Day One of Big 12 Media Days

Texas Tech and TCU kicked off Day One of Big 12 Media Days in Dallas. The Oklahoma Sooners are the favorites for the upcoming season but the Horned Frogs are expected to challenge them.

TCU head coach Gary Patterson and the team are fresh off a 10 win season despite dealing with a lot of injuries, particularly on defense.

The bright spot may have been that a lot of others got valuable playing time due to all those injured players which means that this year's TCU defense features 11 players who saw time as a starter last season.

Josh Carraway, TCU junior defensive end, says, "We have a lot of hungry guys.  And those guys that saw the field they know what it's like to play. And they want to play. And they're gonna do whatever it takes. That's why everyone's been working so hard. Because they want to play and they want to succeed."

TCU sophomore center Austin Schlottman agrees. "It's definitely gonna help. We'll be able to rely on a lot of people that got some experience at the end of the year. Then we went into spring ball and they played well. And I think it's just gonna help us out a lot."

The experienced TCU defense will come in handy with the likes of quarterback Trevone Boykin and receiver Josh Doctson gone off the offensive side of the ball. There are some spots to fill and former Texas A&M starter Kenny Hill might be the guy at quarterback.

Meantime there's no questions who the quarterback at Texas Tech will be. Junior Patrick Mahomes was scary enough last season when led the nation in total offense and what's even scarier is that Mahomes could be even better now that's he focused on football.

"I think the biggest thing was not playing baseball and it's the first full off-season he's ever had as a football player.  So, the weightlifting and being around his teammates," Texas Teach head coach Kliff Kingsbury says.

Mahomes says, "It was really just about me trying to learn and become the best quarterback I could. And I felt like baseball is something I can come back to eventually. But really, I'm really just focused on football right now. I want to be the best quarterback for my team so we can win a Big 12 championship."

While Texas Tech isn't a favorite, again TCU is expected to contend and they may have some scheduling help. 

Two of the teams picked to finish in the top three, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, will have to play TCU in Fort Worth.