We've been focused on running backs, which could be the strength of the league in 2015. We continue the running backs discussion in our weekly Big 12 roundtable:
Who has the best chance to dethrone Samaje Perine as rushing champ?
Max Olson: Well, Aaron Green averaged more than 7 yards per carry last season. So that's a good sign, right? After watching him rush for 712 yards over TCU's final seven games and take charge of the Frogs' run game, to me he's the most logical choice. TCU brings back four starters on the line, and Green won't have to share carries as much as Perine. As long as Green stays healthy, he has a shot.
Brandon Chatmon: I’ve got to agree with Max. People forget Green’s 922 rushing yards largely came during the final half of the season after his carries skyrocketed in November. He didn’t have a game with more than six carries until Nov. 1 against West Virginia, yet he finished with 922 rushing yards, ranking fourth in the Big 12. He’s the conference’s most dynamic back and he will be lining up alongside the conference’s best offensive player in Trevone Boykin. Green could have a monster year.
Jake Trotter: Green definitely could, but I'm going to go with Baylor's Shock Linwood. He has proven to be durable, he's experienced and with the Bears breaking in a new QB this year, I could see Linwood getting even more work. Running behind what would be a stout offensive line that includes All-American Spencer Drango, 1,500 rushing yards is not out of the question for Linwood.
Who in the league will have the best No. 2 option?
Olson: I think it might be West Virginia's Wendell Smallwood, one of the more underrated rushing threats in the league. But I'd have to say I prefer the potential of Oklahoma's No. 2 options. Keith Ford has fumbling issues and has missed eight games over his first two years, but his ceiling is high. Alex Ross is a more dependable choice, Joe Mixon should be electric, and Rodney Anderson has a chance to be special in time.
Chatmon: The conference is full of great No. 2 options but I’m going with Smallwood here, although I’m not sure how long he will be considered a No. 2 option. He averaged 4.8 yards per carry as a sophomore and his 31 receptions led all Big 12 running backs with 700 rushing yards or more. Smallwood should get plenty of opportunities to show his versatility and talent as a junior.
Trotter: Even though he never has played in a college game, I'm going with a hunch and saying it will be Mixon. It's going to be interesting to see how new coordinator Lincoln Riley utilizes both Perine and Mixon out of the backfield. But I could see Mixon getting plenty of work in the slot when he's not relieving Perine. Mixon, remember, was one of the nation's top running back recruits last year. He has the talent to give the OU offense a huge jolt, even as a backup.
Who is the RB to watch about whom no one is talking?
Olson: The Big 12's class of redshirt freshman backs could be sneaky good. Not just Mixon, either. I could name off eight more who have a chance to play, and a few could earn impactful roles. Kansas State's Dalvin Warmack, West Virginia's Donte Thomas-Williams and Donald Catalon at Texas might be at the top of that list right now as rushers you'll soon know more about.
Chatmon: People are talking about Mixon but for all the wrong reasons as his off-the-field mistake and resulting one-year suspension will linger over him for a while. Once he gets on the field in 2015 I have a feeling he’s going to remind people why he, not Perine, was the Sooners’ headline running back signee in the Class of 2014. His size, quickness and versatility are hard to match and he could end up being a nightmare in Riley’s offense.
Trotter: West Virginia's Rushel Shell seems to be flying under the radar. He could easily rush for more than 1,000 yards out of Dana Holgorsen's offense. I think people have forgotten about Texas' Johnathan Gray, too. Gray wasn't overly impressive last year coming back from the Achilles year. But he has another year removed from the injury. And he won't be splitting carries with Malcolm Brown. Gray was a beast two years. If he somehow can recapture that form, he could have a big year.