Yesterday we looked at Kansas’ competition in the Big 12 North. Today, The Kansan forecasts the 2009 season around the South.

Oklahoma State

2008 Record: 9-4, 5-3

Key Returnees: QB Zac Robinson, WR Dez Bryant, LT Russell Okung

Key Losses: TE Brandon Pettigrew

Key Newcomers: Dexter Pratt (freshman, 6’1”, 225 pound, running back) — Pratt will come to Oklahoma State as one of the best high school recruits for the Cowboys and will work with returning RB Kendall Hunter. Anthony Morgan (junior transfer, 6’4”, 325 pound, guard) — Morgan has one of the best chances of the Cowboys’ recruits to see playing time this season, competing against sophomore Jonathan Rush for the starting right guard position.

Game to Watch: vs. Georgia Sept. 5. Playing a ranked non-conference team for the season opener will be a good test for the Cowboys to see if their offense can keep up with the speed and athleticism of an SEC team.

Overview: Coach Mike Gundy said he plans to stay the course with the Cowboys football program and continue working toward a consistent, competitive level of play. The Cowboys can also look forward to a new defensive coordinator, Bill Young, who coached a 2007 Kansas defense that ranked 12th nationally. Last season Oklahoma State’s defense ranked 93rd in total defense and was ranked last in the Big 12 for sacks per game. But even if the defense isn’t as stellar as Young and Gundy hope, the Cowboys offense will be well stocked by Robinson, Bryant and Hunter who are all returning starters.

Storyline to Watch: Young could be the key in vamping up the Cowboys’ defense this year. Young is trying a simplified zone-blitz defense that will be easier for the players to follow. If Oklahoma State wants the Big 12 Championship they will have to shore up its defense through whole games against tough offensive lines from Texas and Oklahoma.

Texas A&M

2008 Record: 4-8, 2-6

Key Returnees: WR Jeff Fuller, QB Jerrod Johnson, DL/LB Von Miller

Key Losses: QB Stephen McGee, S Alton Dexton, RB Mike Goodson

Key Newcomers: Christine Michael (freshman, 5’11”, 202 pound, running back) — Texas A&M has a young team this season and needs recruits that can perform well from the start of the season. Michael ran for 3,927 yards and 80 touchdowns in his high school career. Patrick Lewis (freshman, 6’1”, 293 pound, offensive lineman) — with a poor performance last season by the Aggies’ offensive line, coach Mike Sherman will look to give recruits like Lewis a shot at a starting position.

Game to Watch: vs Arkansas Oct. 3, at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas — The Southwest Classic is a fan favorite of the Aggies and will be good preparation before heading into conference play against Oklahoma State.

Overview: The glory days of Texas A&M football seemed to have slipped away as the Aggies struggled last season to hang on in the Big 12 South. Sherman said that the team would need to move on from last season’s failures but was not sure how the challenge would be met by his players. Ranked last in the Big 12 South by the pre-season coaches polls, the Aggies will have to work their way back up the ladder with a fresh class of recruits that makes up nearly a third of their team.

Storyline to Watch: Sherman is looking to bring back the “Wrecking Crew” of the early 90’s but it may be tough with such a young team. Last season, Texas A&M’s defense was ranked last in the Big 12 for rushing defense and only made 16 sacks. If he hopes to make a name for the Texas A&M in the Big 12 South, Sherman will need veteran powerhouses like Miller to step up and lead the Aggies to some early victories this season.

Baylor

2008 Record: 4-8, 2-6

Key Returnees: QB Robert Griffin, IR Kendall Wright, LB Joe Pawelek

Key Losses: OT Jason Smith, CB Dwain Crawford, OT Dan Gray

Key Newcomers: Willie Jefferson (freshman, 6’6”, 210 pound, wide receiver) — In Baylor’s first scrimmage this fall Jefferson stood out for his high-flying catches (5 catches for 63 yards) and stands out among Baylor’s deep receiver corp. Danny Watkins (junior transfer, 6’4”, 310 pound, tackle) — Canadian native Watkins will have the opportunity to fill in for left tackle Jason Smith after a strong spring season.

Game to Watch: at Wake Forest Sept. 5. If the Bears can win their season opener on the road, it may give them the momentum they need to take on conference foes and get the wins they need for a bowl game.

Overview: Led by Griffin, the Baylor football team heads into the season anxious to prove themselves. Head coach Art Briles said the program may not have made the turnaround that they’re looking for just yet, but with players like Griffin, Pawelek and Wright they were headed in the right direction. Briles said the team needed to pick up some wins early in the season and the opening game against Wake Forest will be a good measure of how Baylor will fair against its Big 12 south opponents. Pawelek and starting TE Justin Akers missed the first part of fall training with injuries and Baylor will need them if they expect to take Wake Forest.

Storyline to Watch: Baylor has several players that are multi-sport athletes this season. Griffin wants to run track in the 2012 Olympics, said Briles. Griffin was the Big 12 400-meter hurdles champion last spring. Briles said football was Griffin’s priority right now, but he may change gears by the time he hits 22 or 23-years old. Wright also picked up a second sport playing for the men’s basketball team last season as guard. Wright will see more playing time in both sports with key players graduating from both teams.

