In our continued attempts to prognosticate how the 2010 football season will turn out, today we take a look at Big 12 defenses. All of these rankings will be completely worthless by the time conference play begins, but it's fun to look at what everyone has returning.

1. Nebraska: The Cornhuskers lose the best defensive player in a generation with Ndamukong Suh moving on to the NFL, but they still return some serious talent. DT Jared Crick is back for his junior season, and he didn't fair too badly in 2009, earning All-Big 12 and setting the Nebraska single-game record for sacks, with 5 against Baylor. Baker Steinkuhler, a redshirt sophomore, will attempt the impossible, and be responsible for attempting to replace Suh's production. If Steinkuhler can be productive enough to keep opposing offensive lines from focusing completely on Crick, he'll have done his job. DE Pierre Allen returns to man the right side, and Buck (SLB) Sean Fischer and MLB Will Compton both return, so the Huskers have sufficient experience returning in their front seven. In the secondary, All-Big 12 CB Prince Amukamara returns, as does CB Alfonzo Dennard and S/NB Eric Hagg. Hagg can play both safety positions, and has been a fixture at the nickel back position for Nebraska the last three years. With seven starters returning and two difference-makers in Crick and Amukamara on their squad, Nebraska looks like the conference's best defense this preseason.

 

2. Oklahoma: If true sophomore NG Jamarkus McFarland continues to mature and progress as a player, OU may surpass Nebraska at the Big 12 best front four in 2010. McFarland played sparingly as a true freshman last season, backing up All-American Gerald McCoy, but had decent stats, appearing in 7 games, compiling 8 tackles and 2.5 sacks on the season. With the return of starters Adrian Taylor, Frank Alexander, and Jeremy Beal, OU has the personnel to get after it in 2010. f McFarland demands a consistent double-team and even gets free to make a few plays, OU's DL may not experience any drop off in production from 2009. At LB, All-Big 12 and preseason All-American WLB Travis Lewis returns; Lewis led the Sooners in tackles in 2009, compiling 109 tackles and 9.5 TFL. Ronnell Lewis and Austin Box are both competing for the SLB position, with Lewis leading coming out of the Spring. Box started 10 games at SLB, and Box only started one last season, but he appears to have the edge coming out of the Spring. Redshirt freshman Tom Wort is the only newbie of the group, replacing Ryan Reynolds; he looks to start at MLB after sitting out last season due to a season-ending injury in two-a-days. The Sooner secondary needs to try to replace Dominique Franks, but in returning safeties Sam Carter and Quinton Proctor, they have a solid foundation. With the return of Jonathan Nelson at one CB position, the player to keep an eye on is Demontre Carter at the Field CB position; if he locks that down, the Sooners should be fairly solid in the secondary. With eight returning starters in 2010, and difference-makers at both DE positions (Alexander and Beal) and WLB (Lewis), the Sooners are going to push to be the conference's best defense in 2010.

3. texas: texas actually led the conference in total defense last season, but they stumbled down the stretch, giving up 532 yards of offense to A&M, and over 200 yards rushing to Alabama. With the loss of some key contributors from the 2009 squad, I think they'll see some drop off, but with Will Muschamp coordinating things, the drop may not be very far. Losing Sergio Kindle from the weakside defensive end position isn't much of a loss, because he was a complete non-factor in 2010, but the loss of Lamarr Houston at the 3-tech hurts. Houston was a difference-maker for texas last season, and they need to find someone to replace him. Sam Acho, who might have simultaneously been the best and most underrated member of texas' defensive line last season returns, so opposing OLs will have their hands full facing him. If Muschamp sees fit to put him on the weakside, BAD THINGS will happen; rumors that they'll move him inside to DT some to improve their pass rush seems like a waste of his talents to me. At NT, Kheeston Randall returns to reprise his role as space-eater; he had 23 tackles, 2 sacks, and 3 TFL last season, but his primary role is to draw the double-team and keep opposing OL off his linebackers, and he is a solid performer. I expect Jackson Jeffcoat to see some playing time at DE early on, but it will be behind sophomore Alex Okafor at the Buck spot. On the interior line, one player I'm waiting to see is Derek Johnson; he came in as an incredibly raw recruit, with a big upside, and I want to see if a year to work on technique has helped him. At LB, texas loses their leading tackler in Roddrick Muckelroy, but returns Keenan Robinson; I expect Emmanual Acho to replace Muckelroy's production. In the secondary, CB Curtis Brown, CB Chykie Brown, S Blake Gideon, and NB Aaron Williams return, so they should be solid there. Their only loss was Earl Thomas, and while he was a phenomenal player, they'll attempt to replace his production using Kenny Vacarro and a host of others. With seven returning starters, texas should have a good defense, at minimum in 2010, good enough to finish third in the conference.

