Since the re-ordering of the conference in 2011, the Big 12 champion has been a fluid position.
Oklahoma State, K-State and Baylor have all worn the “new-look” Big 12 crown. Oklahoma technically received a trophy for the 2012 season, but lost in a head-to-head battle to the “One True Champion” K-State earlier that season.
However, Oklahoma’s time has come in 2014-15. They have a returning young quarterback in Trevor Knight, who led the Sooners to a win over vaunted Alabama in last season’s Sugar Bowl.
Knight, through his ups and downs, really showed grit and determination in Oklahoma’s 45-33 win against West Virginia in Morgantown last Saturday. It was especially evident in the second half when the Sooners began to pull away.
Junior Sterling Shepard led a strong wide receiver corps with 436 yards and two touchdowns on 23 receptions. Shepard is one of many talented receivers in the Big 12 trying to earn the distinction of the best in the conference.
In the backfield, Oklahoma found a breakout star last weekend in true freshman running back Samaje Perine. In the first three games, Perine found work in mop-up duty in victories over Louisiana Tech, Tulsa and Tennessee, racking up 275 total yards.
Against the Mountaineers last Saturday, Perine broke loose with 242 yards and four touchdowns against arguably the best team that the Sooners had seen so far in the season.
Redshirt sophomore cornerback Zack Sanchez and Eric Striker, junior linebacker and owner of the coolest name in the Big 12, are just two of the Sooners’ prestigious players on the defense.
This Sooner defense has some bad, bad men who would like nothing better then to walk back to Norman, Oklahoma with another Big 12 championship trophy to display at Gaylord Family-Memorial Stadium.
