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Big 12 Conference Preview 2024: NCAA Football Predictions, Team Insights & Betting Odds
Written by: Nate Hornung
Last Updated:
Read Time: 10 minutes
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The Big 12 also inherited some misplaced Pac-12 teams and now features 16 total teams in the conference. Although powerhouses like Oregon, USC and Washington entered the Big Ten, the Big 12 added some very solid football teams as well. With plenty of new faces, these teams do not play everyone in their conference anymore, and thus teams could meet for the first time the conference championship game. Let’s take a look at who was added and who broke into the Top 25.
Big 12 Additions
- Arizona State
- Arizona
- Colorado
- Utah
Additionally, the Big 12 has changed very recently, as BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF will be playing in just their 2nd Big 12 season, and this will be the first year without the Longhorns or Sooners. This conference is certainly up for grabs, and plenty of teams think they are capable of winning the Big 12 Title.
Big 12 Ranked Teams
- #12 Utah Utes
- #17 Oklahoma State Cowboys
- #18 Kansas State Wildcats
- #21 Arizona Wildcats
- #22 Kansas Jayhawks
Yes, yes, believe it or not, the Colorado Buffalos are not on this list. And quite frankly they don’t deserve to be. They someone still received 1 vote to make the poll, but they had all the hype in the world last year, and didn’t live up to any of it. Now in their 2nd season with Coach Prime, they are in a much tougher conference than before, and much deeper conference as well, and their schedule does not help them at all. But we will get into that in a second.
Iowa State and West Virginia were two other teams barely missing the Top 25 but certainly rounding out the Top 30. We see Vegas likes the Cyclones as well if we look at the overall odds to win this conference.
Odds to Win Big 12 Championship
Can Cam Rising return to full strength against these tough Big 12 opponents?
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- Utah +325
- Kansas State +400
- Oklahoma State +600
- UCF +650
- Kansas +850
- Iowa State +900
- Arizona +1200
- Texas Tech +1800
- TCU +1800
- West Virginia +1800
- Colorado +2000
This is by far the conference with the most potential champions, as there is no clear cut and dry favorite like we see elsewhere. Six teams have shorter than 10-1 odds, and that includes 2 squads that aren’t even ranked in the Top 25! Although UCF is the 4th favorite to win the Big 12, they did not receive a single vote to be in the AP Rankings. Can the Knights prove some haters wrong this year?
The Rest of the Conference
- Baylor 66-1
- Cincinnati 75-1
- Arizona State 100-1
- Houston 100-1
- BYU 100-1
It seems safe to eliminate these 5 teams from the title race already, but who knows? Weirder things have happened. This is a tough conference to swallow as a whole, as I firmly believe scheduling will play a big role in how well these teams do. Let’s dive into the teams and see if we can find a conference champion!
Big 12 Team Previews
Can Noah Fifita and the Wildcats surprise some teams in the Big 12?
While I won’t touch on all 16 teams in this conference, we will certainly get into the top half of the league!
Arizona Wildcats
The conference newbies find themselves a bit lower on the overall odds board than their #21 ranking might suggest, but that just shows you how deep this conference is. Sophomore QB Noah Fifita leads this Wildcats team into the Big 12, and while they do play 3 of the bottom 5 projected teams in this conference, their 3 hardest battles will all be on the road.
The Wildcats play @ Kansas State and @ Utah for their 3rd and 4th games of the season, which could mean 2 early losses for the program. Later in the year they travel a long ways to play @ UCF, whom by Vegas’ predictions, could make a run at the Big 12 conference. Arizona will go as far as Fifita can lead them, but if they struggle on the road, it could be a hard journey.
Can Campbell and the Cyclones silence the doubters this season?
Iowa State Cyclones
The Cyclones are another sneaky team but their schedule also gives me some worries. Not only do they take on #25 Iowa on the road in the 2nd week of the season, but they also have to play against UCF, @ #22 Kansas, and end the year @ #12 Utah and hosting #18 Kansas State. Matt Campbell has plenty of returning starters, but can Sophomore QB Rocco Becht be enough to lead the Cyclones past this very tough conference?
While the Cyclones do play Houston, Baylor and Cincinnati, 3 of the 5 projected bottom teams in the Big 12, I think there are some other heavy hitters that have a better shot at the conference title.
Will Jalon Daniels be able to stay healthy this year?
