Big 12 Releases Media Preseason Football Poll, Oklahoma State Comes In

The Big 12 releases their preseason football poll and no surprise who is picked on top. They were tops on the ballot sent in by Pokes Report.

STILLWATER -- The Big 12 Conference sent out their 2020 preseason football poll on Friday afternoon (July 17) and no surprise as the five-time consecutive Big 12 Conference champions Oklahoma were the pick of the media that voted.

Oklahoma was chosen to finish first for the fifth consecutive year in the Big 12 football preseason poll, voted on by media representatives.

This year marks the eighth since 2011 in which the Sooners topped the preseason rankings. They have captured a Big 12-record 13 league titles, including the last five.

Oklahoma garnered 80 of the 90 first-place selections while Oklahoma State was picked second with six first-place votes and Texas was third with four first-place nods. Iowa State and Baylor rounded out the top five. TCU was selected sixth followed by Kansas State, West Virginia, Texas Tech and Kansas. The top two finishers in the league standings will compete in the Big 12 Football Championship Game to determine the Conference title. The game is scheduled for Saturday, December 5 in AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

I voted for Pokes Report in the Big 12 poll, one of the 90 voters, and I voted the Sooners first and have kind of made a pledge to vote Oklahoma tops in this poll for as long as they keep winning the conference title. I've always believed to the victors go the spoils. Oklahoma is more susceptible this season to falling short with a first-year starting quarterback that is not steeped with experience as were the previous three starters for Lincoln Riley. Oklahoma also has holes to plug at wide receiver and on the defensive line and the back end of their defense.

The Pokes Report ballot from Robert Allen had Oklahoma State picked second as even with the controversy and off-the-field developments in June, Oklahoma State is loaded on offense with playmakers like Chuba Hubbard, Tylan Wallace, Dillon Stoner, Braydon Johnson, Landon Wolf, and more. The defense returns 10-of-11 starters on defense and they are three-deep on the defensive line. 

Our ballot had Iowa State third, Texas fourth, and our surprise team is West Virginia, who we had fifth. I believe Neal Brown has the right quarterback in Jarret Doege and they have the preseason Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year as voted by the media in defensive tackle Darius Stills. 

In the lower half we had TCU in sixth, Kansas State seventh, Texas Tech in eighth, Baylor ninth, and Kansas last. 

The Baylor pick may be a surprise to some but the Bears have a new coach with no spring or traditional summer for preparation. Like with Texas Tech and quarterback Alan Bowman, there are questions about the long term health of Baylor quarterback Charlie Brewer, a depleted offensive line, and only two returning starters on defense from last season.  

The Big 12 publishers on the SI/Maven Network also voted and had their results come out in a story. Like the Big 12 media poll, they had Oklahoma first, Oklahoma State second, Texas third, Iowa State in fourth. The publishers had TCU fifth and West Virginia in sixth. 

Below are the results of the Big 12 poll and also the par number (votes if they were a unanimous pick at their spot) included. First place votes are in parenthesis.

1. Oklahoma (80)             888 points (par-900)

2. Oklahoma State (6)      742 points (par-810)

3. Texas (4)                        727 points (par-720)

4. Iowa State                     607 points (par-630)

5. Baylor                            489 points (par-540)

6. TCU                               477 points (par-450)

7. Kansas State                  366 points (par-360)

8. West Virginia                 287 points (par-270)

9. Texas Tech                    267 points (par-180)

10. Kansas                         100 points (par-90)