Week 4 is here, and with it comes the first full weekend of conference play in the Big 12 and the rest of the conferences in college football.
There have been several surprises in league play so far, but we won’t know much about the Big 12 race until we see some of these teams start to face one another.
In fact, after three weeks of action, several teams remain that we know little about. The Heartland College Sports staff aims to focus on these in today’s roundtable.
Which Big 12 team has the most questions heading into conference play this weekend?
Pete Mundo: Baylor
I want to think Dave Aranda can turn this thing around and get himself off the hypothetical hot seat, and his best opportunity starts this weekend in the Baylor vs. Colorado game where the Bears are a two-point underdog. I’ve seen positive signs for the defense with Aranda back to calling plays. But is it just because Air Force isn’t very good and the second half against Utah didn’t include Cam Rising? That remains to be seen.
And on the other side of the ball, there appears to be a quarterback controversy brewing between Dequan Finn and Sawyer Robertson. So what is the decision going to be there? We’ll find out in the weeks ahead.
But between trying to figure out if this defense is as good as we think it might be, combined with the question marks on offense, Baylor is the team with the most questions around it right now in the Big 12.
Bryan Clinton: BYU
The BYU football team is the biggest wildcard in the Big 12 race heading into conference play, and the reason is the question marks at key positions. First, what are they going to get out of Jake Retzlaff? He’s been good enough for BYU to win its first three games, but the defense has really been the driving force. If Retzlaff is able to clean up the turnovers and play clean football, this BYU team is going to surprise some folks.
The Cougars have been impressive thus far defensively and could be a real force if they continue to grow in that capacity. That will take someone other than Tyler Batty emerging to become a superstar on the defensive line. Do they have that player on the roster right now? Isaiah Glasker, Jack Kelly, and Harrison Taggart have all looked the part at linebacker, but Blake Mangelson or Isaiah Bagnah taking the next step could elevate this team in a big, big way.
Another question is whether they can get the run game going. With Retzlaff struggling at times, it would be incredibly beneficial for BYU to run the football effectively. The Cougs have had injury issues at running back through the first three games, and Retzlaff (113 yards) actually leads the team in rushing. Hinckley Ropati (89 yards) and LJ Martin (87 yards) have shown flashes, but it needs to be much more consistent in league play.
Matthew Postins: Texas Tech
Did you know only one team in the Big 12 has scored 100 or more points and given up 100 or more points in three games? Yep, it’s the Red Raiders. That naturally invites a lot of questions. TTU dropped 52 on Abilene Christian but needed OT to win because ACU scored 51. Then Tech lays an egg at Washington State and gives up 37 points. Then, it destroys North Texas. I honestly don’t know who this team is going into league play. I thought it was a dark horse contender. To this point, Tech has not played like it.
Derek Duke: Arizona
For me, it’s Arizona. Arizona football was picked to finish in the top half of the Big 12 and there were plenty of people talking about them competing for a Big 12 title before the season started. But after the first three weeks, I have yet to be impressed. Don’t get me wrong, Noah Fifita and Tetairoa McMillan may be the best quarterback/wide receiver duo in the conference, but outside of that, there isn’t much there with this team. In fact, I have more questions than answers to them.
They struggle against the run defensively, as they have given up over 200 yards on the ground to New Mexico and Kansas State. Speaking of Kansas State football, do I need to remind anyone of that score? Simply put, this team wasn’t ready to compete in the Big 12 in year one with a new head coach and a bunch of new faces, and that is why I labeled them as my most overrated team in the preseason.Â
Joe Tillery: Kansas
I’m not sure there are teams with larger questions right now than Kansas and West Virginia, and conveniently, they face off to start conference play. The Jayhawks have had a brutal start to their 2024 season, and while everything is still ahead of them with a shot to win the Big 12 and make the College Football Playoff, it’s impossible to miss the warning signs.
Jalon Daniels looks like a completely different quarterback since the last time he stepped onto the field in a Kansas uniform, and the least popular guy on campus in Lawrence happens to patrol the Jayhawks’ sidelines. After standout offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki departed for Penn State, Kansas HC Lance Leipold elected to hire Jeff Grimes, who, to put it lightly, has struggled in his new destination. Until the Jayhawks can get back on the right path, they have the most questions in need of answering.
