Robert Griffin III is gone, as are Texas A&M and Missouri, and most of the playmakers that put Oklahoma State in the Fiesta Bowl. 2012's Big 12 is set for a drastic new dynamic, and The National Football Post has all three Dallas area members (including newcomer TCU) ranked squarely in the middle - with Texas, TCU and Baylor occupying Nos. 5-7, respectively.
Newcomer West Virginia comes in at No. 4, behind Oklahoma, Kansas State and OSU, respectively. Little is known about how the Mountaineers will fare against competition they've largely never played in the modern era of college football, and surely such an early-early-season ranking ahead of teams like Texas is bound to anger the locals.
For Texas and Baylor, the concern primarily sits at quarterback. The Longhorns need to find a starter (David Ash, Case McCoy and Connor Brewer will contend for the job) and the Bears are anxious to see what kind of drop off there will be from Griffin to Nick Florence. By contrast, TCU's offense is settled - and loaded - but it's a question what the Horned Frogs will be able to do in a full season of BCS play.
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