Martin Rucker (82) and the Missouri Tigers could be hoisting more than the Marching Band Drum presented yearly to the Mizzou-Kansas University winner. MU has the talent to win the Big 12 North - and challenge Texas and the mighty South for the overall title.

Get pumped.

The college football season – at least in the Big 12 Conference – could be as wild and unpredictable as ever.

There certainly are favorites to win the league (surprise, surprise, Texas and Oklahoma), and there are favorites to drag behind while getting re-situated (Iowa State and Baylor).

But it has been awhile since there have been five or six legitimate candidates to make a league title run.

Texas and Oklahoma have the sensational athletes, prestige and winning attitude. Texas A&M returns enough talent to dethrone the two, if only it can survive its schedule. Missouri might have one of the best offenses in college football. Nebraska is reloading and returns many impact players.

Oklahoma State is a dark horse. Texas Tech never is a pushover.

It’s time for the third annual game-by-game predictions column, and if I learned anything from the previous two disasters, it’s that logic means a lot less than you might think. Off-field situations can derail predictions, and lesser foes sometimes show up and outplay teams they shouldn’t be outplaying.

So my gut has more of a say this year. In the end, my picks to win each division aren’t too surprising, but there were several games I agonized over when trying simply to pick a winner.

That’s great news for college football fans. Predictability stinks, and there won’t be too much of that as this season gets rolling.

Here’s one man’s guess for the 2007 season:

North

1. Missouri

(10-2 overall, 6-2 Big 12)

Wins: vs. Illinois, at Ole Miss, Western Michigan, Illinois State, Nebraska, Texas Tech, Iowa State, Texas A&M, at Kansas State, vs. Kansas.

Losses: at Oklahoma, at Colorado.

Why 10-2?: Mizzou’s offense is set up to be phenomenal. Chase Daniel is a great QB, and throwing to targets like Chase Coffman, Martin Rucker and Will Franklin will make him even greater. If the defense is just decent, MU takes the North and has a shot at taking the whole Big 12.

2. Nebraska

(8-4, 5-3)

Wins: Nevada, at Wake Forest, Ball State, Iowa State, Oklahoma State, at Kansas, Kansas State, at Colorado.

Losses: USC, at Missouri, Texas A&M, at Texas.

Why 8-4?: The Huskers return a lot of good players, but playing the best Mizzou team in a while on the road this year is a bad break. Still, the Huskers will win enough games to get a nice bowl invitation.

3. Kansas State

(6-6, 4-4)

Wins: San Jose State, Missouri State, Kansas, Colorado, Baylor, at Iowa State.

Losses: at Auburn, at Texas, at Oklahoma State, at Nebraska, Missouri, at Fresno State.

Why 6-6?: If it plays out this way, K-State will regret scheduling Auburn when surely an easier game was available. The Wildcats are talented enough to be in the top half of the Big 12, but games at Texas, at Nebraska and at Oklahoma State – not to mention at Auburn and at an improved Fresno State – will make bowl-eligibility challenging.

Martin Rucker (82) and the Missouri Tigers could be hoisting more than the Marching Band Drum presented yearly to the Mizzou-Kansas University winner. MU has the talent to win the Big 12 North - and challenge Texas and the mighty South for the overall title.

4. Kansas

(7-5, 3-5)

Wins: Central Michigan, Southeastern Louisiana, Toledo, Florida International, Baylor, at Colorado, Iowa State.

Losses: at Kansas State, at Texas A&M, Nebraska, at Oklahoma State, vs. Missouri.

Why 7-5?: The way I see it, the Jayhawks will have to win a game they’ll be underdogs in to get seven victories. Unless it’s Nebraska or Missouri, that will mean winning on the road, a constant KU bugaboo. The game at Colorado will be a real fight, but it could lift the Jayhawks’ confidence and help put them back in the postseason.

5. Colorado

(5-7, 3-5)

Wins: vs. Colorado State, Miami (Ohio), at Baylor, at Texas Tech, Missouri.

Losses: at Arizona State, Florida State, Oklahoma, at Kansas State, at Iowa State, Nebraska.

