Just a couple of years ago, the future of the Big 12 seemed very much in doubt. Among other things, news of Oklahoma and Texas bolting for the SEC sparked rumors that the other programs that made up the conference would not be able to financially carry the burden.
But with the breakup of the Pac-12, this conference was able to satiate itself with the pieces that looked most appetizing, and now the Big 12 looks fairly healthy at 16 teams. Its newest members (Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, BYU) bring with them some history and name recognition, and Colorado even knows a thing or two about how things used to work in this part of town.
The current pulse on the Big 12 gives a healthy reading, and it seems that Around The Corn will be producing previews for it for years to come.
Teams I Like
Utah
I liked the Utes last season in a stacked Pac-12, and it turned out that Cam Rising was unable to play but Kyle Whittingham’s team still managed to put together an eight win campaign. Rising is back for a sixth season in Salt Lake City and returns to an improved version of the 2023 team that was supposed to contend for the Pac-12 title. The offense will be more potent and defensively the country’s No. 13 squad from last season comes back nearly entirely intact.
While the Big 12 is bigger this season, it isn’t necessarily more difficult than the league the Utes just left. The defense also won’t have to face a slew of future NFL quarterbacks, so the side of the ball Whittingham knows best could be even better for Utah than in 2023. This combination of more talent and easier competition puts Utah in good position to make the Playoff.
Oklahoma State
Mike Gundy probably wouldn’t like reading my above write-up on the conference, as the Cowboys are the best remaining program from last year’s Big 12 and themselves have legitimate aspirations to qualify for the Playoff. Quarterback play will need to be more consistent in 2024, but Oklahoma State boasts the country’s best running back (Ollie Gordon II) and an excellent offensive line to protect Alan Bowman. It will be tough to stop Oklahoma State on offense this season if Bowman is at least serviceable.
The Cowboys face a tough three week stretch between the end of September and early October that features three of the best competition in the conference. If Oklahoma State can win at least two of those games, double-digit regular season wins seems like a good possibility and that should put Gundy’s squad in the thick of the Big 12 and Playoff race.
Not High On
Kansas
This one is tough to admit, because I actually very much respect the job that Lance Leipold has done in his three years at Kansas and think that the QB-RB combination of Jalon Daniels and Devin Neal is one of the most electric in the country. The problem is that I have lost faith that Daniels can survive an entire season without missing games, and unlike last season there isn’t a great contingency plan for if (when) he goes down. There’s also the real question mark about how this offense gets on without former offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, now at Penn State.
There is enough talent on this team to suggest that they can be in contention for the Big 12 title, but the schedule is not particularly team friendly and features a number of physical matchups early in the season. If Daniels somehow makes it to the meat of the Big 12 schedule healthy, there’s a chance I’m very wrong about this one. That doesn’t feel like a particularly likely scenario, however.
Players To Watch
Dorian Singer, Utah wide receiver
Following a disappointing 2023 season with Southern Cal, Singer opted to forgo a move to the Big Ten and again entered the portal, joining a Utah wideout corps that will benefit significantly from his presence. While Utah’s offense isn’t as wide open as Lincoln Riley’s in Los Angeles, Singer will continue to catch balls from the best quarterback in the conference and a guy that doesn’t lock in on a single option.
A return to a 1,000+ yard receiving season is very possible for Singer, who accomplished that feat in 2022 when with Arizona.
Avery Johnson, Kansas State quarterback
You know you have something special when the backup gets fans more excited than a guy who set the school record for career touchdown passes. Johnson, a true freshman last season, saw limited action in 2023 but assumed the starter’s role when Will Howard announced at the end of November he was entering the transfer portal. Talk from the fan base was that Johnson was going to take the spot from Howard even if he had decided to stay in Manhattan this season.
Johnson’s current highlight reel mostly shows off his running abilities, but he’s an underrated passer and should immediately become one of the most dangerous in the Big 12 with both his arm and legs. Depending on how quickly the new offensive line gels, Johnson may need to use his legs more often than the coaching staff would like early in the season.
Ollie Gordon II, Oklahoma State running back
Mentioned earlier as the best running back in the country, it was a bit of a surprise that the reigning Doak Walker Award winner returned to Stillwater without even testing the transfer portal waters after last season. Gordon could have named his price with just about any program, but chose to stick with running behind perhaps the top offensive line in the nation.
