Outlook:

You use to be able to make a sound argument that the Big 12 South was by itself the second best conference in college football. Now that the North has just about caught up to it in terms of competitiveness, we can solidly state the Big 12 as a whole is the second best conference in the country. There are about 3-5 national title contenders within the league, with the South having five teams that should finish bowl eligible.

North Division:

1. Missouri - The Tigers don't face Oklahoma during the regular season, which means they have an excellent chance of going into the Big 12 Championship game undefeated. Mizzou brings back Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year quarterback Chase Daniels, Ted Ginn, Jr. clone Jeremy Maclin and a slew of their most productive defensive players from last season. To think head coach Gary Pinkel was on the hot seat a short while ago is out of this world now.

2. Kansas - In similar shape to archrival Missouri, the Jayhawks return a possible Heisman candidate in quarterback Todd Reesing and a bunch of defensive starters. However, they won't match last year's 12 wins with both Oklahoma and Texas on the schedule.

3. Colorado - Year three under head coach Dan Hawkins should see the Buffaloes starting hitting their stride under his system. Out of conference games against West Virginia and Florida State will gauge how far this team has come early in the season. Hawkins's son Cody should continue to man the quarterback position.

4. Kansas State - Head coach Tom Prince should have the Wildcats near bowl eligible this year, but this is very dependent on if quarterback Josh Freeman can cut down on his interceptions.

5. Nebraska - Bo Pelini takes the reigns of the Cornhuskers after a rocky few years under Bill Callahan. New athletic director Tom Osbourne almost brought in UB's Turner Gill for the post, but opted for the more experience and defensive oriented Pelini. "The Black Shirts" might not rise back to prominence real quickly, but they do have a shot at bowl eligibility with running back Marlon Lucky leading the way.

6. Iowa State - It looks to be another year of growing pains for head coach Gene Chizik and the Cyclones.

South Division:

1. Oklahoma - The Sooners bring back a loaded backfield with quarterback Sam Bradford who had a super impressive freshman year and running backs DeMarco Murray and Chris Brown. Juaquin Iglesias comes back at the team's top threat at wide out. OU loses a bunch of starters on defense, but head coach Bob Stoops always seems to find talented bodies to fill the holes and have another great opportunity at a National Championship.

2. Texas - A running back will need to be found to replace Jamaal Charles and his 1,600+ yards and 18 scores. However, quarterback Colt McCoy should continue to get even better entering his third season as a starter.

3. Oklahoma State - Quarterback Zac Robinson has the onus on him to keep the Cowboys' winning ways going. With backup quarterback Bobby Reid transferring, we've probably heard the last of head coach Mike Gundy telling the media that he's a 40-year-old man and they should pick on him instead of some kids.

4. Texas A&M - Mike Sherman takes over for Dennis Franchione as head coach and inherits dual-threat quarterback Stephen McGee. 280 pound fullback Jevorskie Lane is as big as they come in any team's backfield and has proven to be a good complement to scat-back Mike Goodson.

5. Texas Tech - Nearly all the major players return for the Red Raiders and their high powered offense, including triggerman Graham Harrell who tossed for over 5,000 yards, 48 touchdowns and just 14 interceptions. His favorite target, Michael Crabtree, had just less than 2,000 yards receiving and 22 touchdown catches. Improved defensive play could push this team to the top of the division.

6. Baylor - Another deathtrap school for college coaches, new head coach Art Biles will need to get wide receiver David Gettis to reach his potential if this program wants to ever move up in the standings.

Players to Watch:

Graham Harrell QB Texas Tech - As mentioned above, his statistics are like something out of a video game. Through his 500+ attempts, Harrell completed an impressive 71.8 percent of his throws. He has a good shot at the Davey O'Brien and is a dark horse Heisman candidate.

Marlon Lucky RB Nebraska - After posting over 1,000 yards last season on the ground, Lucky will continue to carry the ball plenty of times for the Cornhuskers. He's also a receiving threat, catching 75 balls for about 700 yards in 2007.

Michael Crabtree WR Texas Tech - Just like Harrell, I've already mentioned his ridiculous stats. The scary part is that he was just a freshman last season and has already won the Fred Biletnikoff award.

Deon Murphy WR/PR Kansas State - With Jordy Nelson gone, Murphy will become the team's top down the field threat this season. He proved to be electric on punt returns last year, averaging 17 yards per return and taking one back for a touchdown.

Auston English DE Oklahoma - In 2007, English recorded 9.5 sacks. He looks to add his name next to other recent great Sooners pass rushers like Dan Cody and Jimmy Wilkerson.

Joe Mortensen LB Kansas - Last season, he made 106 losses, with 12 coming behind the line of scrimmage. Both were team highs.

Sean Witherspoon LB Missouri - He's one of the many starters coming back to the Tigers' strong defensive unit. Witherspoon led the team in tackles with 130 and also broke up eight passes.

Brooks Rossman K Kansas State - Not the most reliable of all kickers, Rossman though has a pretty strong leg, hitting a 52-yarder last season.

Mike Brandtner P Iowa State - He will see plenty of action this season, as the Cyclones' offense doesn't look like it will be improving too much in 2008.

Marcus Herford KR Kansas - Last season, he brought back two kickoffs for scores and averaged a nice 28.6 yards per return for the Jayhawks.