Why the Big 12 could be headed for a year of skepticism

Takeaways from the latest storylines in college sports.

Action: Athlon Sports released its official preseason college football rankings this week with Oklahoma the highest ranked Big 12 team at 10th.

Reaction: Admittedly the influence of preseason rankings has been vastly diminished with the release of the first College Football Playoff rankings in late October. They're still interesting because they reflect conventional media wisdom heading into a season - and they give football-starved fans something to talk about.

If you believe the assessment of the folks at Athlon, then the Big 12 will have an uphill climb to the CFP and that the lack of proven quarterback play outside of West Virginia is…