Biggest Big 12 threat to Oklahoma: Texas Longhorns or Oklahoma State Cowboys?

The Oklahoma Sooners top the updated Big 12 odds but who is their biggest threat in the conference this year: Texas or Oklahoma State?

Throughout the College Football Playoff era, the Big 12 has belonged to the Oklahoma Sooners. They have won the Big 12 the last five seasons, having reached the College Football Playoff in four of those years. While the Sooners have been a fixture there, they have yet to win a playoff game. The Big 12 is the only Power 5 conference without a playoff victory to date.

Even if beating a Clemson, an Ohio State or an SEC powerhouse remains out of reach, Oklahoma is projected to win the Big 12 yet again with the latest odds. The Sooners come in with commanding 6/5 odds of winning another conference title in Arlington.

Though the Baylor Bears pushed them last year, Oklahoma’s two biggest rivals pose as their biggest threats this year. Who should the Sooners be more concerned about this year: The Texas Longhorns or the Oklahoma State Cowboys?

Here are the latest odds for who will win the Big 12, via LVSuperBook.

Updated 2020 Big 12 title odds

Texas has the second-best odds to win the Big 12 at 3/2, while Oklahoma State is not that far off at 7/1. These are the usual suspects in Big 12 play that routinely challenge Oklahoma for conference supremacy. However, both programs had underwhelming years a season ago. Can either of them knock off Oklahoma, or at least get a New Year’s Six bowl out of this year?

Oklahoma State has a navigable non-conference slate before Big 12 play commences. Though they do face a Power 5 opponent in the Pac-12’s Oregon State Beavers, it’ll be a home date for the Pokes, who won’t have to leave Stillwater until early October. The Cowboys begin Big 12 play at TCU before hosting Iowa State. They could be bowl eligible before they even face Oklahoma.

The Pokes do have to play the archrival Sooners in Norman this year, so that will be an issue. While road dates at Baylor and Kansas State could be challenging, having Texas at home the day after Thanksgiving bodes well for the Cowboys’ chances of getting to Arlington to face Oklahoma in a rematch of Bedlam on a conference championship stage.

Texas’ non-conference schedule probably has a loss on it. After dropping the home date to eventual national champion LSU in Austin last year, the Longhorns will have to avenge that defeat in Death Valley. Good luck with that. Texas also has a rough start to Big 12 play with a road date at K-State and then a neutral-site affair vs. archrival Oklahoma in Dallas.

A road date at Texas Tech in Lubbock could be sneaky, but the Longhorns should have little issues with the back half of their schedule outside of the Oklahoma State date in Stillwater. Texas is used to playing the day after Thanksgiving, but the Longhorns could be looking at loss No. 4 on the year vs. the Pokes.

Though both Big 12 schools have serious Heisman Trophy candidates in Oklahoma State running back Chuba Hubbard and Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger, the Pokes will have the significantly easier path of getting to Arlington than the Longhorns. Texas may have three losses before Halloween, while Oklahoma State may only just be coming off its first defeat of the season.

How the middle-of-the-pack in the Big 12 performs will go a long way in seeing who will meet Oklahoma in the conference title bout. Though the Cowboys and the Longhorns are among the favorites to get to a New Year’s Six bowl out of the Big 12, the wiser bet has to be on Oklahoma State. They have the better player, an easier schedule and host Texas in Stillwater at season’s end.

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