You know a division is tough when the national champions return 14 starters and are still not the favorite to win. Such is the case in the Big 12 Conference’s South Division.

Oklahoma dismantled Florida State in last season’s Orange Bowl, giving the Sooners their seventh national title and first since 1985. The Sooners now have the bull’s-eye on their back, and Texas is locked in.

With the schedule Oklahoma plays, it will take a huge effort to repeat. It isn’t out of the question, but motivation to beat the Sooners may be bigger than the Sooners’ motivation to repeat.

If all goes to plan, the South Division should look like this:

1. Texas

The Longhorns are the only team that could challenge Oklahoma in the south, and with an easy schedule, Texas could overtake the Sooners on their ride into the Big 12 Championship game.

Texas’ toughest pre-conference game is against North Carolina and they have avoided playing Nebraska and Kansas State this year. Another bonus for the Longhorns is they play Oklahoma in Dallas, which is good, because Cowboy fans may be starved for a good football game by October.

The Longhorns will be looking to avenge last year’s embarrassing 63-14 loss to the champs. A solid defense and a potent offense should let Texas come out on top this year.

What to watch: Last year the Longhorns scored over 38 points a game with quarterback Major Applewhite.

This year they will hope to do it with Chris Simms. He stands 6 feet 5 inches tall and has a cannon, not to mention one of the top receiving corps in the nation.

Sophomore Roy Williams is flat out good, and young, just like the rest of the Longhorn receivers. Wideouts B.J. Johnson and Sloan Thomas are sophomores, like Williams. So is tight end Bo Scaife. If the defense can hold, which it should, Texas has plenty of weapons to outscore opponents.

Game to watch: Against Oklahoma. The winner will be in the driver’s seat in the South.

2. Oklahoma

The Sooners are fortunate to return the bulk of their national championship team from last year, but they shouldn’t expect an easy run back to prominence.

The Sooners looked good against North Carolina, but still have a nasty Big 12 slate.

The Sooners will play Nebraska at Lincoln and Texas at Dallas. They host some other tough teams such as Kansas State and Texas A&M.

If Oklahoma does run the table and win all of their conference games, they will most definitely be OK.

What to watch: The quarterback situation. Last year the Sooners had Heisman runner-up Josh Heupel. Things are a little different this year as the reigns have been passed to junior Nate Hybl. The name sounds similar, but the stats are far from close.

Hybl has completed only nine passes as a Sooner, Heupel averaged eight completions a quarter last year. Things will be rough, but good receivers, a good offensive line and a solid running back will let Hybl and the Sooners compete with the nation’s elite.

Game to watch: At Nebraska. The Cornhuskers have only lost twice at home in the last ten years. If Oklahoma can win in Lincoln, they will be a force to be reckoned with and will challenge Texas for the top spot.

3. Texas A&M

The old slogan “defense wins championships” may not be entirely true for the Aggies, but it should get them into the nation’s Top 25. And if they can pull off a couple of upsets here and there, given Oklahoma’s tough schedule, the Aggies could jump up a spot in the south.

But things aren’t going to be easy. The Aggies defense will face many tests as they have five teams on their schedule that went to a bowl last year.

Texas A&M gets Notre Dame on Sept. 29, but will have to wait to see where they really stand in the Big 12 as they face Kansas State in Manhattan Oct. 20 and end the season by going to Oklahoma and then hosting Texas.

What to watch: The Wrecking Crew, the nickname of the Aggies’ defense because they were a force last season. They gave up a mere 17.8 points per game in 2000 and were close to letting the Aggies pull off a couple of key upsets. A 26-19 loss to Colorado and a 35-31 loss to Oklahoma hurt, but the Aggies should be able to rebound for a fresh start this year.

Game to watch: At Kansas State. The Aggies will have a good idea of how good their defense is after playing the Wildcats. They will also have plenty of time to improve on their problems before facing powerhouses Oklahoma and Texas.

4. Texas Tech

Bob Knight isn’t the only good thing around in Lubbock this season. The Red Raiders are returning 23 starters from last season’s 7-6 team that went to the Galleryfurniture.com Bowl.

If Tech beats the teams it can, another bowl-eligible season may be on the horizon.

Conference powers may want to pay close attention to this high-octane offense which scored 20 or more points in eight games last year, including a 58-0 blowout win over Oklahoma State. It isn’t likely that Tech will win in Lincoln or at Texas, but don’t put an upset past them.

What to watch: Texas Tech junior quarterback Kliff Kingsbury set a host of team records last season for total offense (3,437), yards passing (3,418) and pass attempts (362). Oklahoma’s Josh Heupel threw for 26 yards LESS than Kingsbury. That gives you an idea of how good this kid is.

Also returning on the high-power offense is Ricky Williams, who injured his knee in the preseason opener last year and was limited to 421 yards, still a team high.

With Williams healthy and the running attack a bit more lethal this year, expect Kingsbury to throw for more yards and the Red Raiders to pull off, or at least come close to, an upset or two.

Game to watch: Kansas State. If the Red Raiders want to be a force, they will have to show it by beating a good team at home.

5. Oklahoma State

New Cowboy coach Les Miles will be the Big 12 Coach of the Year if he can get this team out of the basement. Maybe he should try and coax Barry Sanders and Thurman Thomas out of retirement.

The Cowboys play a horrid Big 12 schedule and have few chances where they will be favorites. It will be important for them to beat teams like Missouri and Baylor.

One thing that will help the Cowboys is that they have 16 starters returning from last year’s squad, so there will be some experience back on the field and experience can help lead to upsets. Remember, the Cowboys only lost 12-7 to eventual national champion Oklahoma, and with a veteran group back, the Cowboys hope they can pull off the big upset this year.

What to watch: Despite not being the best team in the division, there is definitely some talent that the Cowboys will put on the field. Sophomore quarterback Aso Pogi started only six games and managed to set the school freshman record for passing yards with 1,049. He was also responsible for Oklahoma State’s first 300-yard passing game since 1989 with a 328-yard performance Oct. 14 against Iowa State.

Game to watch: Iowa State. Last year the Cyclones stole a game in Stillwater, and the Cowboy’s best chance for an upset on the road will come in Ames. A win in this game could spark the Cowboys to upset Colorado and Texas Tech at home, but it will be tough.

6. Baylor

This could be brutal. Last year the team didn’t win in the conference. This year things don’t appear to be any easier. At Iowa State, at Texas A&M, at Oklahoma, home against Nebraska and Texas. Ouch.

One thing that hurt the Bears last year was the ability to be close after the first half. On the season they were outscored 86-19 in the first quarter and 137-35 in the second. If they want to have a chance this year, they will have to be close at the half.

What to watch: Wide receiver Reggie Newhouse could be a bright spot. His 40 receptions last season marked the first time a Bear player caught 40 or more passes in a season in 17 years. He also had a team high 629 yards receiving and should benefit with the return of quarterback Greg Cicero.

Game to watch: Oklahoma State. Could be the only chance for a conference win at home.