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It’s preseason speculation time in college football — that means all-conference teams and polls will be trickling out. The Big 12 announced it’s all-conference team on Tuesday, and the preseason media poll is due out Wednesday afternoon.

I filled out a ballot for both, which I’ll share below. First let’s look at the preseason All-Big 12 picks.

Actually first let me throw up a disclaimer here. Preseason polls and all-conference teams mean absolutely nothing the moment the games begin next month. They are, however, fun and give us all something to talk about between now and then. I voted the way I voted because these are the teams and players I *think* will do well. I’m allowed to be wrong. Either way, we’ll do it all over again this time next year. Relax, have some fun with these things.

Anyway — here is how the All-Big 12 preseason picks ended up shaking out followed by how I voted.

2019 Preseason All-Big 12 Football Team
Offensive Player of the Year: Sam Ehlinger, Texas, QB, 6-3, 230, Jr., Austin, Texas
Defensive Player of the Year: Kenneth Murray, Oklahoma, LB, 6-2, 243, Jr., Missouri City, Texas
Newcomer of the Year: Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma, QB, 6-2, 219, Sr., Houston, Texas

Offense
QB Sam Ehlinger, Texas
RB Pooka Williams, Kansas
RB Kennedy Brooks, Oklahoma
RB Chuba Hubbard, Oklahoma State
WR CeeDee Lamb, Oklahoma
WR Tylan Wallace, Oklahoma State
WR Jalen Reagor, TCU
TE Grant Calcaterra, Oklahoma
OL Creed Humphrey, Oklahoma
OL Lucas Niang, TCU
OL Zach Shackelford, Texas
OL Jack Anderson, Texas Tech
OL Colton McKivitz, West Virginia
PK Cameron Dicker, Texas
KR/PR CeeDee Lamb, Oklahoma

Defense
DL James Lynch, Baylor
DL JaQuan Bailey, Iowa State
DL Ray Lima, Iowa State
DL Reggie Walker K-State
DL Corey Bethley, TCU
LB Clay Johnston, Baylor
LB Marcel Spears Jr., Iowa State
LB Kenneth Murray, Oklahoma
DB Greg Eisworth, Iowa State
DB A.J. Green, Oklahoma State
DB Jeff Gladney, TCU
DB Caden Sterns, Texas
DB Adrian Frye, Texas Tech
P Kyle Thompson, Kansas

And here’s how I voted:

Offensive Player of the Year: Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma
Defensive Player of the Year: Ray Lima, Iowa State
Newcomer of the Year: Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma

Offense
QB Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma
RB Kennedy Brooks, Oklahoma
RB Chuba Hubbard, Oklahoma State
FB Jeremiah Hall, Oklahoma
WR Collin Johnson, Texas
WR Tylan Wallace, Oklahoma State
WR Denzel Mims, Baylor
TE Grant Calcaterra, Oklahoma
OL Colton McKivitz, West Virginia
OL Samuel Cosmi, Texas
OL Lucas Niang, TCU
OL Josh Sills, West Virginia
OL Josh Knipfel, Iowa State
PK Cameron Dicker, Texas
PR/KR CeeDee Lamb, Oklahoma

Defense
DL Jaquan Bailey, Iowa State
DL Ray Lima, Iowa State
DL Dante Stills, West Virginia
DL Ronnie Perkins, Oklahoma
LB Kenneth Murray, Oklahoma
LB Clay Johnston, Baylor
LB Marcel Spears, Iowa State
DB Greg Elsworth, Iowa State
DB Jeff Gladney, TCU
DB Caden Sterns, Texas
DB A.J. Green, Oklahoma
DB Josh Norwood, West Virginia
P Kyle Thompson, Kansas

The only real whiff I think I made was not finding a spot for Texas OL Zach Shackleford. Pooka Williams isn’t on my team because when these ballots were due, he was still suspended. Since then, he has been reinstated to the team at KU, but I couldn’t vote for a guy who at the time wasn’t playing. Also on the ballot there was a slot for a fullback, which I had to do some digging to make a pick for. I guess others added an extra running back here, which is fine. Other than that, I think mine is a decent team.

Last week I put out our totally unscientific preseason Big 12 poll. The official league preseason media poll is out Wednesday afternoon. Here is a sneak peek at my ballot for that:

  1. Oklahoma
  2. Iowa State
  3. Texas
  4. Oklahoma State
  5. Baylor
  6. TCU
  7. Texas Tech
  8. West Virginia
  9. Kansas State
  10. Kansas

Filling this out was hard. I think it’s safe to say Oklahoma is the clear favorite going into 2019, but the gap between them and No. 2 is close — and I think both Iowa State and Texas have strong arguments to be in that conversation. Stay tuned for how that shakes out when the league makes it announcement on Wednesday.

Media Days are due up next week — I’ll have you covered from deep in the heart of Texas for that then it will be just a few short weeks until practice begins. There is a light at the end of the tunnel folks. Football season is rapidly approaching.