ESPN analyst predicts Utah will suffer early season loss before winning Big 12 title

Utes are projected to get automatic bid by winning the conference in 2024

Utah Football

Dan Mullen, the former head coach of Mississippi State and Florida, who now serves as an ESPN college football analyst, recently shared his predictions for the 2024 Big 12 standings. With the conference expanding to 16 teams, including new arrivals with the "Four Corner" schools, Mullen's forecast brings excitement and speculation to the upcoming season.

Mullen posted a graphic on Twitter, laying out his full predictions for the Big 12 standings. He picked Oklahoma State to finish as the regular season champion, followed closely by Utah. Notably, Mullen sees Kansas finishing third, ahead of Kansas State, with Iowa State rounding out the top five. Arizona, a new entrant to the conference, is projected to finish sixth, while UCF, Texas Tech, and West Virginia fill out the middle of the pack. TCU, Colorado, and Baylor follow, with Arizona State, Houston, Cincinnati, and BYU finishing at the bottom.

Op-Ed: Kyle Whittingham and Utah are where they want to be, respected but not hyped

One of the most intriguing aspects of Mullen's predictions is his choice for the Big 12 Championship Game. Despite having Oklahoma State as the regular-season leader, Mullen foresees Utah pulling off an upset in the title game to claim the conference crown and secure a College Football Playoff berth. This prediction reflects the growing respect for Utah under head coach Kyle Whittingham, as the Utes continue to rise as a contender.

Mullen's placement of Colorado at 11th seems reasonable, considering the Buffaloes are coming off a 4-8 season in the Pac-12. This middle-tier ranking suggests a potential bowl appearance and continued progress under head coach Deion Sanders. Overall, Mullen’s predictions offer a balanced view of the new-look Big 12, with the Utes emerging as a serious threat.