With 11-time champion Oklahoma and four-time winner Texas having departed, the Big 12 might not be the best conference in America this year, but it could be the most fun. Eight teams won between seven and 10 games last year, making for an entertaining chase to reach the Big 12 championship game on Dec. 7 in Arlington, Texas. We think the intrigue starts with whether newcomers Arizona and Utah can topple an old guard led by Oklahoma State and Kansas State.
Let’s delve into the first Big 12 football power rankings for 2024:
1. Oklahoma State
This week: South Dakota State
What to know: Mike Gundy’s ready to coach football instead of talking to players’ agents. Just get to August, and he’s right in his element.
2. Arizona
This week: New Mexico
What to know: Who has more star power than the Wildcats? Do they have enough of everything else?
More: Arizona football predictions: Game-by-game picks for Wildcats in 2024 season
3. Utah
This week: Southern Utah on Thursday
What to know: Kyle Whittingham’s been Mountain West coach of the year and Pac-12 coach of the year. How long before he’s Big 12 coach of the year?
Jul 9, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Utah Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham speaks to the media during the Big 12 Media Days at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports
4. Kansas State
This week: Tennessee-Martin
What to know: We’re starting the Wildcats fourth in the power rankings and won’t be surprised if they end up first.
More: Kansas State’s football coaches take a less-is-more approach to new helmet communication
5. Iowa State
This week: North Dakota
What to know: New OC Taylor Mouser loves using Abu Sama in EA Sports College Football 25. Wait ’til he gets to turn loose the real-life version.
More: Hines: Iowa State football game-by-game predictions for the 2024 season
6. Texas Tech
This week: Abilene Christian
What to know: Joey McGuire’s under no pressure, but Texas Tech donors aren’t bankrolling $242 million worth of stadium upgrades just for aesthetics.
More: What’s inside Texas Tech football’s new end zone building at Jones AT&T Stadium
7. Kansas
This week: Lindenwood on Saturday
What to know: Lance Leipold’s taken Kansas from two wins to six wins to nine wins. Now we’ll find out the Jayhawks’ ceiling.
More: Once again set to start for Kansas football, Jalon Daniels’ enthusiasm is hard to miss
8. West Virginia
This week: Penn State
What to know: Knowing Neal Brown, he’ll tell us his team is not going to finish eighth. Especially after they won nine games last year.
9. Central Florida
This week: New Hampshire on Thursday
What to know: Pairing former Arkansas quarterback K.J. Jefferson with former Arkansas high-school coaching legend Gus Malzahn sounds like a perfect match.
10. Colorado
This week: North Dakota State on Thursday
What to know: No one doubts what Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter can do. Improving on 4-8 is all about the supporting cast.
More: Confrontational. Defensive. Unnecessary. Deion Sanders’ act is wearing thin.
11. TCU
This week: at Stanford on Friday
What to know: Horned Frogs ought to land somewhere between the 13-2 and the 5-7 of the past two years. They’d better, for Sonny Dykes’ sake.
12. Baylor
This week: Tarleton State
What to know: Now or never for Dave Aranda? Bears have lost 13 of their last 16.
13. Brigham Young
This week: Southern Illinois
What to know: Kalani Sitake’s name shows up on the coaching hot-seat lists. It’s going to be hard to for him to move off it with a team so limited offensively.
14. Arizona State
This week: Wyoming
What to know: Five Big 12 teams start the season ranked, and the Sun Devils get to play all five.
More: Arizona State football predictions: Game-by-game picks for Sun Devils in 2024 season
15. Cincinnati
This week: Towson
What to know: Having 1,000-yard rusher Corey Kiner and an experienced line gives the Bearcats an identity. But last year’s 4-8 season showed it’s going to take more than that.
More: Cincinnati Bearcats coach Scott Satterfield names Brendan Sorsby starting quarterback
16. Houston
This week: Nevada-Las Vegas
What to know: Wherever Willie Fritz goes, winning usually follows. Well, probably not this year.
Cincinnati Bearcats running back Corey Kiner (21) carries the ball as Iowa State Cyclones linebacker Gerry Vaughn (32) defends in the first quarter during a college football game between the Iowa State Cyclones and the Cincinnati Bearcats Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023, at Nippert Stadium win Cincinnati.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Big 12 football power rankings: Can Utah, UA topple legacy contenders?
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Publish date : 2024-08-25 22:08:00
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