Author’s note: I am previewing each Power Four conference (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, and SEC) ahead of the 2024 NCAA football season, which will be the first year with a 12-team playoff.
As a reminder, here are the number of teams in each Power Four conference following nationwide realignment:
ACC (17 teams)
Big 12 (16 teams)
Big Ten (18 teams)
SEC (16 teams)
Big 12 Season Superlatives
Favorite to win the Big 12: Utah
Utah has been one of the most consistent programs over the last five years. They won back-to-back Pac-12 championships before last season, and now, they bring back a good core of players. Cameron Rising is coming back for his seventh year as the quarterback to lead Utah. Utah’s head coach, Kyle Whittingham, is also one of the most consistent coaches in the sport and his teams seem to get better throughout the season.
Favorite to win Big 12 Player of the Year: Ollie Gordon, Oklahoma State
Ollie Gordon is one of the best running backs in the country. He has a physical running style and is hard to bring down. He should be even better this season behind a talented Oklahoma State team.
Favorite to win Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year: Travis Hunter, Colorado
Travis Hunter could easily win Offensive Player of the Year because he plays on both sides of the ball for Colorado. As a defensive back, he has elite coverage skills and projects as a top-10 pick in next year’s NFL Draft.
Travis Hunter is better than your favorite college football player https://t.co/IoFXJMC9Er
— Barstool Colorado (@CUBarstool) August 17, 2024
Sleeper Team: Kansas
Kansas is led by Lance Leipold, one of the best coaches in the NCAA. He has helped lead this team from two wins to six wins to nine wins. I expect they will be in the mix for a Big 12 Title.
Big 12 Team Notes
Utah
Utah is one of the best-coached teams in college football, and they are a physical group that hits every team. I expect them to have a good chance at making the College Football Playoff.
Kansas State
Kansas State brings back a good core and everyone is raving about Avery Johnson, a talented, young quarterback. They will be in the mix for the Big 12 Championship and the College Football Playoff.
Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State is another team I expect to be in the mix for the Big 12 Championship Game and a College Football Playoff spot. Mike Gundy consistently has his teams overperforming expectations. Led by star running back Ollie Gordon, they should be a good football team this season.
Kansas
Kansas is my sleeper pick and I think they can also make a run to the Big Ten Championship game. They could also be in the mix for a College Football Playoff spot.
Arizona
This will be Arizona’s first year in the Big 12. The program had a breakthrough last year when it won 10 games, a big accomplishment for a once-downtrodden program. Head coach Jedd Fisch then bolted to Washington to take their vacant head coaching job. Brent Brennan from San Jose State was brought in to Arizona after a successful run on the West Coast. He did retain a good core of players, so Arizona should be able to maintain some success.
.@antoinecason is locked in on the Big 12 era! @Big12Conference x #BearDown pic.twitter.com/H27s2aFCgc
— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) August 2, 2024
Iowa State
Matt Campbell has been Iowa State’s head coach since 2016, and he’s one of the program’s most successful coaches ever. He has gone 53-48, but ever since winning nine games in 2020, Iowa State has gone 18-20. With all the new teams entering the conference, it might be hard for Iowa State to be successful going forward.
West Virginia
After starting his first four years with a record of 22-25, Neal Brown had a successful season last year, winning nine games. Now, the Mountaineers are poised to improve on that record this season with several key contributors coming back, including quarterback Garrett Greene. They also return star running back Jaheim White. West Virginia opens against Penn State in Week 1, which will be a fascinating matchup. If they pull off the upset, they could make a run at nine or 10 wins.
UCF
UCF has made a meteoric rise from the American Athletic Conference to joining a Power 4 conference. Guz Malzahn is entering his third season at UCF and he has helped them maintain success by winning nine games in each of his first two seasons and six games last year. Improving by a win or two would be a good step forward.
Texas Tech
Texas Tech has been an average football program for quite some time in the Big 12. Now, with the addition of several other teams, can they get over the hump and compete for a Big 12 title? It might be a difficult task going forward.
TCU
TCU has had the tale of two polar opposite seasons under Sonny Dykes. Dykes won the Big 12 in Year 1 and won a playoff game against Michigan to reach the National Championship where they were eventually crushed by Georgia, but the program still enjoyed a 13-2 season. Then, last year, they fell back to 5-7 and didn’t qualify for a bowl game. I expect they will be in the middle this season and win at least six games to make a bowl game.
Colorado
Colorado was the hit of college football last year when they started 3-0 under Deion Sanders and instantly became a media darling. However, they struggled the rest of the way and finished 4-8. Still, a lot of buzz surrounds this program and I expect Sanders to have them better in Year 2. They should make a bowl game.
Baylor
Baylor has struggled the last two years going a combined 9-16 after they finished 12-2 three years ago. Head coach Dave Aranda enters this season on the hot seat and could be let go if they do not turn it around in 2024.
#Baylor football head coach Dave Aranda said he has yet to make a decision on the starting quarterback, but said the time is ticking and hopes to have a decision by Monday.
— Foster Nicholas (@FosterNicholas_) August 18, 2024
BYU
BYU has always wanted to be in a Power 4 Conference, so making the Big 12 was a huge accomplishment last year. They struggled badly, however, going 5-7. I could see them eventually being competitive in the Big 12, but it will take some time.
Cincinnati
Cincinnati struggled mightily in the Big 12 last year, winning just three games. It is hard to see them winning much more this year. They could get to a bowl game, but it will take a huge improvement off last year’s squad. Scott Satterfield is entering Year 2 as head coach and could be on the hot seat.
Houston
Houston is entering its second season in the Big 12 after it struggled to a 4-8 record last year. The school fired head coach Dana Holgerson and replaced him with Willie Fritz, who helped Tulane win 12 and 11 games the last two years. Fritz has a long track record of success and I think he will turn around the program, but Year 1 might be a struggle.
Arizona State
Kenny Dillingham had a rough Year 1, going 3-9 on the season, but I think he is steadily trying to build the program, so I could see them winning another game or two this season. It remains to be seen whether they will ever gain any success in the Big 12 after being irrelevant in the Pac-12 for a long time.
Final Thoughts
I doubt a team from the Big 12 will win a national title this year, but it is a deep and fun conference. It is also a wide-open conference, so you can argue for as many as seven or eight teams to be named conference champions. It will be fascinating to watch.
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