PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH
KANSAS STATE
ARIZONA STATE
TEXAS TECH
IOWA STATE
BAYLOR
BYU
UTAH
KANSAS
TCU
COLORADO
HOUSTON
CINCINNATI
OKLAHOMA STATE
WEST VIRGINIA
ARIZONA
CENTRAL FLORIDA
TITLE GAME: KANSAS STATE OVER ARIZONA STATE
TOP TRANSFERS TO WATCH:
DAVID BAILEY TEXAS TECH
CONNOR WEIGMAN HOUSTON
DEVON DAMPIER UTAH
LEE HUNTER TEXAS TECH
CHASE SOWELL IOWA STATE
KAIDON SALTER COLORADO
JORDAN DWYER TCU
ROMELLO HEIGHT TEXAS TECH
HOWARD SAMPSON TEXAS TECH
TANNER KOZIOL HOUSTON
RECRUITING RANKINGS
TCU
COLORADO
KANSAS STATE
UTAH
BAYLOR
OKLAHOMA STATE
WEST VIRGINIA
TEXAS TECH
ARIZONA STATE
ARIZONA
HOUSTON
IOWA STATE
BYU
CENTRAL FLORIDA
CINCINNATI
KANSAS
BIGGEST GAMES TO WATCH
AUGUST 23 KANSAS STATE VS. IOWA STATE
SEPTEMBER 6 KANSAS AT MISSOURI
SEPTEMBER 13 PITTSBURGH AT WEST VIRGINIA
SEPTEMBER 20 SMU AT TCU
OCTOBER 18 BAYLOR AT TCU
OCTOBER 18 UTAH AT BYU
OCTOBER 18 TEXAS TECH AT ARIZONA STATE
OCTOBER 25 BYU AT IOWA STATE
OCTOBER 25 KANSAS STATE AT KANSAS
NOVEMBER 1 ARIZONA STATE AT IOWA STATE
NOVEMBER 8 BYU AT TEXAS TECH
NOVEMBER 29 COLORADO AT KANSAS STATE
PRE-SEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS
FIRST-TEAM OFFENSE
QB SAM LEAVITT ARIZONA STATE
RB JAHIEM WHITE WEST VIRGINIA
RB BRYSON WASHINGTON BAYLOR
AP DYLAN EDWARDS KANSAS STATE
WR JORDYN TYSON ARIZONA STATE
WR CHASE ROBERTS BYU
WR ERIC MCALLISTER TCU
TE JOE ROYER CINCINNATI
C BRYCE FOSTER KANSAS
OL JORDAN SEATON, COLORADO
OL SPENCER FANO UTAH
OL CALEB LOMU UTAH
OL BEN COLEMAN ARIZONA STATE
FIRST-TEAM DEFENSE
DL DONTAY CORLEONE CINCINNATI
DL DOMONIQUE ORANGE IOWA STATE
DL DEAN MILLER KANSAS
DL LEE HUNTER TEXAS TECH
LB ISAIAH GLASKER BYU
LB KEATON THOMAS BAYLOR
LB JACOB RODRIGUEZ TEXAS TECH
LB AUSTIN ROMAIN KANSAS STATE
CB JONTEZ WILLIAMS IOWA STATE
CB DJ MCKINNEY COLORADO
S XAVION ALFORD ARIZONA STATE
S BUD CLARK TCU
FIRST TEAM SPECIALISTS
K WILL FERRIN BYU
P PARKER WILLIAMS BAYLOR
KR MEKHI MEWS HOUSTON
PR JOSH CAMERON BAYLOR
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
1 TCU HORNED FROGS
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE SCORE: 471
1 SEPT 27 AT ARIZONA STATE
2 OCT 11 AT KANSAS STATE
3 NOV 15 AT BYU
4 NOV 22 AT HOUSTON
5 NOV 8 IOWA STATE
6 OCT 25 AT WEST VIRGINIA
7 SEPT 1 AT NORTH CAROLINA
8 SEPT 20 SMU
9 OCT 18 BAYLOR
10 OCT 4 COLORADO
11 NOV 29 CINCINNATI
12 SEPT 6 ABILENE CHRISTIAN
MISSING: ARIZONA, KANSAS, OKLAHOMA STATE, TEXAS TECH, UCF, UTAH
2 BAYLOR BEARS
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE SCORE: 475.5
1 SEPT 20 ARIZONA STATE
2 SEPT 6 AT SMU
2 NOV 15 UTAH
4 OCT 18 AT TCU
5 AUG 30 AUBURN
5 NOV 22 AT ARIZONA