Oklahoma

2008 Record: 12-1, 7-1

Key Returnees: QB Sam Bradford, TE Jermaine Gresham, DT Gerald McCoy

Key Losses: WR Juaquin Iglesias, OG Duke Robinson, S Nic Harris

Key Newcomers: Cameron Kenney (transfer, 6’2”, 195 pound, wide receiver) — Kenney was one of the top junior college players in the country and has stepped up as a competitive receiver in Iglesias’ place in fall practice. Jamarkus McFarland (freshman, 6’3”, 285 pound, defensive tackle) — McFarland is a strong tackle (53 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, four sacks in 2008) and is one of Oklahoma’s highest ranked recruits.

Game to Watch: vs. Texas Oct. 17, at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. As head coach Bob Stoops said, “Can this game get any bigger?” The rivalry between Texas and Oklahoma draws thousands of fans to Dallas every year but Texas leads the all time score of 58-40 victories over Oklahoma.

Overview: With four returning players that bypassed the NFL this spring — Bradford, Gresham, McCoy and Trent Williams — the reigning conference champions will have strength on offense and defense. Despite the tie-breaking controversy surrounding last year’s Big 12 Championship, coach Bob Stoops said the conference championship game should not be discounted when thinking about bowl appearances this year. Stoops said he expects the defense and offense to “play a game or two better” this season.

Storyline to Watch: With a Heisman already under his belt, it’s hard to see how Bradford could do better than last season. Stoops said that it would be hard to improve on his statistics and that he is looking for consistency from the star quarterback. Like Kansas’ Reesing, Bradford has been named to several preseason watch lists for awards including the Manning Award (top quarterback in a bowl game) and the O’Brien Award (top quarterback).

Texas Tech

2008 Record: 11-2, 7-1

Key Returnees: OL Brandon Carter, DL Colby Whitlock, WR Detron Lewis, QB Taylor Potts

Key Losses: QB Graham Harrell, WR Michael Crabtree, OL Louis Vasquez

Key Newcomers: Aundrey Barr (freshman, 6’3”, 240 pound, defensive end) — He’s already being compared to former Raider defensive end star Brandon Williams (playing for Dallas Cowboys) from his performance in fall practice. Cody Davis (RS freshman, 6’2”, 205 pound, safety) — Davis had an impressive performance at the spring game and Tech needs a safety to start its defense for its conference schedule.

Game to Watch: at Texas Sept. 19, This is the first season in more than 13 years that Texas Tech will not have back-to-back road conference games in its schedule but playing their third game of the season against Texas will still be a challenge.

Overview: Texas Tech will face off against some strong Big 12 south opponents and will have to have some good games, like the victory over Texas last season, if it wants to be in the top three of the league this season. With a new quarterback and the loss of its star receiver, Tech coach Mike Leach said he was still confident in the team’s abilities to transition quickly to new leadership. After the tie-breaking decision last season involving Tech, Texas and Oklahoma, Leach has spoken out about his preference for a playoff system that Tech could easily benefit from given their athleticism.

Storyline to Watch: With Crabtree and Harrell gone, and with a tough schedule again this season, the Red Raiders are faced with difficult choices that have to be made in a hurry if they want to take some early victories. Even with four new wide receivers in the recruiting class it will be tough to match the chemistry of Harrell and Crabtree. Lewis, who made 76 catches last season, is returning as receiver, but if he goes down for injuries, finding a new receiver may become a prime concern for Tech’s success.

Texas

2008 Record: 12-1, 7-1

Key Returnees: QB Colt McCoy, WR Jordan Shipley, DT Lamar Houston, S Earl Thomas

Key Losses: DT Roy Miller, DE Brian Orakpo, WR Quan Cosby

Key Newcomers: Garret Gilbert (freshman, 6’4”, 207 pound, quarterback) — Gilbert’s battle for the backup quarterback to McCoy will be tough with junior Sherrod Harris in the mix but Gilbert has shown confidence in fall practice thus far. Greg Timmons (freshman, 6’3”, 196 pound, wide receiver) — Texas can always use another good receiver after the loss of Cosby and Timmons has shown he can make the catches in preseason practice.

Game to Watch: at Oklahoma State Oct. 31. The Red River Rivalry two weeks earlier is an obvious pick but this trip to face the high-octane Cowboys offense could pose as great a challenge to the hopes of an undefeated Texas season.

Overview: Coach Mack Brown has set some high standards for his team by comparing them to the 2005 National Championship team. But he has every right to expect great things from this team. With the most accurate quarterback in the country, McCoy, returning, and all but one of the key receivers and a strong defensive line, Texas could take the conference championship and more. Defensive coordinator Will Muschamp will also be returning to Texas for a second season this year, which is something that has not happened in the last five years for Texas.

Storyline to Watch: With two of the nation’s best quarterbacks, McCoy and Bradford, playing in the same league it will be a long season for Heisman voters. McCoy stands a chance to impress spectators and judges alike if Brown is right in his preseason predictions for the team. But with Bradford returning to Oklahoma it will be stiff competition for the two quarterbacks. The only way it could get more exciting was if Florida’s Tim Tebow, another Heisman frontrunner, was playing against Texas and Oklahoma this season.

—Edited by Jonathan Hermes