Week 10 is upon us, and to this point in the season we’ve had one of the most unpredictable and exciting Big 12 conference races in recent memory. The leaders in the clubhouse are BYU (8-0, 5-0) and Iowa State (7-0, 4-0), with Kansas State (7-1, 4-1) and Colorado (6-2, 4-1) following closely behind.
With the exception of Kansas State, none of those programs were picked to finish inside the Top 5 of the Big 12 Preseason Media Poll. And, in fact, the teams that were picked to finish in that group (aside from K-State) are actually among the bottom five teams in the league right now.
There have been so many huge surprises and disappointments this season, but which ones stand out above the others? The Heartland College Sports staff shares their thoughts in this week’s roundtable.
Pete Mundo
Biggest Surprise: Arizona State
I thought Arizona State would easily be a bottom-feeder for most Big 12 teams that they could mark up as a win. But that obviously has not been the case. They’re not just exceeding expectations, but they’re a really fun and energetic team to watch, led by head coach Kenny Dillingham, who is easy to root for as an up-and-comer in the business at his alma matter. What’s not to like?
Biggest Disappointment: Oklahoma State
The Pokes returned the vast majority of their starters, and unlike Utah, they can’t really point to a major injury that derailed the season. Collin Oliver was a loss, but the pass rush is down the list of issues this team has had this season. The offense is a shell of what we expected, and the run defense is giving up over 300 yards per game in Big 12 play, which you have to try hard to accomplish. It’s like they’re playing with 9 or 10 guys against the run, it’s that bad. And much of the blame here can go squarely on the coaching staff.
Bryan Clinton
Biggest Surprise: BYU
It has to be the Cougars, right? I absolutely love what Kalani Sitake’s group has been able to do this season, and I don’t feel like the Cougs are getting talked about enough on a national level. Their wins over SMU (7-1) and K-State (7-1) continue to look better every week, and they’ve played like a legitimate Top 10 team for the majority of the season. BYU has scored 34+ in six straight games and their defense ranks third in the Big 12, allowing just 19.6 points per game. The Cougs have also forced the most turnovers of any team in the league (18) and rank second in turnover margin. The remaining schedule seems manageable for this group, and if they can run the table and get to Arlington in just their second year in the Big 12, Sitake would have to be a lock to win Big 12 Coach of the Year and probably some national awards, too.
Biggest Disappointment: Oklahoma State
I nearly went with UCF here, but the answer has to be Oklahoma State. For starters, the defense has regressed from the questionable unit that we watched in 2023, and it’s among the worst rushing defenses in the country. How bad is it? The Pokes rank dead last in the Big 12 with 251 rushing yards allowed per game and 6.1 yards per carry — 80 ypg and a full 1.1 ypc worse than the second-worst team in the league. Then, on the offensive side of the ball, I just can’t find a reasonable excuse for what we’ve seen. Ollie Gordon was the Doak Walker Award winner last season, and the Pokes returned the “most experienced offensive line ever” this year — yet they rank 14th in the Big 12 with 111.25 yards per game. What in the world is going on in Stillwater?
Matthew Postins
Biggest Surprise: Arizona State
 I feel like the Shaq meme: “I’m sorry I wasn’t familiar with your game.” Being a new team in the conference, that’s to be expected. But I think some of us are still trying to calibrate how quickly teams and coaches can get things turned around. Scott Dillingham has done great work with a team that many of us, myself, included, would be looking all the way up in the standings this year.Â
Biggest Disappointment: Oklahoma State
The Cowboys had everything they needed to reach Arlington this year after getting there in 2023. Give the defense a pass. Losing Collin Oliver is a huge blow. The offense? Nah. That needs a complete overhaul. Bad scheme, slow to adjust, acting as if everyone stacking the box on Ollie Gordon II was some surprise to them. Give Gordon credit for not tapping out. He easily could. By far the biggest disappointment of the season.Â
Joe Tillery
Biggest Surprise: Improved QB Play
While names like Jalon Daniels, Cam Rising, KJ Jefferson, and Noah Fifita have significantly underwhelmed or hurt, some of the so-called “middle of the pack” guys have really dazzled. Shedeur Sanders entered and remained the league’s best quarterback, but how about the development of Jake Retzlaff, Rocco Becht, Brendan Sorsby, Sam Leavitt, and Sawyer Robertson? Kansas State’s Avery Johnson entered the season as a bit of a wildcard in his own right with just one career start under his belt, but in 2024, he has looked like everything scouts believed he could be for the Wildcats. Even without some of the top players on paper delivering on preseason expectations, the league found a way to thrust even more stars into the spotlight.
Biggest Disappointment: Oklahoma State
After being picked to finish third in the Big 12 Preseason Media Poll, Oklahoma State has been bad enough that fans are calling for Mike Gundy’s job in select circles. The offensive line, largely viewed as one of the league’s best units, has been a disaster. Pair that with major regression from Ollie Gordon, Alan Bowman, and Brennan Presley, and the Cowboys have a recipe for disaster. While it’s not uncommon for teams to underperform their ceiling, OSU is so far away from the ceiling they may be two stories down at this point.
Derek Duke
Biggest Surprise: BYU
The biggest surprise in the Big 12 for me has been BYU. I know that may be the obvious answer because they are sitting at 8-0 right now but hear me out. I had this team finishing 15th in my preseason poll. I expected them do to next to nothing and I gave them no chance. Instead, they have proven me wrong every single week. They play solid defense and Jake Retzlaff has turned out to be an excellent quarterback. No matter what happens, this team finds ways to win games unlike the next team I am about to mention.
Biggest Disappointment: Oklahoma State
My biggest disappointment has been Oklahoma State. I had them playing for a Big 12 title this season and they have completely shit the bed. Offensively, they are a mess with Alan Bowman and despite having arguably the best running back in the country with Ollie Gordon III, they can’t run the ball because their offensive line is so bad.
Perhaps the worst part about them is their defense. They can’t stop anyone on the ground. In fact, they have the worst run defense in the Big 12 by a mile and their tackling is about as bad as it gets. The effort isn’t there and with a 3-5 record, this team may end up missing a bowl game which hasn’t happened in Stillwater since 2005 which was Mike Gundy’s first season.