 

4: Oklahoma State: OSU lost a lot of their front seven from last season, losing both defensive tackles on their interior line, and all three of their linebackers. Part-time starter Jamie Blatnick returns at one DE, and Ugo Chinasa returns at the other spot, but the losses at LB take away the Cowboys' three leading tackles last season. CB Brodrick Brown and S Markelle Martin return, but the Cowboys are looking at replacing seven starters off a defense that finished fourth in the Big 12 in total defense last season. So why rank them this high? I like what I've seen from Bill Young so far, and I think he'll have a solid but unspectacular unit ready to go this year, just like he does every year.

 

5. Kansas State: The Wildcats return DT Prizell Brown and DE Antonio Felder on the DL and no LBs for their 4-2-5 scheme in 2010, so why do I have them ranked this high? Because Bill Snyder is their head coach, and I have utmost confidence in Head Coach Bill Snyder's ability to find some Purple Juco Warriors to populate his defense. HCBS will find the players and talent he needs, or incinerate you with purple lasers from his beady, ferret-like eyes, mortal reader. Do you know what it's like to lock yourself into a dank, smelly public restroom in Bill Snyder Family Stadium in Manhattan, Kansas for a whole week with no food, light, or water, all because you didn't make a bowl game in 2009? Head Coach Bill Snyder does, and he is a stronger man for it. Have you ever had rabid weasels gnaw at your feet while you're trying to sleep at night, or fought a plague-infested rat for the last piece of lint left on the floor for food? Bill Snyder has, and he laughs at your concerns about his depth chart.

 

6. Texas A&M: Wing and a prayer and bias making up this ranking? Yup. With the return to the 3-4, and a new defensive coordinator coming in to change our scheme, I know this is a bold prediction, but I'm hoping with nine returning starters on defense, including All-American OLB Von Miller, we'll be able to make some noise in 2010, and move our way up the conference defensive rankings. If we simply improve our fundamental tackling and improve against the run, we will improve significantly as a defense.

 

7. Iowa State: Paul Rhoads is a defensive coordinator by trade, and he'll be working to improve on last season's 11th place finish in the Big 12. State returns DEs Rashawn Parker and Patrick Neal, along with NG Bailey Johnson, so they have a solid returning core on the DL. State has to replace their whole linebacking corps (expect A.J. Klein at SLB, Matt Tau'fo'ou at MLB, Jake Knott at WLB), and two of their starting secondary (SS Davis Sims and CB Leonard Johnson are returning starters, while CB Ter'ran Benton and FS Michael O'Connell are newbies), but now they know what to expect from Rhoads after a year under him, I think they'll improve in 2010.

 

8. Missouri: The Tigers return nine starters on a defense that underachieved in 2009, finishing the season ranked 8th in the Big 12. Why am I putting them in the same spot in 2010 when they return so much experience? Because they lost their biggest playmaker on defense with LB Sean Weatherspoon now playing in the NFL. Missouri seemed to be decent against the run last season, giving up an average of 118.6 yards per game on the year, but I remember their inability to stop a less talented Navy team all too well. 385 yards rushing and 515 yards of total offense given up to Navy gives me pause every time. Missouri returns Jacquies Smith and Aldon Smith at the DE spots, Dominique Hamilton at NT, Andrew Gachkar at WLB, Luke LAmbert at MLB, Jarrell Harrison at SS, Jasper Simmons at FS, and Kevin Rutland and Carl Gettis at the CB positions, but none of this experience means anything if they don't perform at a higher level than they did in 2009. Missouri was 11th in the conference in pass defense, finishing just above us, so they need to work on getting pressure on the QB in 2010.

