After witnessing most of the Big 12 go through coaching changes throughout the past two seasons, only one team will bring in a new head coach going into 2021. Steve Sarkisian comes over from Alabama in an attempt to restore Texas into the national power it expects to be.

For the other nine programs in the conference, it’s time for the coaches to perform at a high level. Neal Brown, Chris Klineman, Les Miles, and Matt Wells will all be entering year three at their respective schools and Dave Aranda will be going into his second year at Baylor. It will be a decisive year for all five coaches.

As national signing day comes and goes, the next step for teams is beginning spring practice. Of course, there is always time to power rank teams in the early stages of the year. Here is how College Football News ranked the Big 12 before spring practice begins.

10 Kansas

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CFN’s take: The expectations will be at rock-bottom going into the season for a team and program that did a whole lot of nothing last year. On the plus side, this is one of the first times in a long while that Kansas is developing instead of going into a quick fix – to a point. It’s still going to require patience.

LonghornsWire’s take: Although Les Miles has done a fantastic job turning the Kansas program around on paper, the results have yet to be seen on the field. 2021 will be no different due to the Jayhawks’ difficult schedule. When you are as low as Kansas is, getting back to a competitive level will take time.

9 Baylor

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CFN’s take: The defense was great – that’s what Aranda does – but the offense didn’t get the job done. The D will be even better, but a good starting quarterback has to emerge as soon as possible considering the shuffling being down to the offensive coaching staff.

LonghornsWire’s take: Dave Aranda had a tough first year in Waco and it may be getting even tougher. Quarterback Charlie Brewer is gone and Baylor had one of the worst rushing attacks in the conference. Without a solid offense, the Bears are never going to be able to compete in the Big 12.

8 Texas Tech

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CFN’s take: It’s a critical Year Three under Matt Wells, and there aren’t any excuses. The offense has more than enough experienced talent to be better, and the defensive side should, at the very least, have one of the stronger front sevens the program has had in a long while.

LonghornsWire’s take: New offensive coordinator Sonny Combie will be looking to get things back to normal. He will be doing so without quarterback Alan Bowman, who entered the transfer portal in January. Defensively, the Red Raiders gave up 36.7 points per game in 2020. If anything is going to change in Matt Wells’ third year, it will begin with an improved defense.

7 West Virginia

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CFN’s take: Can the offense start to do more? The experience is there, but the playmakers have to emerge on the defensive side to replace a whole lot of strong parts to last year’s solid group.

LonghornsWire’s take: West Virginia will be returning a lot of starters on defense, but losing two of the most important players. Linebacker and leading tackler Tony Fields and defensive lineman Darius Stills are off to the NFL. Much of the Mountaineers’ production came from those two defensive stars. Offensively, Leddie Brown will lead the way on the ground while Jarret Doege will have his second full year as the starter at quarterback. Neal Brown’s team could make some moves in the Big 12 but will likely end up closer to the middle of the pack.

6 Kansas State

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CFN’s take: After losing five straight to close out 2020, the Wildcats have to pull up out of the nosedive right away – the talent is there to do it. At the very least, the offense should be sharper, but the D needs a reboot.

LonghornsWire’s take: Kansas State seemed as if they were up there with Iowa State as sleepers in the Big 12. Then, the Wildcats rattled off five straight losses, giving up an average of 40.6 points per game during that stretch. Quarterback Skylar Thompson will be back after suffering a season-ending injury last season. If the Wildcats can fix the defense, they’ll be back as the darkhorse in the conference.

5 Oklahoma State

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CFN’s take: The Cowboys will be shoved aside in most of the preseason predictions, but they’re going to be good enough and strong enough on the lines to hold up until all the skill parts come together. There’s no reason not to shoot for a Big 12 Championship appearance.

LonghornWire’s take: 2020 was supposed to be the season where the Cowboys would contend for a Big 12 title. Now, Chuba Hubbard and Tylan Wallace will be off to the NFL draft. Getting linebacker Malcolm Rodriquez and safety Kolby Harvell-Peel will be a big boost to the defense. If quarterback Spencer Sanders can finally put it all together, the Cowboys will quietly be lurking behind the top contenders.

4 TCU

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CFN’s take: Don’t sleep on the Horned Frogs. They got hot as 2020 went on with five wins in the final six, and now they return loaded on both sides of the ball. Throw in the addition of DE Kenny Turnier from UCF and OT Obinna Eze from Memphis, and some good pieces are coming in.

LonghornsWire’s take: Never in Gary Patterson’s career at TCU has he had this many underachieving seasons in a row. The Horned Frogs are used to competing for conference titles and should return to that in 2021. Former five-star running back Zach Evans is waiting to break out and quarterback Max Duggan has the weapons around him to be an elite offense. Doug Meacham was promoted from within to become TCU’s offensive coordinator. Patterson should get back to his winning ways.

3 Iowa State

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CFN’s take: It’s going to be a seven-month media gush-fest over this team, but Oklahoma is better than it was in 2020, Texas is better, and the rest of the Big 12 should be a bit improved, too. The expectations are going to be through the roof, and rightly so. Just getting to the Big 12 Championship this time around will feel like a disappointment if the Cyclones don’t win.

LonghornsWire’s take: Iowa State seems to be the team to beat outside of Oklahoma. After appearing in their first Big 12 championship and winning the Fiesta Bowl, most of the stars will return. Brock Purdy, Breece Hall, and Charlie Kolar are coming off All-Big 12 seasons offensively. Mike Rose is one of the top linebackers in the country and will be the anchor for the Cyclones’ defense. Matt Campbell continues to build something special in Ames.

2 Texas

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CFN’s take: It’s not like Texas was that far off last year. The honeymoon for Sarkisian ends in about 30 seconds considering the young offensive talent he has to work with. WR Brandon Schooler is coming in from Arizona, and don’t be surprised if a whole slew of guys in the transfer portal are starting to take a bigger look at Austin to play in this offense.

LonghornsWire’s take: There is still plenty of work to be done by Steve Sarkisian. On the field, deciding between Casey Thompson and Hudson Card will be the early defining moment of the season. From there, figuring out where everyone fits in Pete Kwiatkowski’s defense and how it translates will make or break the Longhorns’ season. The offense should not be a problem with Sarkisian calling plays and getting it right defensively can elevate Texas to a possible Big 12 title.

1 Oklahoma

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CFN’s take: Winning is never boring, but this year’s Sooner team has the upside to take another Big 12 Championship with one of Lincoln Riley’s strongest teams yet. Start with setting the expectations there, and hope the momentum from the end of 2020 can carry through into a huge 2021 on the way to the tournament.

LonghornsWire’s take: Not only is Oklahoma the best team in the Big 12, but there is also an argument for them being the No. 1 ranked team nationally entering the season. Lincoln Riley and Spencer Rattler are ready to set the world on fire offensively while people in Norman finally feel like the defense has turned the corner. Losing Ronnie Perkins will hurt but the Sooners return Nick Bonnitto’s 8.5 sacks plus add a slew of Tennessee transfers. Oklahoma’s expectations will go far past the Big 12 in 2021.