7 OCT 25 AT CINCINNATI
8 OCT 4 KANSAS STATE
9 SEPT 27 AT OKLAHOMA STATE
10 NOV 29 HOUSTON
11 NOV 1 UCF
12 SEPT 13 SAMFORD
MISSING: BYU, COLORADO, IOWA STATE, KANSAS, TEXAS TECH, WEST VIRGINIA
3 COLORADO BUFFALOES
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE SCORE: 487.5
1 OCT 25 AT UTAH
2 NOV 29 AT KANSAS STATE
3 NOV 22 ARIZONA STATE
4 OCT 4 AT TCU
5 SEPT 13 AT HOUSTON
6 OCT 11 IOWA STATE
7 NOV 8 AT WEST VIRGINIA
8 AUG 30 GEORGIA TECH
9 SEPT 27 BYU
10 NOV 1 ARIZONA
11 SEPT 20 WYOMING
12 SEPT 6 DELAWARE
MISSING: BAYLOR, CINCINNATI, KANSAS, OKLAHOMA STATE, TEXAS TECH, UCF
4 UTAH UTES
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE SCORE: 496
1 OCT 11 ARIZONA STATE
2 NOV 15 AT BAYLOR
3 OCT 18 AT BYU
4 AUG 30 AT UCLA
5 NOV 22 KANSAS STATE
6 SEPT 27 AT WEST VIRGINIA
7 SEPT 20 TEXAS TECH
8 SEPT 13 AT WYOMING
9 NOV 29 AT KANSAS
10 OCT 25 COLORADO
11 NOV 1 CINCINNATI
12 SEPT 6 CAL POLY
MISSING: ARIZONA, HOUSTON, IOWA STATE, OKLAHOMA STATE, TCU, UCF
5 WEST VIRGINIA MOUNTAINEERS
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE SCORE: 506
1 NOV 15 AT ARIZONA STATE
2 SEPT 27 UTAH
3 OCT 3 AT BYU
4 NOV 1 AT HOUSTON
5 NOV 29 TEXAS TECH
6 OCT 18 AT UCF
7 SEPT 20 AT KANSAS
8 SEPT 13 PITT
9 OCT 25 TCU
10 SEPT 6 AT OHIO
11 NOV 8 COLORADO
12 AUG 30 ROBERT MORRIS
MISSING: ARIZONA, BAYLOR, CINCINNATI, IOWA STATE, KANSAS STATE, OKLAHOMA STATE
6 HOUSTON COUGARS
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE SCORE: 538.5
1 OCT 25 AT ARIZONA STATE
2 NOV 29 AT BAYLOR
3 OCT 4 TEXAS TECH
4 OCT 11 AT OKLAHOMA STATE
5 SEPT 6 AT RICE
6 NOV 8 AT UCF
7 SEPT 27 AT OREGON STATE
8 NOV 22 TCU
9 SEPT 13 COLORADO
10 OCT 18 ARIZONA
11 NOV 1 WEST VIRGINIA
12 AUG 30 STEPHEN F AUSTIN
MISSING: BYU, CINCINNATI, IOWA STATE, KANSAS, KANSAS STATE, UTAH
7 IOWA STATE CYCLONES
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE SCORE: 540.5
1 NOV 1 ARIZONA STATE
2 NOV 8 AT TCU
3 OCT 11 AT COLORADO
4 SEPT 6 IOWA
5 OCT 4 AT CINCINNATI
6 AUG 23 VS KANSAS STATE (IN DUBLIN)
7 NOV 29 AT OKLAHOMA STATE
8 OCT 25 BYU
9 SEPT 13 AT ARKANSAS STATE
10 SEPT 27 ARIZONA
11 NOV 22 KANSAS
12 AUG 30 SOUTH DAKOTA
MISSING: BAYLOR, HOUSTON, TEXAS TECH, UCF, UTAH, WEST VIRGINIA
8 KANSAS JAYHAWKS
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE SCORE: 541.5
1 SEPT 6 AT MISSOURI
2 NOV 22 AT IOWA STATE
3 OCT 11 AT TEXAS TECH
4 NOV 29 UTAH
5 NOV 8 AT ARIZONA
6 OCT 25 KANSAS STATE
7 OCT 4 AT UCF
8 SEPT 27 CINCINNATI
9 SEPT 20 WEST VIRGINIA
10 NOV 1 OKLAHOMA STATE
11 AUG 23 FRESNO STATE
12 AUG 30 WAGNER
MISSING: ARIZONA STATE, BAYLOR, BYU, COLORADO, HOUSTON, TCU
9 BYU COUGARS
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE SCORE: 556
