Nebraska easy preseason pick Oklahoma State coach says other 11 Big 12 teams playing for 2nd The Big 12 Conference's decision to split the league into North and South Divisions for several sports will have its first test run in the upcoming football DAVID season. SITTLER But Oklahoma State coach Bob The Daily Oklahoman Simmons said there is no split decision when it comes to naming the Big 12's preseason football heavyweight. "I'd say Nebraska is the favorite in the North and the South," Simmons said of the two, six-team divisions. Nebraska will attempt to make college football history in the Big 12's inaugural season. SIMMONS Riding the momentum of a 25-game winning streak, the Cornhuskers could become the first collegiate team in modern history to win three consecutive national championships. With 12 starters back from a team that blasted Florida 62-24 in the Fiesta Bowl to capture the 1995 national title, coach Tom Osborne's team is the overwhelming favorite to represent the North Division at the Big 12's championship game Dec. 7 in St. Louis. While Texas is a strong preseason choice to win the South Division and advance to the title contest at the Trans World Dome, Simmons said the Longhorns and the league's 10 other teams might spend the season playing for second place. "I mean no disrespect to Texas and the other schools," Simmons said. "But Nebraska is the cream of the crop right now and everybody is trying to catch them." New Oklahoma coach John Blake agrees. "Nebraska's done an outstanding job," Blake said. "They just won a national title, so you'd have to say they are the favorite going into the Big 12." Iowa State coach Dan McCarney goes beyond the Big 12 race in his assessment of the Cornhuskers. The Cyclones' secondyear coach said he concurs with preseason polls that have Nebraska ranked No. 1. "They've got size, they've got strength, they've got speed, they've got depth and are just a tremendous program," McCarney said. When it comes to football, McCarney's description also could apply to the entire conference. Shortly after four Texas schools combined with the Big Eight Conference institutions to form the Big 12, many experts predicted the new league would be college football's top conference. "It has to rate very high,' Blake said. "You have one conference team that has won the last two national championships, and Colorado won a national title in the last six years. "If you look at all the national championships, all the bowl wins, all the tradition ... it has to be one of the top conferences. Maybe it's the top conference." The football accomplishments: of the Big 12 schools, both recent; and over the long haul, are indeed impressive: • Fifteen national championships won or shared since The Associated Press started its poll! in 1936, including six by Oklahoma. • Nine Heisman Trophy winners. • Four of the five major -college players to rush for 2,000 yards in a season played at Big 12 schools. • Five Big 12 teams are among the top 20 schools in all-time victories. • Three Big 12 teams are among the top eight schools in all-time winning percentage. • A combined 228 bowl appearances. Seven teams compiled a 6- 1 bowl record last season, led by Nebraska's national-championship victory. • Four Big 12 teams appeared in the final Top 10 poll last season, with three more in the Top 25. • Only three Big 12 teams had losing records in 1995, while five schools won at least 10 games. • The Associated Press' 1995 All-America team included eight Big 12 players on the first team. While the bulk of preseason attention has centered on Nebraska, several other Big 12 teams and individuals should be major players on the national scene. SIMMONS
