout from last season.
Here are how the conference's offenses stack up against each other.
1. Baylor
The Bears will enter 2013 with the best offense, on paper at least. They have solid talent all over the field. They will rely heavily on their running backs, super-star junior Lache Seastrunk and senior Glasco Martin, especially because Baylor will have a new starting quarterback this season, Bryce Petty. Petty will also have help in the passing game, as Tevin Reese returns after finishing 2012 with 53 receptions, 971 yards and nine touchdowns. He will inherit the role of the No. 1 receiver, as Terrance Williams was a third-round draft pick of the Dallas Cowboys. Both the running and passing game will benefit from having guard Cyril Richardson in front of them to protect Petty and create running lanes for Seastrunk and Martin.
2. Oklahoma
The Sooners get the slight edge over their in-state rivals because they have solved their quarterback battle. Redshirt freshman Trevor Knight gets the nod to replace Landry Jones over Blake Bell and will have plenty of help around him. Oklahoma has a consistent running game with Damien Williams carrying the ball and fullback Trey Millard helping to open running lanes. Knight will also have reliable receivers to pass to with Jalen Saunders and Sterling Shepard. The Sooners finished 12th in the NCAA in total offense last season and 15th in points, and they will look to improve on these numbers heading into 2013.
3. Oklahoma State
Year in and year out, Oklahoma State has one of the most explosive passing offenses in the country, and this season will be no different. However, they will need to settle on a starting quarterback first. Both Clint Chelf and J.W. Walsh started at various points last season for the Cowboys, and Mike Gundy will likely use each equally when Oklahoma State begins their season against Mississippi State.
Luckily, whoever the quarterback is, will have plenty of targets to throw to. The Cowboys’ return last season’s leading receiver, Josh Stewart, who finished 2012 with 101 receptions, 1,210 yards and seven touchdowns. They also return seniors Tracy and Charlie Moore.
Along with questions at the quarterback, the Cowboys will need to find a running back to replace the productivity of Joseph Randle, now with the Dallas Cowboys.
4. Texas Tech
Texas Tech, as usual, enters 2013 with an incredible passing attack. They averaged over 355 passing yards per game last season, finishing second in the NCAA. Now, Kliff Kingsbury returns to his alma mater after a short stint as the Texas A&M offensive coordinator, where he helped mold Johnny Manziel into one of the most exciting players in college football. He will now have the opportunity to work with sophomore quarterback Michael Brewer and help teach him the offense that Kingsbury once played in.
The Red Raiders also return receiver Eric Ward, who had a phenomenal 2012 campaign, finishing the season with 82 receptions, 1,053 yards and 12 touchdowns.
5. Texas
After an impressive performance in the Valero Alamo Bowl, David Ash will enter 2013 looking to build on that momentum, and he will have plenty of help to do it.
The Longhorns return all five of their starting offensive linemen from last season, as well as a multitude of offensive weapons.
Running backs Jonathan Gray, Malcolm Brown and Joe Bergeron return and will all have significant roles in the offense. Also, leading receivers Mike Davis and Jaxson Shipley return, after Davis flirted with leaving for the NFL during the offseason.
With all of the help available, the success of the offense will be completely dependent on the play of Ash, who has finally secured his job as the starting quarterback, after battling Case McCoy for two years.
6. West Virginia
With Dana Holgorson calling the plays, it is very likely that West Virginia could have the top offense in the Big XII when it’s all said and done. However, they have a lot of production to replace first. Geno Smith, Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey all departed for the NFL, which is a huge blow to the Mountaineer offense. Luckily, they do return leading rusher, junior running back Andrew Buie.
West Virginia will likely rely heavily on two transfers to replace most of that production: former Florida State quarterback Clint Trickett and former Houston running back Charles Sims.
7. TCU
After Waymon James suffered a knee injury in the first couple games of the 2012 season and Casey Pachall left the team four games to seek substance abuse treatment, the Horned Frogs’ offense lost a lot of its productivity.
However, this year, James and Pachall return to the team, looking to lead TCU back to a BCS Bowl. They still have a relatively young offense, with only three seniors projected to start.
8. Kansas
While the Jayhawks’ offense may not be the most talented in the country, they have a couple of solid players.
Running back James Sims has led the Jayhawks in rushing the past three seasons, finishing 2012 with 1,013 rushing yards and nine touchdowns. He will be the focal point of the Jayhawk offense.
Jake Heaps, a BYU transfer, comes to Lawrence to help lead the Kansas offense. After an impressive performance in the spring game (20-28, 257 yards), Kansas hopes that this transfer leads them to a better record than the transfer that was the starting quarterback last season, former Notre Dame quarterback Dayne Christ.
9. Kansas State
The Wildcats have to replace Heisman finalist Collin Klein and all of his production. Klein threw for over 2,600 yards, rushed for over 900, and scored 39 total touchdowns.
The Wildcats will either have to rely on JUCO transfer Jake Waters or sophomore Daniel Sams to be the quarterback to replace Klein, which will be incredibly tough, considering the season Kansas State had in 2012.
Luckily, whoever the quarterback is will have some help. The Wildcats return running back John Hubert and receivers Tyler Lockett and Tramaine Thompson.
10. Iowa State
Iowa State finished 92nd in total offense in 2012 and they look to have the same struggles entering this season. Quarterback Sam Richardson returns after throwing for eight touchdowns and only one interception last season in limited action and they return four of their offensive linemen. However, the running game will be a enormous question mark.
They return their two top rushers, James White and Shontrelle Johnson, who rushed for 505 and 504 yards respectively. However, Johnson is currently recovering from a torn ACL. The Cyclones will rely heavily on JUCO transfer, running back Aaron Wimberly, to provide some big plays for an offense that lacks consistent big play threats.