As teams in the Big 12 Conference prepare for their Summer Training Camps, this is a good time for fans to get up to speed with the teams and prepare their expectations for the coming season.
Familiarising yourself with the situations of the teams and players in the Big 12 will also help you plan your online sports bets for the coming season and save you from avoidable losses.
So, let’s see what the four worst-performing teams have been doing to turnaround their fortunes in the 2025 season:
Oklahoma State Cowboys
A 0-9 conference record last season means that the Cowboys go into the new season as the worst-rated team in the conference, and so far, there’s no evidence to support expecting anything different in 2025. If anything, their situation looks even bleaker than their overall 3-9 record.
Going into 2025, they have lost star running back Ollie Gordon, and have yet to upgrade on their quarterback options.
One positive for them is the returning Rodney Fields, who may work well with new offensive coordinator, Doug Meacham. But they do need to attract more offensive talent.
UCF Knights
We’re holding on to see how the Knights respond to losing stars RJ Harvey and Kobe Hudson going into the new season. However, we cannot deny their ambition, as is evident by their rehiring of the hugely successful Scott Frost on a big contract. He once led them to a 13-0 season, on their way to the AAC and national championships between 2016 and 2017. It’s yet to be seen if he can repeat that magic, but what is guaranteed is that we will see the team field a different playstyle than what failed last year.
One player to watch on their team is Myles Montgomery, who finally gets his chance to be the top running back, after performing so well last season.
Arizona Wildcats
Brent Brennan would be hoping to deliver a different type of performance in his second season with the team. The Wildcats declined last season, with even star quarterback, Noah Fifita, producing worse numbers from the 2023 season. They lost some key defensive players through the NCAA portal, but they have also signed some in their place, including former Wildcat, Keyan Burnett for his final college season. Will coach Brennan be able to get Fifita back to his best while improving their defensive play? Let’s watch and see.
Cincinnati Bearcats
Since joining the Big 12 in 2023, the Bearcats have yet to hit their 2021 high of reaching the Playoffs, and so Scott Satterfield is understandably under real pressure to begin to perform well. An 8-16 record in their last two seasons is a far-cry from their former heights, and no one knows that better than nose tackle Deontay Corleone, who was part of the team that went on the national playoff run. Now in his final year, he will be hoping to lead his teammates to better fortunes this time around. They have made some key offensive (Joe Cotton and Tawee Walker) and defensive (Christian Harrison and Matthew McDoom) acquisitions, to replace exiting players, so it’s left to be seen how Satterfield utilises them in the new season.
West Virginia Mountaineers
West Virginia is essentially undergoing a complete team rebuild as they only have three starters returning for the new season. Several of their players declared for the NFL draft in the offseason, with Wyatt Milum making it to the draft as the 89th overall pick, and, at least, six others signing undrafted free agent contracts. In response, they have acquired a truckload of new players fresh from high schools, as well as through the NCAA portal to make up for the exits.
They have rehired highly-rated coach Rich Rodriguez after 17 years away, to help them chart a way back to the top, and while his records speak for him in that regard, he does have an uphill battle with a roster that is literally being reorganised. But then, maybe this is the best time to come in and imprint his identity on the team. Thankfully, he has former American Athletic Conference’s Defensive Player of the Year, Jimmori Robinson to build on.
