College football fans we are less than 2 weeks away from kickoff. In the spirit of that here’s my preview of the Big 12, which figures to be an exciting conference to watch in 2024.

Standings Prediction

1. Oklahoma State
2. Utah
3. Kansas State
4. Arizona
5. West Virginia
6. Iowa State
7. Kansas
8. UCF
9. TCU
10. Colorado
11. Texas Tech
12. Baylor
13. Cincinnati
14. BYU
15. Houston
16. Arizona State

Three Teams to Watch

Iowa State

For a few years it felt like Matt Campbell was linked to every job under the sun and Iowa State was the sleeper team in the Big 12. Well bar the Covid year in 2020 that didn’t really pan out. But this season with Rocco Becht leading the offense that returns its top 4 receivers and a young RB named Abu Sama, learn the name now because he’ll be lighting it up this season. It could lead to a really good season in Ames. The schedule is challenging but look for Iowa State to challenge for a spot in the Big 12 title game.

UCF

I’ll put my cards on the table. I’m a Gus Malzahn guy. Going back to his Auburn days with Nick Marshall, Tre Mason Sammie Coates etc. I just really enjoy watching his teams. This year he got former Arkansas QB KJ Jefferson from the portal. The defense returns 8 and worked hard in the portal. In conference they get Utah and Arizona at home and avoid K-State and Oklahoma State. If KJ Jefferson can work out for this UCF offense look out for the Knights.

Colorado

Look love ’em or hate ’em you’ll have an opinion about Colorado. Once again they went heavy in the portal especially on the offensive line. Shadeur Sanders and Travis Hunter are legit NFL talents. Hunter is one of the best athletes I’ve seen in college. But can the o-line gel enough to give the Buffs room to run and Sanders time to throw? We’ll see.

The Hot Seat

Dave Aranda, Baylor: It’s put up or shut up time for Coach Aranda out in Waco. 2021 12-2 and Big 12 Champs, 2022 6-7 with a loss in the Armed Forces Bowl and 2023 3-9 no bowl game. Aranda will have to pull a rabbit out of the hat to keep his job.

Scott Satterfield, Cincinnati: At the time of this hiring, I simply could not understand it. Replacing Luke Fickell a no-nonsense defensive coach with Scott Satterfield to me was a strange decision. He’s heading into year 2 and I get it this may seem harsh but let’s look big picture. Cincinnati just moved to the Big 12 and need to establish themselves in the conference. You don’t want to fall too far behind the joneses. I’m of the opinion that Satterfield is not the man to guide this team through this pivotal point.

One Question for each team

Oklahoma State – Can Mike Gundy deliver? Mike Gundy has given the people so much over the years. Most notably “I’m a man I’m 40” and a Big 12 Championship. 1 Big 12 title. But this year I just like Gundy to bring the pokes back to the title game on the legs of one Ollie Gordon.

Utah – How will they adjust to the new conference? Admittedly I struggled coming up with a question for this Utah team. It is stacked with talent throughout the roster. It all starts with QB Cam Rising who is as good as any at his position in college football. The biggest question will be how they adjust to the style of the Big 12. We’ll find out September 21st when head on the road to play a great Oklahoma State team.

Kansas State – How good can this backfield be? A lot of attention has been given to incoming transfer Dylan Edwards who made the switch from Colorado to Kansas State. While he is an electric back he’ll have to take reps away from DJ Giddens one of the most underrated runners in the country. There’s potential for a dynamic duo in Manhattan, Kansas.

Arizona – Can Brent Brennan keep the magic going? Arizona was the absolute darling of last season. Especially for gamblers as they were fantastic against the spread (praise be Jedd Fisch). Now Fisch is gone replaced by Brent Brennan. He keeps his outstanding QB Noah Fifita and wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan along with most of their o-line. They also return 7 starters on defense.

West Virginia- How will they cope with the schedule? They start with Penn State, they go to Pitt for the backyard brawl and they go to Oklahoma State, Arizona and Texas Tech in conference. At home they get the likes of Iowa State and Kansas State. Very tough draw for a solid Mountaineers team.

Iowa State – How good is Rocco Becht? Becht threw for 3000 yards and 23 touchdowns last season. Now as a sophomore I expect Coach Campbell to really pass the reins to Becht. Watch out for the Cyclones they are a threat in the Big 12.

Kansas – Can Jalon Daniels stay healthy? Coach Lance Leipold has a very talented QB on his hands. Daniels has had some massive highs as a Jayhawk. But injuries have marred his time in Lawrence. If he can stay healthy Kansas can be a very good team.

UCF – How will the offense function with KJ Jefferson? In a Gus Malzahn system, it usually relies on a mobile QB. KJ certainly has the size but he’s more of a bruiser then a speed guy. They have talent on the outside with receiver Kobe Hudson, but we’ll see how Jefferson performs. If I’m being frank, I have my doubts.

TCU – Toads bounce back season? A lot went wrong for TCU last year. It never really clicked with Chandler Morris at QB for the Horned Frogs. They went 5-7 with a handful of close loses last season I think they can bounce back to a solid 8-9 wins this year.

Colorado – Will the offensive line hold up? This may surprise you, but Coach Prime hit the transfer portal hard this off season. It’ll be largely new faces for the Buffs on the o-line after giving up a school record number of sacks last season. They’ll have weapons but will Shadeur Sanders have time to throw the ball.

Texas Tech – Is the old Texas Tech back? I’m not talking Graham Harrell to Michael Crabtree. I’m talking 2010s we score 40 and give up 50 Texas Tech. They have some intriguing talent on offense, but I have my doubts about the defense.

Baylor – What will DeQuan Finn do in the Big 12? Finn put up 2657 yards passing and 563 rushing for Toledo in the MAC last season. The Bears and Dave Aranda will need that to translate if Aranda wants to stay in Waco.

Cincinnati – Can Satterfield get anything going? Can you tell I have my doubts about Scott Satterfield? I really don’t like the way Cincinnati is trending if things get out of hand it should be time for change here.

BYU – Can Kalani Sitake stop the bleeding? Every year since 2020 this program has regressed and I almost included Sitake in the hot seat section truthfully it felt like a year to early. The injury bug bit BYU hard last season and with a little luck the Cougars could be a bowl team.

Houston – What will the Willie Fritz era bring? Willie Fritz brought Tulane to incredible highs. Beating USC in a bowl game was incredible for the Green Wave. Now he goes to Houston looking to revitalize a program that languished under Dana Holgerson. Cougars fans should be very excited for this era.

Arizona State – How can they find stability? After returning 5 starters on defense last year, they return 4 this year. For whatever reason the sun devils just seem to have a revolving door. Year 2 for Kenny Dillingham he’ll need to emphasize building a culture in the desert.

Playoff Predictions

Oklahoma State, Kansas State and Utah battle all season, but Utah ends up taking the conference title in their first season. I do think there’s potential for the Big 12 to cannibalize itself. I don’t think there’s a standout dominant team this season, but I will go with Utah and Kansas State to represent the conference in the 12-team dance.

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