KU picked to finish second in Big 12 North

By Dugan Arnett     Jul 16, 2008

Members of the Big 12 Conference media have spoken, and their consensus is that fans can expect a Missouri-Oklahoma showdown in the conference’s 2008 football title game.

In a poll of 51 conference media members released Wednesday, Missouri was a unanimous choice to repeat as North division champion, while Oklahoma was tapped as the favorite in the South.

Kansas, following a 12-1 season that included the school’s first BCS bowl victory, was picked to finish second in the North, followed by Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas State and Iowa State.

Oklahoma received 49 first-place votes to finish ahead of rival Texas as favorite in the South.

The Longhorns were projected as the division’s No. 2 team, followed by Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M and Baylor.

Last season’s Big 12 media poll projected a fourth-place finish in the North for the Jayhawks, who wound up going 7-1 in conference play and finishing as runners-up in the North behind Missouri.

The 2008 Big 12 Championship will be held at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City on Dec. 6 and will be televised nationally on ABC.

2008 Big 12 Preseason Football Poll (Media Vote)

North

1. Missouri (51), 306

2. Kansas, 234

3. Nebraska, 183

4. Colorado, 181

5. Kansas State, 108

6. Iowa State, 59

South

1. Oklahoma (49), 304

2. Texas (2), 230

3. Texas Tech, 227

4. Oklahoma State, 140

5. Texas A&M, 118

6. Baylor, 52

(First-place votes in parentheses)

How they voted

Journal-World sports editor Tom Keegan, KU football beat reporter Dugan Arnett and Big 12 Spotlight editor Eric Sorrentino participated in the Big 12 preseason media poll. Their selections are as follows:

Tom Keegan, sports editor

North

1. Missouri

2. Kansas

3. Nebraska

4. Colorado

5. Iowa State

6. Kansas State

South

1. Oklahoma

2. Texas

3. Texas Tech

4. Texas A&M

5. Oklahoma State

6. Baylor

Dugan Arnett, KU football beat reporter

North

1. Missouri

2. Kansas

3. Nebraska

4. Colorado

5. Kansas State

6. Iowa State

South

1. Oklahoma

2. Texas

3. Texas Tech

4. Oklahoma State

5. Texas A&M

6. Baylor

Eric Sorrentino, Big 12 Spotlight editor

North

1. Missouri

2. Kansas

3. Colorado

4. Nebraska

5. Kansas State

6. Iowa State

South

1. Oklahoma

2. Texas

3. Texas Tech

4. Texas A&M

5. Oklahoma State

6. Baylor

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