It’s time for answers, folks. I know. I posed the questions in August. In fact, I asked 10 questions that faced the Big 12 entering the season. Conference play begins this week — sorry, Kansas State vs. Iowa State doesn’t count — so let me address those questions again.
1. Who will win the Oklahoma-Texas game Oct. 17?
Texas. I liked the Longhorns in August, even before Oklahoma All-America tight end Jermaine Gresham got knocked out for the year. Then Heisman winner Sam Bradford went down in the opener, and then Ryan Broyles, their leading receiver, fractured his shoulder blade Saturday at Miami.
Freshman Landry Jones has been adequate — 861 yards, three interceptions, 10 TD passes — but Oklahoma needs the emotional jolt of Bradford’s presence for any chance. He might play against Baylor on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the Longhorns’ tailback-by-committee is helping Texas rush for 207 yards a game. Texas ranks No. 2 in the country, and the first BCS rankings come out the day after the Oklahoma game.
2. Who will be the next great Big 12 quarterback?
Missouri’s Blaine Gabbert. Entering Thursday night’s game vs. Nebraska, neither Colt McCoy nor Bradford nor Todd Reesing led the Big 12 in pass efficiency. It was Gabbert.
He was ranked fourth nationally behind Jimmy Clausen, Boise State’s Kellen Moore and a guy named Tim Tebow. Missouri’s 27-12 loss to Nebraska was not embarrassing (see below).
3. Will Colorado go bowling?
In August, this was a reasonable question. It’s early October and it already sounds stupid. At 1-3, Colorado visits No. 2 Texas on Saturday, then gets No. 16 Kansas at home before playing Kansas State on the road, where Dan Hawkins is 2-15. If the Buffs don’t pull an upset in the next two weeks, they’ll have to finish 5-1 just to reach .500.
4. Will Toledo upset Colorado?
I hate to say I told you so, but . . . I told you so.
5. When will Bill Snyder realize he made a mistake?
I imagine it was Sept. 12, when he found himself in the middle of the Louisiana bayou surrounded by crazed Cajuns celebrating Louisiana-Lafayette’s 17-15 win over his Kansas State Wildcats. This is the same Lafayette team that would go on to lose to Nebraska 55-0.
Snyder may have fewer regrets today. He replaced the immobile Carson Coffman with sixth-year senior Grant Gregory, a South Florida transfer who squeezed out a win over Iowa State.
6. Who will be the all-conference quarterback?
I foresee McCoy leading Texas to a high-profile win over Oklahoma and cruising an easy road to an undefeated regular season all the way to Pasadena.
7. How much more can Nebraska’s defense improve?
Give them their blackshirts, Bo Pelini. Except for one desperate, 88-yard touchdown drive by Virginia Tech, Nebraska’s defense is looking like that of the ’90s.
8. Can Oklahoma State break the Oklahoma-Texas blockade?
Not a chance. Receiver Dez Bryant is suspended, and Kendall Hunter, who rushed for 1,555 yards last year, remains day to day after hurting his leg against Houston.
9. How good is Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin?
Wait till next year. He tore his ACL against Northwestern State and is out for the season. But through three games, the sophomore hadn’t thrown an interception, giving him only three in 336 career attempts.
10. How bad is Texas A&M?
Don’t let the glossy stats — second nationally in offense at 545.25 yards per game and Jerrod Johnson third in total offense with 376.05 — fool you. Against its first decent opponent, A&M got blown out Saturday by Arkansas 47-19, and the allegedly improved defense gave up four TD passes to Ryan Mallett.
