In the aftermath of Sunday’s thrilling draw against Central Florida, No. 25 Texas soccer stares down the barrel of a competitive Big 12 conference schedule in the hopes of capturing its first regular season title since 2001.

Texas was one point away from the regular season title last season, finishing just behind eventual regular season and tournament champion TCU. Luckily for the Longhorns, they won’t have to wait long for a shot at revenge, facing the Horned Frogs in Fort Worth this Thursday.

Here’s a preview of the top five contenders in the Big 12 this season:

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TCU Horned Frogs (5-2-2)

Last year’s conference champions have had a strong start to the season, with their only two losses coming against a one-loss USC team and then-No. 5 Duke. The Horned Frogs also boast several impressive performances, including a seven-goal victory over then-No. 16 Santa Clara and a 2-1 win over then-No. 21 Texas A&M in College Station.

The Horned Frogs are led by an interesting pair, with graduate forward Messiah Bright and freshman forward Tyler Isgrig leading the team overall, scoring 12 of their 22 goals. The master-apprentice duo drives the offense for TCU, looking to lead a dominant offense going into its conference play opener against a surging Texas squad.

Texas Longhorns (6-1-2)

Texas enters conference play off a heart-breaking runner-up finish in both regular season play and the Big 12 Tournament last season. Despite that, the Longhorns have gotten off their best season start since 2018.

Texas’ dynamic sophomore duo of forward Trinity Byars and midfielder Lexi Missimo lead the attack for the Longhorns, combining for a total of 13 goals so far. Byars also boasts a ruthless efficiency when taking shots with a 28.6% success rate, bolstering the Texas offense.

Graduate goalkeeper Savannah Madden has been excellent this season as well, with two complete game shutouts and another likely performance that would have counted had she not been subbed out in the second half against Texas Southern. 

Texas has a tough two-game stretch to open conference play. Despite this, the team looks sharp and prepared to face the challenge head on.

Oklahoma State Cowboys (7-1-1)

After a disappointing 2021 season by their standards, the 2019 Big 12 regular season champs are off to a hot start in 2022. While Oklahoma State lacks any notable wins in non-conference play, the Cowboys have dominated on defense in the first nine games.

Freshman goalkeeper Jordan Nytes has been stifling in goal for Oklahoma State early on, only giving up four goals in nine appearances and earning three complete-game shutouts in the process. The Cowboys will need the young freshman to continue to perform entering conference play, facing off against Kansas on the road on Thursday.

Kansas Jayhawks (7-3)

The Jayhawks struggled last year, finishing 2-7 in Big 12 play. However, the 2019 Big 12 Tournament champions have started off this season on a roll with seven wins, already matching their total wins from last year.

Kansas is led by junior forward Shira Elinav and super-senior midfielder Rylan Childers in scoring, but the Jayhawks have more of a balanced attack. Five players have over 10 shot attempts on the season, with Childer’s younger sister Raena close behind with nine shots of her own. Kansas looks to be much improved this season and ready to compete once again for a Big 12 title.

Texas Tech Red Raiders (4-2-3)

Texas Tech started the season off rough, only scoring one goal in a five-game stretch. But the Red Raiders have kicked it up a notch in their last three games, scoring a total of eight goals against Houston, North Texas and Fresno State.

Much like Oklahoma State, Texas Tech has been excellent in goal, only allowing five goals all season. Senior goalkeeper Madison White, standing at 5-feet-11-inches, has been a stalwart on defense for the Red Raiders. White will need to carry a streaky Texas Tech offense through conference play if the Red Raiders want to compete for a championship this season.