The Big 12 is known for great offensive play, and has been for over two decades. Since Mike Leach introduced the Air Raid at Oklahoma, the conference has been known to light up the scoreboard.
Critics of Big 12 defenses cited high-scoring games as proof of the lack of defense in years past. As Air Raid concepts like “Mesh” have permeated college football, other conferences are forced to adapt to the difficult style of play.
Since the early 2000s, the Big 12 has adopted multiple styles of offense. Iowa State and Kansas State heavily utilize tight ends and offensive line play to force teams to play different personnel.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, coaches like Steve Sarkisian have modernized their offensive philosophy to take advantage of opponents in space.
Here are my six best offensive minds in the Big 12 conference ahead of the 2022 season.
6
Chris Klieman
Chris Klieman is one of the more underrated innovators in the Big 12 conference. His plan of attack revolves around the linemen up front. The play above features a guard (72) faking a pull to the right before kicking out the outside defender. The linebacker immediately in front, Kenneth Murray, waits on the other side for a pulling guard that is sealing the run on the other side.
5
Zach Kittley
Zach Kittley should have the Texas Tech offense running at a high level in the near future. Kittley’s offensive success at Western Kentucky was enough to place Tech in a battle with the Texas Longhorns for Quinn Ewers. Expect the Red Raiders to execute at a higher level with their new offensive coordinator.
4
Sonny Dykes
Sonny Dykes’ SMU teams executed the Air Raid to perfection over his last few seasons. During that time the Mustangs flirted with New Years Six bowl contention. Dykes will look to take his offensive success and potent…
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