Welcome to the Heartland College Sports Big 12 football mailbag. This mailbag is for all you football junkies out there who root for a Big 12 school and not only have questions about your team but other teams in the conference as well.
So, join me, grab a can, bottle, or glass of your favorite beverage, and relax as I answer all your Big 12 questions. I want to thank each one of you who submitted a question this week on Twitter and our message boards! As for tonight’s drink of choice, take a look for yourself. Cheers!
@WendyWinters69 asks: Thoughts on Iowa State playing the song Mr. Brightside?
Duke: It looks cool on TV, and I have seen videos from the stands, but let me be clear: I do not like the song at all. On top of that, it’s not exactly what I would call football music or even stadium music, for that matter. It’s not my kind of music, but hey, if Iowa State fans like it and get behind it, I am all for it, so I have no issue with them playing it. But you will never catch me singing it.
@lyclones420 asks: Are Utah’s problems largely quarterback-related or more indicative of bigger problems within the program?
Duke: They are quarterback-related. If you have watched Utah’s offense play, I have two things to say. One, it’s clear that they are a completely different team, and two, I feel sorry for you because it’s tough to watch. The sad thing is that Utah’s defense is doing all it can to keep them in games, but the offense simply can’t move the football with Isaac Wilson at quarterback. In their loss to Houston last weekend, they did bring in Brandon Rose, but he didn’t do much better. The Utes now have the second-worst scoring offense in the Big 12, averaging less than 23 points per game. Things are so bad that their offensive coordinator, Andy Ludwig, stepped down last week. The only blame I place on Kyle Whittingham is not bringing in a veteran backup in the transfer portal, especially given Cam Rising’s injury history.
@kciastate asks: Did Kansas show what they are capable of this week, or did Kansas State expose their own weaknesses?
Duke: I think it’s clear that Kansas State has some issues in the secondary and that it is their weakness. However, I believe it showed what Kansas is capable of. Think about how many mistakes the Jayhawks made in that game between the safety, dropped passes, and late turnovers. Kansas had a chance to win that game multiple times, but they just couldn’t finish the job. That seems to be the theme of the season because they have had fourth-quarter leads in seven out of their eight games, yet they are sitting there with a 2-6 record. One could argue that this team could be 6-2 instead, and as crazy as it sounds, they have been playing better over the last few weeks despite the poor results.
@fococlone asks: Championship game matchup and winner prediction?
Duke: I apologize for not getting my picks in with the rest of the staff last week, but I was out celebrating a birthday, and I may or may not have had a few too many beverages. Anyways, give me Iowa State and BYU. The Cougars are the safe bet to make it to Arlington due to their remaining schedule and the fact that they have a win over Kansas State. As for Iowa State, I still feel like they are the most complete team in the Big 12 in all three phases of the game. Their ticket to Arlington is going to come down to the Farmageddon game in late November, but I believe they can win that in Ames. As for the winner, I am sticking with the Cyclones.
@tracks182 asks: Will the committee follow suit with the AP and bend over backward for undeserving SEC teams with 2+ losses?
Duke: For the sake of us Big 12 fans, I sure hope not. I couldn’t believe some of the stuff I saw from AP voters this week. There were multiple voters with two loss SEC teams ahead of undefeated Big 12 teams and one voter didn’t even bother to put Kansas State in his top 25 which is complete joke.
I am starting to think that some of those people don’t even pay attention or care at all, for those of you who aren’t preparing yourselves for the SEC/Big Ten love fest get ready. The national media is already making excuses for these teams and acting like on the field results don’t matter. Let’s hope the playoff committee uses just a little bit of common sense.
