BYU coach says Utah and others will have a "rude awakening" on physicality of Big 12

The Utes are favored to win the conference, but a rival coach believes it would be easy

Nov 18, 2023; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Utah Utes linebacker Sione Fotu (12) knocks the ball loose from Arizona Wildcats wide receiver Montana Lemonious-Craig (5) during the second half at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary BonDurant-USA TODAY Sports / Zachary BonDurant-USA TODAY Sports

The Big 12 will be adding a few former Pac-12 teams in 2024. They'll be following in the shadows of BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF, who were invited to join the conference in 2021. There was widespread speculation that they would quickly become top contenders in the league, especially with Texas and Oklahoma's impending departures. However, their first season in the Big 12 proved otherwise. Of the four newcomers, only UCF managed to reach a bowl game with the other three falling below expectations. 

BYU's defensive coordinator Jay Hill recently talked about the differences going into this year, noting that while nothing specifically surprised them, the physicality of the league was noteworthy. He even gave a warning to the four newcomers-- Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah-- about the physical nature in the conference. 

The Big 12's reputation for bruising back stands in contrast to the Pac-12's historical style of play. Last season, the Pac-12 had a strong showing, with Washington reaching the National Championship game and Oregon winning the Fiesta Bowl. Despite this, Hill cautioned that the "Four Corner" schools might face a tough transition into the Big 12.

“These teams that are coming into the Big 12, I think they’re going to have a little bit of a rude awakening on how physical the Big 12 is,” Hill told KSL's Sports Zone. 

The league is known for its standout running backs, which Hill found particularly impressive. The Big 12 featured several elite rushers, including Jonathan Brooks from Texas, who, despite tearing his ACL, was a second-round draft pick. Other notable running backs in the conference include Ollie Gordon from Oklahoma State, Tahj Brooks from Texas Tech, and RJ Harvey from UCF.

Hill seems to take a shot at Colorado and Shedeur Sanders specifically. The son of Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders comes into this year as one of the best passers in the nation, but also is trying to overcome a terrible end to the 2023 season with 52 sacks in 42 quarters played. One of the worst marks in FBS last year, which promoted Sanders to replace the entire offensive line via the transfer portal.  

“The teams are really good at not taking sacks, so they just don’t do much to hurt themselves. I was very impressed with Big 12 football,” said Hill. “The fans, the stadiums, the atmospheres. There’s no stadiums you pull into and you’re going to have a bad crowd.”

Utah comes into the season as the favorite to win the Big 12 championship and will likely move on to compete in the 12-team College Football Playoff. Kyle Whittingham enters his 30th year with the Utes and twentieth as head coach. He'll try to take the program to new heights in the Wild West era of college football.   

Utah welcomes BYU into Rice-Eccles Stadium on November 9. The latest edition of the Holy War will be the 102nd meeting between the rival schools. The Cougars took home the Beehive Boot in 2021, snapping a nine-game win streak by the Utes.