Why 5-7?: The Buffaloes lately have been better than their record, mainly because they schedule nonconference games they won’t win. They were better than 2-10 a year ago, and they’ll start to show it this year. But playing Arizona State and Florida State will keep them from being bowl-eligible.

6. Iowa State

(3-9, 1-7)

Wins: Kent State, Northern Iowa, Colorado.

Losses: Iowa, at Toledo, at Nebraska, at Texas Tech, Texas, Oklahoma, at Missouri, Kansas State, at Kansas.

Why 3-9?: Three players – QB Bret Meyer, WR Todd Blythe and LB Alvin Bowen – will have to do the work of more to help ISU out. A new coach rarely comes with immediate rejuvenation, so it will be a tough year in Ames. But they’re not so awful that they’ll go 0-8, so I threw ’em a bone once.

South

1. Texas

(11-1, 7-1)

Wins: Arkansas State, TCU, at Central Florida, Rice, Kansas State, vs. Oklahoma, at Iowa State, at Baylor, Nebraska, Texas Tech, at Texas A&M.

Losses: at Oklahoma State.

Why 11-1?: They’re not 2005 great, but they’re scary good once again. Colt McCoy is a great quarterback, and he has a gifted supporting cast around him. The South’s toughness will give UT constant tests, but expect the Longhorns to pass most of them.

2. Oklahoma

(10-2, 6-2)

Wins: North Texas, Miami (Fla.), Utah State, at Tulsa, at Colorado, Missouri, at Iowa State, Texas A&M, Baylor, Oklahoma State.

Losses: vs. Texas, at Texas Tech.

Why 10-2?: If Oklahoma had a proven quarterback, it’d be a serious national-title contender. If OU finds one among its inexperienced candidates, it might be anyway. The Sooners’ defense will suffocate opponents, and Malcolm Kelly is a dark-horse candidate for best receiver in a conference full of great ones.

3. Texas A&M

(8-4, 5-3)

Wins: Montana State, Fresno State, Louisiana-Monroe, Baylor, Oklahoma State, at Texas Tech, at Nebraska, Kansas.

Losses: at Miami (Fla.), at Oklahoma, at Missouri, Texas.

Why 8-4?: The road schedule will prevent Texas A&M’s best team in years from having an even better record. At Miami, at Texas Tech, at Nebraska, at Oklahoma, at Missouri? Whew – that’s not good. Expect the Aggies, led by the gritty Stephen McGee, to have a lot of success, but it won’t be easy.

4. Oklahoma State

(7-5, 4-4)

Wins: Florida Atlantic, at Troy, Texas Tech, Sam Houston State, Kansas State, Texas, Kansas.

Losses: at Georgia, at Texas A&M, at Nebraska, at Baylor, at Oklahoma.

Why 7-5?: The Bobby Reid-to-Adarius Bowman combination will lead to a lot of points (just ask Kansas). The Cowboys are more than that, though. They have good special-teams weapons, the linebackers and secondary all return, and Dantrell Savage averaged 6.5 yards per carry last season. The Cowboys really could surprise some people.

5. Texas Tech

(7-5, 3-5)

Wins: at SMU, UTEP, at Rice, Northwestern State, Iowa State, at Baylor, Oklahoma.

Losses: at Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, at Missouri, Colorado, at Texas.

Why 7-5?: Texas Tech loses a lot of talent, though QB Graham Harrell will ensure that the passing craziness in Lubbock goes on. It seems to be a recipe for a bowl game every year, and that won’t change. Still, with OSU and Texas A&M improving, Tech might have a decent season and still finish fifth in the South.

6. Baylor

(4-8, 1-7)

Wins: Rice, Texas State, at Buffalo, Oklahoma State.

Losses: at TCU, at Texas A&M, Colorado, at Kansas, Texas, at Kansas State, Texas Tech, at Oklahoma.

Why 4-8?: Baylor switched to a new offense before last season, and it worked. However, the Bears now must replace their top two wide receivers and their beloved quarterback, Shawn Bell. It smells like rebuilding, and the Big 12 South shows no mercy while a team is experiencing growing pains.