Kansas Jayhawks
Hold your horses, Jayhawk football is back. After an incredible season last year, QB Jalon Daniels leads a Jayhawk team that has new energy in the football atmosphere. Kansas returns plenty of starters on both sides of the ball from their 9-4 Bowl winning team last year, but can Daniels stay healthy for the whole season? Daniels has yet to play 10 games in a season for Kansas in his career, and coming off an injury can be very tough. Luckily for him, he has plenty of help on the offensive side of the ball, and I think the Jayhawks could surprise some people this year.
They also have incredibly weak schedule. Kansas avoids Utah, Arizona, and Oklahoma State, having their two toughest games being @ Kansas State and against Iowa State. The Wildcats are currently the only ranked opponent on the Jayhawk’s schedule, so at +850 odds, we had to take a stab at it. The Jayhawks also have the benefit of playing 4 of the bottom 5 projected teams in the Big 12. We would have an incredibly hedging opportunity if they make the Conference Championship and face the Utah Utes.
Avery Johnson took over as the Wildcats starter last year as a freshman
Kansas State Wildcats
The other Kansas team will start Avery Johnson at QB, who proved to be a force with his legs. Can he sling the pill enough to guide the Wildcats to another Big 12 Championship? Unfortunately for them, they have one of the tougher schedules in the conference. While Kansas State does play 4 of the bottom 5 teams in the Big 12, they have to play 3 ranked opponents and Iowa State in the process.
Now, the Wildcats host #21 Arizona, #17 Oklahoma State, and #22 Kansas, with their toughest road game being in Ames to end the year. However, teams like Kansas, Oklahoma State and Utah have much easier schedules, meaning those wins are more crucial to the Wildcats. Depending on how the rest of the league shapes out, it’s not crazy to think that a 2 loss team could make the Big 12 Championship, and I could certainly see the Cats being a candidate. If Avery Johnson can lead this prolific offense, Kansas State could even sneak their way into the CFP.
Can Gordon and the Cowboys run all over the rest of the Big 12?
Oklahoma State Cowboys
Possibly the most underrated team in the country features the country’s best RB in Ollie Gordon II. On the Cowboys side as well is certainly their schedule, which features just two ranked opponent’s this year. For the first time in forever, Oklahoma State will not play their in-state rival this College Football season, unless the two link up in the CFP. Regardless, Oklahoma State hosts #12 Utah and plays @ #18 Kansas State in consecutive weeks.
If the Cowboys pull off both of those wins, it could be very smooth sailing, as they host Arkansas, West Virginia and Texas Tech who are all very lack luster opponents. I see Oklahoma State and Ollie Gordon running all over these teams. If the Cowboys start the year 5-0, beating Arkansas, Utah and KSU, they might be a shoe-in for the Big 12 Championship game, as I see them finishing this season with 7 straight wins based off the back half of their schedule. With Texas and Oklahoma finally out of the way, the Cowboys are my pick to win the Big 12 this season.
Can Rising lead the Utes to a Big 12 Championship in his first season back?
Utah Utes
The favorites to win the conference are newcomers led by a QB coming back from an injury. Cam Rising looks to get back to his former self this season and lead the Utes to a Big 12 Championship. Rising leads a talented offense, but the defense is what really sticks out to me with Utah.
They certainly have an easier schedule as well, with only two ranked opponents currently on the schedule. Utah plays @ #17 Oklahoma State and hosts #21 Arizona in back to back weeks in September, getting their hardest matchups out of the way early. Utah ends the year hosting Iowa State and playing UCF on the road, which could end up being a bit tricky as the season goes on, especially with the amount of traveling that will happen in this conference.
While I can see Utah winning the Big 12, I think there are a couple other teams with easier paths that will make it to the top instead.
Final Big 12 Predictions
- #1 Oklahoma State
- #2 Kansas
- #3 Kansas State
- #4 Utah
- #5 Iowa State
- #6 Arizona
- #7 UCF
- #8 Texas Tech
- #9 West Virginia
- #10 TCU
- #11 Baylor
- #12 Colorado
- #13 Cincinnati
- #14 Arizona State
- #15 Houston
- #16 BYU
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Nate has been a recreational sports bettor for about 5 years. In that time, he has grown to love the pursuit of winners and sticking it to The Man. Nate loves data and uses his understanding of numbers to help him be a more profitable sports gambler, however he will be the first to tell you this game is about more than just stats.
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