Texas Jumps OU As Big 12 Favorite

Texas has jumped from a distant fourth favorite to win the Big 12 championship to the odds-on favorite.  

Oklahoma was the prohibitive preseason league favorite, but after a shocking 10-point loss to Houston, the Sooners drop below their archrival as second favorite.  

Per @ToddFuhrman, here’s a look at where the Big 12 odds opened, compared to where they sit right now.  

PRESEASON ODDS TO WIN BIG 12 CONFERENCE 

1. Oklahoma    -130
2. TCU            +500 
3. O-State       +600 
4. Texas          +750 

CURRENT ODDS TO WIN BIG 12 (as of 9.7.16) 

1. Texas                     +150
2. Oklahoma               +175
3. OSU/TCU/Baylor     +500 

The Sooners are 45-point favorites over ULM Saturday night at renovated Memorial Stadium in Norman. OU opened a stunning – at least to me – 9.5 point favorite over Ohio State. The Buckeyes roll into Oklahoma for a week three matchup of blueblood programs. I’ve not found a reliable updated number on the OU/OSU game, but I’d guess it’d be close to a pick ‘em.  

How that one ends up could change the Big 12 odds again as a Sooner win would signal the Game 1 loss might be more of an outlier than a true indicator of the true strength of the Sooners.  

With a wickedly difficult early-season schedule, the Sooners then get a week off before traveling to Texas the next two weeks for even more challenging games. OU is at TCU on October 1 and in Dallas for the Red River Rivalry on October 8.  

The Sooners could be out of the playoff hunt entirely September 17. Or, they could be right back on top as Big 12 favorite and a serious playoff contender if they reach sundown in Dallas with a 4-1 record. And then there’s the very real possibility they’re somewhere in-between.  

Either way, seeing that right out of the box they have lost their favorite’s role to the hated Horns, Oklahoma finds itself in a position with zero wiggle room after week one. And they can’t point the finger at anyone, but themselves.