LOOK: ESPN Predicts Final Big 12 Standings for 2023
The 2023 season is nearly upon us, which means that prediction season is coming to a close and we will have actual results from the field to talk about.
Still, it’s interesting to see how college football experts see the upcoming season going, especially in a new-look conference like the Big 12. With four new schools coming in and Texas and Oklahoma on their way out, the Big 12 is one of the most intriguing leagues heading into the season, and there have been a wide array of predictions surrounding the conference this offseason.
ESPN’s Bill Connelly and Dave Wilson gave their thoughts on the conference on Wednesday morning, in their collaboration story, 2023 college football outlook: Big 12 at a glance.
Among many other insights, Connelly and Wilson gave their thoughts on how the final Big 12 standings might look at the end of 2023. With many other similarities, the two agreed that Texas will finish first in the conference, while Kalani Sitake and BYU, will finish last. Take a look at their predictions, courtesy of ESPN.
How They’ll Finish: Big 12
| CONNELLY | WILSON |
|---|---|
| 1. Texas | 1. Texas |
| 2. Oklahoma | 2. Oklahoma |
| 3. TCU | 3. Texas Tech |
| 4. Oklahoma State | 4. TCU |
| 5. Kansas State | 5. Kansas State |
| 6. Texas Tech | 6. Baylor |
| 7. UCF | 7. Oklahoma State |
| 8. Baylor | 8. UCF |
| 9. Kansas | 9. Kansas |
| 10. West Virginia | 10. Houston |
| 11. Houston | 11. West Virginia |
| 12. Iowa State | 12. Iowa State |
| 13. Cincinnati | 13. Cincinnati |
| 14. BYU | 14. BYU |
It’s worth noting that Wilson has Texas defeating Texas Tech in the Big 12 Championship despite having Oklahoma finish second in the conference, which indicates a very tight race in the Big 12 standings.
Meanwhile, Connelly has Texas beating Oklahoma in the Big 12 Title game by two scores,
Will the Longhorns and Sooners get the last laugh in their last season with the Big 12? We have less than two weeks until we’ll have a clearer answer.
