Media record handicapping the Big 12 is spotty
Oklahoma State is picked to win the Big 12 Conference this year by the members of the media who represent the conference. The media members have been correct 11 of 21 times since the Big 12’s first year in 1996. That’s a .524 batting average, which is great if you’re a baseball hitter.
Eight times, the media got it right by picking the North and South divisions (or as of the past two years, the conference champion) in the same year.
In 1996, the media hacks got Nebraska and Texas right, but it took six more years to get a perfect score. In 2002 they chose OU and Colorado to win their divisions. They got it right again the next year with OU and Kansas State.
They also got a perfect score in 2005 (Colorado and Texas), 2006 (OU and Nebraska), 2008 (OU and Missouri), 2009 (Nebraska and Texas) and 2010 (OU and Nebraska). The writers and broadcasters also were right by picking OU to win in 2010 and 2012 when the Big 12 realigned without divisions.
The media completely struck out only twice by incorrectly guessing the two division winners in 2000 and 2001. They picked Texas to win the South in 2000 and Nebraska to claim the North. Kansas State won the North, and the Sooners took the South, the conference and the whole ball of wax that year. The media poll pegged OU and Nebraska to win their divisions a year later, but Texas won the South and Colorado took the North.
Five times the writers and broadcasters got half of the picks right. In 1997, they got it right with Nebraska in the North, but missed with Texas in the South. Texas A&M won the South that year. Nebraska and Texas A&M were the choices the following year, but Kansas State won the north in 1998.
The media picked Nebraska and Texas A&M in 1999, but Texas won the South. Five years later, they got it right with their choice of Oklahoma in the South, but they missed by picking Kansas State to claim the North; Colorado did instead. In 2007, the media picked Missouri and Texas to win their respective divisions, but the Sooners claimed the South that year.
They got it wrong by selecting OU to win the conference in 2011; OSU took that title. Now, the Pokes are picked to win it this year. They have never been favored to win a conference title of any kind.
In other words, the pressure is on for the Pokes.