I also hate the "we suck until we don't" take, its lazy. I do think relevant history needs to be taken into account as well as the context of this team and this season. I am thinking we go 10-2 and win the Big 12. With the upside of 12-0 and downside of 9-3.
I have us losing to Bama and an unknown.
Context of the team: I think we will be a better team than last year (more talent infused into the team, combined with a year more experience at most positions), particularly with Quinn having a year of starting under his belt and by all accounts looks improved.
Context of the past: Sark's in game coaching I believe has improved from year 1 to year 2, we have seen a team prepared better for road games and we have looked better in second halves. That being said we still did blow some second half leads, so Sark still needs to figure some things out with regards to in game adjustments. I believe as he has more of "his guys" in place and a QB with experience it opens up his playbook more and therefore more second half adjustment can be made. We have seen win totals rise and losses were close, so I think we have reason to believe in the upward trajectory with some pause before saying everything is figured out and we will perform to our talent level.
Context of the year: We will field the most talent every game except against Bama and the Big 12 in general is meant to be down, but this year is our last year in the Big 12. We will have a target on our back every single week (more so than we always do) to send us off with a goodbye loss. We may get a little bit of unfavourable treatment from the refs. I think teams will throw the kitchen sink at us and be willing to take unconventional approaches like Techs go for it on every 4th down last year to knock us off.
Between the unanswered coaching concerns and the context of the year. I think we will drop a game we are favoured in, but the team still accomplishes big things and we leave our stamp on the Big 12 with the championship in our final year.
