BYU On SI Big 12 Power Rankings Ahead of Week One

Casey Lundquist | Aug 29, 2024

Oct 14, 2023; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; TCU Horned Frogs wide receiver Savion Williams (3) in action during the game between the TCU Horned Frogs and the Brigham Young Cougars at Amon G. Carter Stadium. / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Big 12 football is back. On Thursday, four Big 12 teams kick off their 2024 seasons with games against FCS foes. Utah will host Southern Utah. Colorado will host North Dakota State. UCF and Kansas will host New Hampshire and Lindenwood, respectively. Ahead of week one, we're unveiling the first edition of the 2024 Big 12 power rankings by BYU On SI.

16. Arizona State

Arizona State went all in on the transfer portal last year and it didn't pay off, finishing with a 3-9 record. The Sun Devils have a lot of questions to answer before they can climb the power rankings, starting at quarterback.

15. Cincinnati

Scott Satterfield didn't do enough in 2023 to invalidate the concerns of his hiring. The Bearcats were not good, finishing 3-9 including a 1-6 home record.

14. Houston

New Houston head coach Willie Fritz quickly turned UTSA into one of the better teams in the G5. The Cougars made a great hire on paper, but he has some ground to make up before competing for Big 12 championships. The Cougars finished 4-8 last season.

13. Baylor

Baylor finished 3-9 last year just two years after winning the Big 12. Dave Aranda's seat is scorching hot going into the season. The Bears will look to new offensive coordinator Jake Spavital to turn around their offense, but major concerns still surround their defense.

12. Colorado

Nov 11, 2023; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) looks to pass in the first half against the Arizona Wildcats at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports / Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Colorado lost its last six games of the 2023 season after a hot start. The Buffaloes are turning to the transfer portal again to upgrade the roster. There are signs of the culture potentially unraveling in Boulder. Until they can go out and show improvement versus last season, they will be near the bottom of our power rankings.

11. BYU

BYU, similar to Colorado, lost its last five games of the 2023 season. By the metrics, BYU was really bad in 2023. With that said, BYU was two plays away from being 7-5 instead of 5-7. If BYU cleans up the catastrophic mistakes that plagued them throughout the 2023 season, the Cougars will position themselves to get back to the postseason.

Three major questions surround BYU going into 2024:

1. Can BYU get enough production from the quarterback spot?
2. Can BYU run the football?
3. Can they stop the run and pressure the quarterback?

Until BYU can answer a few of those questions, they will stay in the bottom half of the Big 12 power rankings.

10. UCF

UCF is a trendy pick to finish in the top half of the Big 12 standings this year. Transfer quarterback KJ Jefferson has all the talent to be great in Gus Malzahn's offense. However, Jefferson struggled with processing speed in 2023 after the Razorbacks got a new offensive coordinator. Can he learn the system at UCF faster than he did at Arkansas last year? Until he proves it, we're less confident in the Knights than the consensus.

9. TCU

In terms of boom or bust, the Horned Frogs are up there at the very top. After making the national championship game in 2022, TCU finished 5-7 overall. The Horned Frogs have a lot of talent to work with - we think they will bounce back and make the postseason in 2024.

8. Texas Tech

Texas Tech was a darkhorse candidate to win the Big 12 last season. Instead, injuries plagued the quarterback position and the Red Raiders finished 7-6. If Behren Morton can stay healthy, they have the potential to climb the rankings quickly.

7. Iowa State

Iowa State found some studs in freshmen Abu Sama and Rocco Becht last year. This team is building something, although this author believes they are a year away from being able to compete for a Big 12 championship.

6. Arizona

Dec 28, 2023; San Antonio, TX, USA; Arizona Wildcats quarterback Noah Fifita (11) throws the ball against the Oklahoma Sooners in the fist half of the Alamo Bowl at Alamodome. / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

If Arizona returned Jedd Fisch and most of its 2023 roster, they would have been at the very top of these power rankings. Instead, Fisch left to Washington and a lot of players entered the transfer portal.

Noah Fifita, in the opinion of this author, is arguably the best quarterback in the league and he has a star wide receiver to throw to. However, there are too many question marks surrounding the rest of the roster to crack our top five.

If it clicks in Tuscon like it did in 2023, the Wildcats could make a run at the Big 12 title.

5. Kansas

Kansas has a new offensive coordinator that BYU fans are familiar with: Jeff Grimes. Jalon Daniels' health is the biggest question mark surrounding the Jayhawks in 2024. If Daniels is healthy, they will be good. If he gets injured, they don't have steady backup Jason Bean to take over for Daniels.

4. West Virginia

We are higher on the Mountaineers than the consensus. The Mountaineers trended up last year after being picked to finish last in the conference. They have a returning quarterback, a star at running back, and they are one of the most dominant offensive lines in the conference. For that reason, we're picking them to upset Penn State in week one.

3. Oklahoma State

Dec 27, 2023; Houston, TX, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys running back Ollie Gordon II (0) runs with the ball as Texas A&M Aggies defensive lineman Rylan Kennedy (15) attempts to make a tackle during the third quarter at NRG Stadium. / Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Running back Ollie Gordon is one of the best players in the country. With Gordon in the backfield, the Cowboys are capable of beating anyone. With Alan Bowman at quarterback, however, the Cowboys are also capable of losing to anyone in the conference. Their consistency over time has earned them a spot in the top three, but they still have questions to answer during the 2024 season.

2. Utah

Utah is a proven winner. It remains to be seen if they can win at the same level in the Big 12. In the opinion of this author, Utah will be surprised by the physicality in this league. In 2021, for example, BYU went 5-0 against the Pac-12 and really dominated on the ground late in those games. In that same season, BYU traveled to Big 12 champion Baylor and got bullied in the trenches. The difference between the physicality in the Big 12 was a stark contrast compared to the physicality in the Pac-12. Until they can prove it consistently against Big 12 opponents, they haven't earned the top spot.

Additionally, Cam Rising has to prove that he is still the player he once was. Rising's strength has never been to sit in the pocket and slice up defenses with his arm. For Rising to return to where he was, he needs to be mobile. That has not been proven yet.

1. Kansas State

Dec 28, 2023; Orlando, FL, USA; Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson (2) runs the ball against NC State in the fourth quarter at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Reper-USA TODAY Sports / Jeremy Reper-USA TODAY Sports

Kansas State was a quarterback away from upsetting Texas in Austin last year. Then quarterback Will Howard, who will now start at Ohio State, missed multiple critical opportunities in that game. The Wildcats turn to sophomore Avery Johnson who showed flashes of his potential. If Johnson is good enough with his arm, his mobility will make the Wildcats very tough to defend.