Big 12 football teams will create a vastly different conference in 2024. Last season, the conference added the likes of Cincinnati, BYU, UCF, and Houston in an attempt to keep up with the nuclear arms race that is college football conference realignment. The move was in response to Texas and Oklahoma – arguably the conference’s two largest brands – announcing that they would defect to the SEC. In 2024, Texas and Oklahoma will be members of the SEC a year earlier than initially thought.
The conference took part in the picking apart of the Pac 12’s carcass as the Conference of Champions’ largest brands left to join the Wisconsin Badgers in the Big 10. As a result, Colorado rejoined the Big 12 along with Arizona, Arizona State, and Utah. A few programs are worth free spins no deposit bonuses for champs. The betting favorites are currently Utah (+340) and Kansas State (+360) and it’s not terribly close. However, this conference is wide open and the favorites should keep an eye on a few underdogs who could take the crown.
Surprising Big 12 Football Teams For 2024
Arizona Wildcats
Last year in a surprisingly deep Pac 12, Arizona won 10 games and each of its losses came by one score. At the same time, the Wildcats finish 5-2 against ranked foes, all topped off by a two-touchdown win over Oklahoma in the Alamo Bowl, effectively kicking the Sooners to the curb.
Arizona is going to be an interesting case. On one hand, it has a fantastic up and coming quarterback in Noah Fifita. The talented rising redshirt sophomore is a darkhorse Heisman candidate and is set to follow up his 2,869-yard, 25-touchdown performance. The biggest question will be revolving around its head coach.
Jedd Fisch bolted for Washington as Kalen DeBoer left for Alabama. Thus, 22 players entered the transfer portal, which isn’t obscene, and a number followed Fisch. Fifita did not.
Arizona has a great opportunity to make the Big 12 Championship an all-Pac-12-defectees matchup against Utah.
West Virginia Mountaineers
Last year West Virginia surprised with a 9-4 record which resulted in a win over North Carolina in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. The Mountaineers have the 10th-best odds to take the conference in 2024 — clearly they are not amongst the Big 12 Football teams expected to make a deep run — but it has some lucky breaks sewn into its schedule.
In the first eight games, West Virginia will face off against five teams that ended the 2023 season ranked as well as Pitt in the Backyard Brawl. If WVU is going to make waves, it’ll be in the first eight games. Of those five ranked foes, three of those games will be at home including Penn State right off the bat.
West Virginia will likely have to lean on the rushing attack again in 2024. Last year, the Mountaineers had three players log over 100 carries, including quarterback Garrett Greene. Greene comes into the 2024 season after breaking out with 2,406 yards and 16 touchdowns through the air and adding 772 yards and 13 touchdowns.
With a few wins over these ranked opponents, West Virginia could find itself in the middle of the College Football Playoff discussion as the CFP expands to 12 teams in 2024.
Colorado Buffaloes
Can we talk about exciting Big 12 football teams without mentioning Colorado?
Deion Sanders and his Buffaloes burst onto the scene with three wins over TCU (coming off of a CFP National Championship appearance), Nebraska (Big 10), and Colorado State (big rivalry). Then, not as much fun. Overall, Colorado finished 4-8 which resulted in Sanders publicly saying he needed to replace his entire offensive line.
Media hype and over-the-top theatrics aside, Colorado has talent. Shadeur Sanders is setting out to become QB1 in the 2025 NFL Draft and two-way freak Travis Hunter, if he can stay healthy, can find himself entrenched in the Heisman discussion.
The Buffaloes have a tough late schedule and opens the year against FCS powerhouse, North Dakota State. If Colorado is going to make noise, it can start off strong and hit its stride vs Utah, at Kansas, and vs Oklahoma State.