Bettering a campaign in which he ran for 1,732 yards and 21 touchdowns will be tough, but if Gordon is able to do so then a repeat of the Doak Walker Award may not be the most prestigious piece of hardware he manages to bring to Oklahoma State this season.
Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona wide receiver
McMillan was the leader of an electric and deep receiving corps for Arizona last season, which featured three players (Jacob Cowing and tight end Tanner McLachlan the others) with at least 500 yards and 45 receptions. Though McMillan is the only one of the three remaining in Tucson, his combination of size and speed ensures it will continue to be difficult for opposing defenses to stop him from receiving the ball a lot.
It will be interesting to see how the loss former Arizona head man Jedd Fisch and OC Noel Mazzone affects the pace of the offense, but McMillan and quarterback Noah Fifita have good rapport with each other and should continue to be successful under Brent Brennan and Dino Babers.
Games to Watch (Non-Conference)
Colorado at Nebraska (September 7)
I have high expectations for the Cornhuskers in Matt Rhule’s second year in Lincoln, but those could be dampened quickly if the Buffaloes are able to steal one on the road against Nebraska.
West Virginia at Pittsburgh (September 14)
These two programs reinstating this rivalry to be played on a more regular basis beginning in 2022 was one of the best decisions in college football.
UCF at Florida (October 5)
The Knights are now part of a Power conference, which makes the fact that they have a legitimate shot at beating big brother this season a bit less impressive. However, UCF has beaten the Gators just one other time, and it remains its only victory over a Power conference school located in the state of Florida.
Games to Watch (Conference)
Utah at Oklahoma State (September 21)
The first game in a brutal three week stretch for the Cowboys which will likely come to define their season.
Oklahoma State at Kansas State (September 28)
The second game of the aforementioned brutal stretch for Oklahoma State takes the Cowboys to a location where they were absolutely walloped two seasons ago by Chris Klieman’s squad. It remains the most head-scratching defeat in the Mike Gundy era.
Kansas State at Iowa State (November 30)
The Cyclones will likely have a big role in determining which two teams play for the Big 12 title, even if Iowa State itself isn’t in play for that. This will be the second week in a row that Matt Campbell’s team will face a title contender (the week before being against Utah).
Aw, Shuck It (3 Bets to Place)
*odds via DraftKings at time of publication. Around The Corn is not responsible for lost bets!
Utah to Make Playoff (+200)
Although the Utes were frequently in the mix during their 13-year stint in the Pac-12, and even won the conference in 2021 and 2022, it never truly felt like Utah was a national title contender. Even last year’s high expectations were severely dampened when it became apparent that Cam Rising wasn’t going to be healthy enough to suit up. This year feels different and a trip to the Playoff isn’t an absurd prediction.
Ollie Gordon II to win Doak Walker Award (+350)
Only three players have done the double with this award, the last being Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor in 2018 and 2019. It’s certainly rarified air with the others being Ricky Williams and Darren McFadden, but Gordon certainly has the ability to do it and his name isn’t out of place being mentioned alongside those three players already.
Iowa State to make Big 12 title game (+450)
The schedule is quite tough, which makes this a bit of a dark horse pick, but Matt Campbell has led teams with low expectations to great heights before and the talent is certainly there for the Cyclones to make this one happen.
Predictions
- Utah (11-1, [8-1])
- Iowa State (10-2, [8-1])
- Oklahoma State (10-2, [7-2])
- UCF (8-4, [6-3])
- West Virginia (8-4, [5-3])
- Kansas State (9-3, [6-3])
- TCU (7-5, [5-4])
- Texas Tech (7-5, [4-5])
- Arizona (6-6, [4-5])
- Baylor (6-6, [4-5])
- Kansas (6-6, [4-5])
- Cincinnati (6-6, [4-5])
- Colorado (5-7, [3-6])
- BYU (4-8, [3-6])
- Houston (1-11, [0-9])
- Arizona State (0-12, [0-9])
Conference Title Game
Iowa State vs. Utah [game in Dallas]
Champion: Utah
