Big 12 2024 preview: Utah, Arizona, Colorado get here to challenge
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Bill Connelly, ESPN Staff WriterJul 9, 2024, 07:41 AM ET Close Costs Connelly is a personnel writer for ESPN.com.It boasts perhaps the
2 finest running backs in the country. It has the most tested quarterbacks beyond the SEC. Its September slate is splendid. Its conference race might include as lots of as 8 competitors, possibly 10.
The Big 12 most likely won’t have a nationwide title contender in 2024, or in many coming seasons. It just lost its two greatest brands– and, by nature, most likely annual competitors– to the SEC. In, perhaps, the most compelling conference in the sport, its champion will be battle-tested, confident and efficient in making some playoff sound. It will nearly definitely be the most entertaining. Conference realignment has actually been a harmful force for this sport in countless ways, however it did gift us with a magnificently messy Huge 12. Let’s count our blessings. And let’s sneak peek the Huge 12!
Each week through the summertime, Expense Connelly will preview another FBS conference solely for ESPN+, ultimately consisting of all 134 FBS teams. The sneak peeks will include 2023 breakdowns, 2024 previews and team-by-team capsules. Here are the MAC, Conference U.S.A., AAC, MWC, Sun Belt, independents and ACC previews.Jump to a section:2024 forecasts|Finest games Title contenders|Who’s close?Hoping for 6-6 2023 recap GROUP REC.(CONF)SP+RK OFF. SP+DEF. SP+ST SP+K ansas St.(Big 12)9-4 (6-3)16.2(15)38.9(7)
21.8 ( 33) -0.8 (90)Arizona(Pac-12) 10-3 (7-2)14.1(18)37.3( 9)23.1 (41) -0.2 (78) Kansas (Big 12 ) 9-4 (5-4 ) 9.9 (25 ) 35.6 (17) 26.1 (62) 0.4 (60 ) Utah (Pac-12)8-5 (5-4 ) 8.5 (32 ) 26.7 (65) 19.4 (24) 1.2 (34 ) TCU (Big 12)5-7 ( 3-6 ) 7.9 (35 ) 33.5 (25) 25.3 (54) -0.3 (80 ) Iowa St.( Big 12 ) 7-6 (6-3 ) 7.5 (37) 26.4 (67) 20.1 (27 ) 1.1 (37 ) WVU (Big 12)9-4 ( 6-3 ) 7.5 (38) 31.5 (35) 24.6 (48 ) 0.5 (54 ) Oklahoma St. ( Big 12)10-4(7-3 ) 6.7 (42) 32.8 (28 ) 27.1 (69 ) 1.0 (42 ) Texas Tech ( Big 12) 7-6 (5-4) 6.1 (43 ) 29.6 (49 ) 24.7 (49 ) 1.2 (31 ) UCF (Big 12) 6-7 (3-6) 3.4 (57 ) 30.3 (45 ) 25.2 (53 ) -1.7 (113 ) BYU (Big 12) 5-7 (2-7) -3.3 (76 ) 25.3 (75 ) 30.3 (94 ) 1.7 (11 ) Colorado (Pac-12) 4-8 (1-8 ) -4.9 (81 ) 29.6 (48 ) 34.4 (113 ) -0.1 (73) Cincinnati (Big 12)3-9 ( 1-8 ) -6.8 (87 ) 21.3 (96 ) 28.3 (83) 0.2 (65) Houston (Big 12 ) 4-8 (2-7 ) -7.8 (95 ) 25.6 (71) 32.2 (102) -1.2 (101 ) Baylor (Big 12 ) 3-9 (2-7 ) -8.3 (97) 24.5 (78) 32.6 (103 ) -0.2 (79 ) Arizona St. (Pac-12)3-9(2-7 )-11.3 (107) 20.2 (101) 29.9 (89 ) -1.6 (111 ) The real Huge 12 champion race was delightful enough . Texas lost to Oklahoma however won three other one-score games to end up ahead of the pack at 8-1, Oklahoma State removed Oklahoma in the last Bedlam for the foreseeable future and won three other one-score games to complete 7-2 with the Sooners, while 3 other teams lingered just one game behind.Replace Texas and OU with Arizona and Utah, however, and you might have had an even wilder race.
(And probably a more competitive Huge 12 national championship.)That’s what awaits us this time around.