 

9. Texas Tech: It was a real debate for me on who was going to be worse on defense in 2010, Tech or Baylor. I'm not trying to bash Tech's defensive talent, because it isn't like they are completely without players on defense, I just think the players they have don't fit too well into the 3-4 system James Willis and Tommy Tuberville want to implement in 2010. I think Colby Whitlock will do okay at NG (when he isn't playing A&M and Patrick Lewis), and Brian Duncan will be serviceable at OLB, but I think Bront Bird is going to struggle at MILB in the 3-4, and teams are going to be able to run up the middle on Tech all day long. Willis spent the last year as the assistant head coach/linebacker coach at Alabama under Nick Saban, and Saban stresses playing inside-out, shutting down the run and pass in the middle of the field, and forcing defenses to try to move the ball on the outside, where defensive speed should give the the advantage. This is a fine defensive philosophy for the SEC, but it doesn't work in the Big 12, with all of the spread offenses we like to run, and the desire by offensive coordinators in this conference to stretch the field and put defenders in space. Given that I don't like Willis' scheme and I don't think he has the personnel to run it yet, I think Tech is going to struggle mightily on defense this season. Tuberville is bringing in JUCO help in DE Scott Smith, DT Lawrence Rumph, and DT Donald Langley, so if they get into the mix early and play well, they could completely change the complexion of Tech's defense as the season goes on. Freshman Joe Carmical, a HS QB Tech is going to try out at LB, is my pick to turn into a real difference-maker. I don't know if he'll play much this season or if they'll redshirt him, but Carmical has the athleticism to be something special on defense.

 

10. Baylor: Similar to Missouri, Baylor lost their biggest playmaker with the graduation of Joe Pawelek, who was awesome at LB for the Bears for four years. The defense returns five starters off a unit which finished tenth in the Big 12 last season. NT Phil Taylor was supposed to be a star for Baylor after transferring from Penn State, but apparently turf toe slowed him down. Tracy Robertson is moving inside from DE to DT to help shore up the interior, but I think putting the 6'4, 270 lb Robertson there will just encourage teams to run up the middle more. Returning starter Zac Scotton is expected to start at one DE spot and Gary Mason, Jr, will man the other DE spot. Baylor will basically have a defensive line that is fairly non-descript and looks to be lacking in general competence or playmaking ability. Antonio Johnson is a third-year starter at the weak OLB position, which they call Fred at Baylor; he is the team's leading returning tackler, and the closest thing they have to a playmaker in their LB corps. Elliott Coffey or Earl Patin will start on the strongside, and Chris Francis, son of former Baylor great James Francis, will start at MLB and attempt to replace Joe Pawelek. Chance Casey and Clifton Odom are expected to start at the CB spots; both have starting experience. Tim Atchison, who started at CB last season, is moving back to his natural position of safety. Byron Landor will start at SS for the Bears. Overall, I expect another poor unit from Baylor; what they lack in talent they make up for in lack of speed and intensity.

 

11. Colorado: Quite honestly, if Colorado's defense doesn't roll over and quit by the second game of the 2010 season, I will be amazed. They could have all the talent in the world on their squad, I'd still think they'd be terrible because a team that doesn't want to play doesn't play well.

 

12. Kansas: The Jayhawks' defense last season was execrable, and then they went out and hired Carl Torbush to fix it. That's like hitting rock bottom, and then breaking out the jackhammer to keep digging. Torbush had the worst defense in the SEC last season, and I expect he'll outdo that ranking this year in the Big 12. If I could find a way to mathematically rank Kansas thirteenth, I would.