Football
How Important Are Turnovers in Big 12 Play?
We all know the Big 12 is the land of fireworks and broken scoreboards. Games are won in the 70s, not the teens like that other league 500ish miles to the east. But I bet you didn’t know the importance of creating turnovers in this league (OK, you probably did).
Look at the last seven Big 12 champions and where they ranked in turnover margin per game in the Big 12 and nationally.
2014: TCU (1st in the Big 12 | 3rd nationally) and Baylor (2nd | 7th)
2013: Baylor (2nd | 8th)[1. Oklahoma State was No. 1 in the league and No. 4 in the country this year. Arghhhh!]
2012: Kansas State (1st | 2nd)
2011: Oklahoma State (1st | 1st)
2010: Oklahoma (1st | 7th)
2009: Texas (1st | 15th)
2008: Oklahoma (1st | 1st)
And here are the numbers so far this year. Pretty interesting, right? Now, some of this is random, but so is winning football games, it seems.
Two of the preseason favorites (Baylor and OU) are struggling here. Seth Russell has thrown a ton of picks and OU can’t create a turnover (which is where OSU was one week ago). It’s early, but this is definitely something to keep an eye on.
| Name | Total Gain | Total Lost | Margin/G |
| West Virginia | 5 | 0 | 2.5 |
| Oklahoma State | 8 | 2 | 2 |
| Texas Tech | 8 | 3 | 1.67 |
| Texas | 7 | 3 | 1.33 |
| Kansas | 3 | 2 | 0.5 |
| TCU | 5 | 4 | 0.33 |
| Kansas State | 3 | 2 | 0.33 |
| Iowa State | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| Baylor | 4 | 5 | -0.5 |
| Oklahoma | 2 | 6 | -1.33 |
It’s also part of the reason I’m fired up about this OSU team.
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