Welcome to Tuesday Takes, where I give you five takes from the Big 12. It was a jam-packed week full of action, but here were several things that caught my attention from this past weekend.
The Big 12 Will Only Get One Team in the Playoff
As much as I hate to admit this, the reason is that I have zero faith in the playoff committee. Whether they win or lose, Texas Tech will get in come selection Sunday. But for BYU and Utah, they have an uphill battle, and it’s one big ass hill.
Utah isn’t going to get a bump after beating Kansas to end the regular season, and not playing during championship weekend will likely hurt their chances. As for BYU, they must beat Texas Tech to get in. I am sorry, but I don’t see them beating Tech, but the real issue here is the fact that they aren’t already inside the top ten based on their resume alone right now. It’s crazy that a team in the Big 12 is 11-1 and is sitting behind multiple two-loss teams with worse resumes.
Scott Satterfield Has a November Problem
After losing to TCU this past weekend, Cincinnati has now dropped its fourth game in a row. At one point, the Bearcats were 7-1, ranked inside the top 25, and in a great position to make it to Arlington. But that seems like a lifetime ago after finishing 7-5. But what’s crazy is that this isn’t the first winless November for Scott Satterfield. Cincinnati also went winless during the month of November last season after a hot start. Satterfield is now 1-11 in the final month of the regular season since taking over back in 2023. That’s a big problem that must be addressed.
Willie Fritz Should Be the Big 12 Coach of the Year
When Willie Fritz took over at Houston, he was taking over a program that was in shambles thanks to Dana Holgorsen. Last season, the Cougars finished with a 4-8 record, but the signs of improvement were there. And less than one year after that, Houston won their ninth game of the year after beating Baylor on the road. What has made this season even more impressive is the fact that the Cougars went 6-0 on the road after their win in Waco. No disrespect to Brent Brennan at Arizona, but give the damn trophy to Willie Fritz for one of the quickest turnarounds I have ever seen in the Big 12.
Build Matt Campbell a Statue
In the history of the Big 12 Conference, there are only five coaches who have won 50 or more conference games. That list includes Bob Stoops, Mack Brown, Mike Gundy, Bill Snyder, and now Matt Campbell. You want to talk about an elite company? It doesn’t get much better than that, and it just goes to show what Matt Campbell has been able to build in Ames, Iowa. The Cyclones finished this year on a three-game win streak and finished above .500 in Big 12 play for the eighth time in ten years under coach Campbell. He is, without a doubt, the best coach in school history, and he has clearly raised the standard. I think it’s time for that statue fund to start up sooner rather than later.
Two States, Four Winners
Can we just stop for a second and realize what is going on in the states of Arizona and Utah? Both BYU and Utah are inside the top 15 of the playoff rankings, and both are legitimate Big 12 title contenders this year. Just one state south, we had Arizona and Arizona State, which also had great seasons. The Wildcats won nine games this year, which nobody saw coming, and the Sun Devils still managed to win eight games despite all the injuries they dealt with. All four of these schools will finish in the top six of the conference standings, and I just want to say that everyone should be glad that these schools are now in the Big 12. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for these two states that play great football.
