Can you feel it? The building anticipation of a new season in the college football history books, the buzzing of a home crowd on the edge of their seats anticipating the moment their team emerges from the tunnel to take the field. The music pumping through the stadium speakers, and the booming voice of the announcer filling the air indicate one thing. The wait is over; college football is back.
In BYU's second season in the Big 12 Conference, expectations are understandably low. Few expect many surprises from the Cougars who failed to reach bowl eligibility in their first season as a member of a power conference, and even many BYU football fans would consider a 6-win season to be a major success.
So, with a team whose prospects seem underwhelming, instead of wallowing in self-pity, staring into the abyss, and canceling dinner with ourselves, let's turn our attention to the Big 12 Conference. I've been enjoying predictions about which schools will represent the Big 12 in the new era of the College Football Playoff--where the Big 12 Champion has an automatic bid--and which teams may miss the cut.
The Contenders
In every league, a few true contenders work their way to the foreground as if to say, "Leave no doubt, we'll be taking home the title." The Big 12 looks to be a highly competitive league this season, especially with the 4-corners schools' addition that put the final nail in the Pac-12's coffin. Hopefully, the Pac-12's cannibalistic tendencies don't compromise the league's integrity as it did in recent years (the Pac-12 circle of suck was a popular joke in my friend circles).
Despite the potential for a Big 12 circle of suck, the conference has a guaranteed spot in the College Football Playoff. With that in mind, let's discuss who are the real contenders for the Big 12 Conference Championship.
Each of these schools has a real case to be the favorites, but in our preseason CFP predictions, we slated Oklahoma State as the Big 12 Champion. With no disrespect to Utah or K-State, our preseason uninformed bias leans towards Stillwater, Oklahoma, as the Cowboys returned their most talented athlete from their championship game run last season.
Utah and Kansas State could turn some heads as the season progresses, and the preseason odds are in their favor, but some lingering doubts surrounding both teams could stand in their way if these squads can't overcome them.
In Utah's first season with the conference, they certainly have the talent to run the table and earn the conference's auto-bid. Behind a veteran coach and quarterback, Utah's goal entering the season will be clear and simple: win the conference championship. The biggest question surrounding the Utes has to be how they'll adjust to their new conference slate. Though arguably equal in difficulty of schedule, the Big 12 provides a similar, yet new challenge.
How Utah adjusts will dictate the direction of their season, and for their sakes, they'd better adjust quickly. If they don't, Utah could find themselves out of the playoff picture entirely.
Will Utah be crowned Big 12 Champions at the end of the season?
— Lawless Republic (@LawlessRepublic) August 19, 2024
Until the season kicks off for the first time, we can't be certain about our preseason projections. As it stands, we believe the Oklahoma State Cowboys will be crowned champions when it's all said and done. Until then, however, it's all just conjecture.