The Big 12 has the king of the mountain of the 2011 preseason college football rankings in No. 1 Oklahoma, but the conference also has surprising mid-range depth — and more top-10 teams than the SEC.
Oklahoma Football Leads Crop Of Big 12 Teams In 2011 Coaches Poll Rankings
The top-ranked Sooners are followed in the top 10 by No. 8 Oklahoma State and No. 9 Texas A&M, giving the Big 12 three top-10 teams; the SEC and Pac-12 are tied for second in that category with two teams each, and no other conference can claim more than one top-10 squad.
Beyond those three powerhouses, though, the Big 12 doesn’t have much. Missouri slots in at No. 21, despite losing quarterback Blaine Gabbert to the NFL, and Texas, 5-7 in 2010, comes in at No. 24, seemingly more for brand name than talent level. Former Big 12 stalwart Nebraska would have given the Big 12 six ranked teams had it not fled to the Big Ten; instead the Big Ten ties the Big 12 for second nationally five ranked teams, partly because of the No. 11 Cornhuskers.
Here’s the full list of Big 12 teams in the 2011 USA Today preseason coaches poll:
No. 1 Oklahoma
No. 8 Oklahoma State
No. 9 Texas A&M
No. 21 Missouri
No. 24 Texas
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