Top Storylines to Watch for Big 12 Football in 2024
With Texas’ 37-31 loss to No. 2 Washington in the Allstate Sugar Bowl, the 2023 Big 12 football season has officially come to a close.
It was a fun and wild ride for the conference, and the last go-around that involved either the aforementioned Longhorns or their arch-rivals, the Oklahoma Sooners.
The Red River duo, complete with all the drama and robust fan bases that come along with them, are headed to the SEC, where they’ll hope to carve out a new role for themselves.
Meanwhile, the Big 12 still remains strong, and as one of the three conferences best set up for future success, there’s a lot to be excited about when it comes to 2024. Though the season is still eight months away, there are several storylines worth peeking ahead to next season in the Big 12. Here are the top ten storylines that we can’t wait to cover.
Welcome to the Big 12, Coach Prime
Deion Sanders’ addition into the Big 12 is going to be one of the most interesting things that happens to the league all season, regardless of whether Colorado is a contender right away or not. “The Prime Effect” is a real thing, and there’s reason to believe that his addition into the conference will be a huge boost to the number of eyes that are on the Big 12. If Colorado is good next year, things could go nuclear as media and a following is concerned.
Immediate Competitors Among Newcomers
While the first wave of newcomers in 2023 provided only one bowl team, there’s a chance that three of the four teams entering the Big 12 in 2024 could be immediate competitors. Colorado is a bit of a long shot at this point in time, but Arizona and Utah might be the best two teams in the league next season, which is wild to say. However, after what we saw from the Wildcats in ’23, and Cam Rising coming back for the Utes in ’24, those two teams will be in the mix to win a title.
Big RB Talent Coming Back
Do you like elite running backs? Well, the Big 12 is going to be the conference to watch next season. Oklahoma State returns Doak Walker Award winner Ollie Gordon, but he’s not the only future NFL back in the mix. Texas Tech’s Tahj Brooks, UCF’s RJ Harvey, Kansas’ Devin Neal, and K-State’s DJ Giddens all ranked in the top 18 nationally in rushing yards in ’23, while Gordon, Brooks, and Harvey were all top six nationally. Add to that names like Corey Kiner, Jonah Coleman, and Jahiem White, and you’ve got the deepest collection of RB talent of any conference in the nation.
KJ Jefferson Makes UCF Legit Contender
With running back RJ Harvey and wide receiver Kobe Hudson set to return in 2024, it was already likely that UCF’s offense would once again rank among the best units in the nation. However, the Knights went out and landed one of the best quarterbacks available in the portal in Arkansas’ KJ Jefferson. Jefferson brings 88 career touchdowns and 39 career starts in the SEC with him to Orlando and immediately makes UCF a team to watch in the Big 12 race next season.
Coaches on the Hot Seat
What coaches will enter the 2024 season on a hot seat? Baylor’s Dave Aranda and Cincinnati’s Scott Satterfield are at the top of the list, but seeing how programs like West Virginia and BYU handle their coaching situations will be intriguing storylines to follow as well. If things go bad for any of those four teams, it’s not outside the realm of possibility for them to be looking for jobs after next season.
Who are the new Big Dogs?
With Oklahoma and Texas now gone, what programs will step into the “Big Dog” role in the Big 12? When teams played OU or Texas, there was always a little extra juice. Will that be Oklahoma State and Utah, who have had long stints of success under their respective head coaches? Or will a new power arise, with programs like UCF and Houston having a chance to build reputations as top-shelf recruiters?
Big-Name Quarterbacks Galore
Just as the Big 12’s running back depth will be next season, the league will have a bevy of top-tier quarterbacks, with a list that includes: Sheduer Sanders (Colorado), Cam Rising (Utah), Naoh Fifita (Arizona), Avery Johnson (Kansas State), Jalon Daniels (Kansas), KJ Jefferson (Arkansas), Rocco Becht (Iowa State), and Dequan Finn (Baylor). Whether it be returning stars or transfer portal gems, the Big 12’s got some great quarterback depth in 2024.
A 12-Team College Football Playoff
For the first time ever, the Big 12 will be guaranteed a spot in the College Football Playoff, as the league’s champion will grab an automatic bid as a Power Four Champion. The conference has had a representative in the four-team playoff in six of 10 seasons to this point, but now it will be guaranteed. How will that affect the Big 12 Championship Game and conference title race moving forward? It’ll be fun to follow along and find out.
Coaching Talent Galore
Pound-for-pound, there might not be a more impressive group of coaches in the country than what the Big 12 has to offer. Just take a look at this group of names.
- Brent Brennan (Arizona)
- Kenny Dillingham (Arizona State)
- Dave Aranda (Baylor)
- Kalani Sitake (BYU)
- Scott Satterfield (Cincinnati)
- Deion Sanders (Colorado)
- Willie Fritz (Houston)
- Matt Campbell (Iowa State)
- Lance Leipold (Kansas)
- Chris Klieman (Kansas State)
- Mike Gundy (Oklahoma State)
- Sonny Dykes (TCU)
- Joey McGuire (Texas Tech)
- Gus Malzahn (UCF)
- Kyle Whittingham (Utah)
- Neal Brown (West Virginia)
That list includes two of the longest-tenured coaches in college football (Gundy, Whittingham), several Coach of the Year Award Winners, and names that are considered among the best up-and-comers in the sport.
What Does a 16-Team League Look Like?
In 2024, we saw the Big 12 transition from 10 teams to 14 teams for the first time ever. With that, we saw an incredibly competitive Big 12 race that came down to tiebreakers, which had to be “clarified” to give us a clear indication of who would play for the conference title. So, what does adding two more teams to the mix look like? Will the tiebreakers be more clear from the beginning, and how will the new-look scheduling matrix play out?
