How Turnover Margin Wins The Big 12

Let’s talk about turnovers. If I’ve heard Mike Gundy preach QB play, special teams and protecting the ball once, I’ve heard it 3.65 million times. It’s one of the pillars upon which his program has been built. And he’s not wrong to preach it either.

Look at the last right Big 12 champions and where they ranked in turnover margin per game in the Big 12 and nationally.

• 2015: Oklahoma (3rd in Big 12 | 15th nationally)
• 2014: TCU (1st | 3rd ) and Baylor (2nd | 7th)
• 2013: Baylor (2nd | 8th)
• 2012: Kansas State (1st | 2nd)
• 2011: Oklahoma State (1st | 1st)
• 2010: Oklahoma (1st | 7th)
• 2009: Texas (1st | 15th)
• 2008: Oklahoma (1st | 1st)

That’s right. Each of the last eight Big 12 champions has been in the top 15 nationally in turnover margin and no lower than third in the Big 12. Six of the eight have been No. 1 in the Big 12 and two have been No. 1 in the country. Turnovers are a big deal in the Big 12 because momentum matters and scoring can happen so fast in this league.

I wanted to also look at where each program ranks in the conference since TCU and West Virginia entered back in 2012. Baylor is No. 1 in turnover margin in that time followed by Kansas State, Oklahoma State and TCU. It’s pretty crazy how closely this resembles the rank of average finish in the standings in that time as well.

The only outlier is OU which has a pretty bad +9 turnover margin since 2012 but has the best average Big 12 finish of 2.25. Also Tech, my gosh. What are you doing? Tech has lost more fumbles and picks (108) in the last four years than any other team and also gained fewer (70) than any other team.

By the way, the only team to finish No. 1 in the conference in turnover margin in a single year since 2008 and not win the league? Oklahoma State. Twice. Once in 2013 when it finished first by a wide margin and tripled up every other team’s margin outside of Baylor and OU with probably its best defense ever. And last year’s team which finished No. 1 slightly over Texas.

Kansas State tripled up every team’s margin in 2012 and won the league.