We’re on the back nine of the college football season now. The Big 12 Conference is heading toward some huge game in November. Each week I write about the three or four head coaches on the hottest seats. Some of that is about their job security. Other times it’s about the upcoming week’s game and what it means.
One coach we don’t have to worry about anymore is Dave Aranda. Baylor fired him on Sunday. At least one Big 12 program will have a new coach in 2027.
Let’s dig into this week’s list.
Deion Sanders, Colorado
In this week’s edition of “Stuff Deion Sanders does during press conferences,” he picked a fight with Brian Howell, who was one of the most respected writers that covers the beat.
I guess Howell is writing a book, and Sanders thinks he’s profiting off his name? Howell’s reply was, “I tried to get in touch with you.” I have no doubt Howell tried. It would be wrong of him not to do so.
I covered Colorado’s loss to Oklahoma State on Saturday, and this is such a frustrating team. They play so well for stretches and then one or two plays just undoes them. They’re talented on defense and flawed on offense.
The Buffaloes haven’t won a game since September. Is everyone getting ready to jump ship in Boulder? Is Colorado getting ready to slide Sanders out the door? A conversation with a colleague of mine who covers Colorado led me to believe that Sanders probably has another year ahead of him. But who knows.
This we do know. The buyout to get rid of Sanders is significant and it may be prohibitive. Winning a game or two might take down the heat.
Kalani Sitake, BYU
Kalani Sitake’s job is not on the line. But BYU needs to bounce back from their loss to UCF. The reality is the Cougars still have a chance to get to the Big 12 Championship game and still have a chance to get into the College Football Playoff even with that one loss. But they can’t afford another, especially with Utah just around the corner.
So Sitake’s heat seat is warm due to the sheer enormity of the moment. As strange as this sounds, a game with Arizona State is BYU’s season. If the Cougars win, the Utah game matters in ways that goes beyond their rivalry. If they lose, the rivalry game still matters but now they’re playing to create more chaos in the conference. That’s not the position BYU wants to be in.
Brent Brennan, Arizona
We’re past the point where Arizona head coach Brent Brennan’s job is on the line. We’re WAY past that. I think he’s proven he’s the right guy in.
No, the heat this week is all about opportunity. The Wildcats go play Texas Tech in Lubbock in a Top 25 game showdown that is an elimination game for the Big 12 Conference title game (realistically — crazier things have happened). I think Arizona has played some of the best football in the conference in the past month. The Wildcats might be the hottest team. But they’re not getting a lot of national love and respect.
But Brennan and his Wildcats, led by quarterback Noah Fifita, have an opportunity to change that narrative against the Red Raiders. Win that game and the Wildcats vault up in the Top 25 and suddenly the nation’s going to start paying attention to them.
The heat is about the task at hand. It’s a great opportunity for Arizona to show the nation what those of us who have been watching the Big 12 have seen all season.