1 OCT 25 AT IOWA STATE
2 NOV 8 AT TEXAS TECH
3 OCT 18 UTAH
4 SEPT 27 AT COLORADO
5 OCT 11 AT ARIZONA
6 NOV 22 AT CINCINNATI
7 SEPT 20 AT EAST CAROLINA
8 NOV 15 TCU
9 OCT 3 WEST VIRGINIA
10 SEPT 6 STANFORD
11 NOV 29 UCF
12 AUG 30 PORTLAND STATE
MISSING: ARIZONA STATE, BAYLOR, HOUSTON, KANSAS, KANSAS STATE, OKLAHOMA STATE
10 KANSAS STATE WILDCATS
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE SCORE: 569.5
1 NOV 22 AT UTAH
2 OCT 4 AT BAYLOR
3 SEPT 13 AT ARIZONA
4 AUG 23 VS IOWA STATE (IN DUBLIN)
5 NOV 1 TEXAS TECH
6 NOV 15 AT OKLAHOMA STATE
7 OCT 25 AT KANSAS
8 OCT 11 TCU
9 NOV 29 COLORADO
10 SEPT 27 UCF
11 SEPT 6 ARMY
12 AUG 30 NORTH DAKOTA
MISSING: ARIZONA STATE, BYU, CINCINNATI, HOUSTON, UCF, WEST VIRGINIA
11 ARIZONA STATE SUN DEVILS
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE SCORE: 582
1 OCT 11 AT UTAH
2 NOV 1 AT IOWA STATE
3 SEPT 20 AT BAYLOR
4 NOV 22 AT COLORADO
5 OCT 18 TEXAS TECH
6 SEPT 6 AT MISSISSIPPI STATE
7 SEPT 27 TCU
8 OCT 25 HOUSTON
9 NOV 29 ARIZONA
10 NOV 15 WEST VIRGINIA
11 SEPT 13 TEXAS STATE
12 AUG 30 NORTHERN ARIZONA
MISSING: BYU, CINCINNATI, KANSAS, OKLAHOMA STATE, TCU, UCF
12 OKLAHOMA STATE COWBOYS
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE SCORE: 592
1 SEPT 6 AT OREGON
2 OCT 25 AT TEXAS TECH
3 OCT 4 AT ARIZONA
4 NOV 29 IOWA STATE
5 NOV 15 KANSAS STATE
6 NOV 22 AT UCF
7 SEPT 27 BAYLOR
8 NOV 1 AT KANSAS
9 OCT 11 HOUSTON
10 OCT 18 CINCINNATI
11 SEPT 20 TULSA
12 AUG 30 UT MARTIN
MISSING: ARIZONA STATE, BYU, COLORADO, TCU, UTAH, WEST VIRGINIA
13 ARIZONA WILDCATS
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE SCORE: 596
1 NOV 29 AT ARIZONA STATE
2 SEPT 27 AT IOWA STATE
3 NOV 1 AT COLORADO
4 OCT 18 AT HOUSTON
5 NOV 15 AT CINCINNATI
6 SEPT 13 KANSAS STATE
7 NOV 22 BAYLOR
8 OCT 11 BYU
9 OCT 4 OKLAHOMA STATE
10 NOV 8 KANSAS
11 AUG 30 HAWAII
12 SEPT 6 WEBER STATE
MISSING: KANSAS STATE, TCU, TEXAS TECH, UCF, UTAH, WEST VIRGINIA
14 CINCINNATI BEARCATS
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE SCORE: 626
1 NOV 1 AT UTAH
2 NOV 29 AT TCU
3 OCT 4 IOWA STATE
4 OCT 18 AT OKLAHOMA STATE
5 AUG 28 VS NEBRASKA (IN KANSAS CITY)
6 OCT 25 BAYLOR
7 NOV 22 BYU
8 SEPT 27 AT KANSAS
9 NOV 15 ARIZONA
10 OCT 11 UCF
11 SEPT 6 BOWLING GREEN
12 SEPT 13 NORTHWESTERN STATE
MISSING: ARIZONA STATE, COLORADO, HOUSTON, KANSAS STATE, TEXAS TECH, WEST VIRGINIA
15 UCF KNIGHTS
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE SCORE: 666.5
1 SEPT 27 AT KANSAS STATE
2 NOV 15 AT TEXAS TECH
3 NOV 1 AT BAYLOR
4 NOV 29 AT BYU
5 OCT 11 AT CINCINNATI
6 NOV 8 HOUSTON
7 OCT 18 WEST VIRGINIA
8 NOV 22 OKLAHOMA STATE
9 SEPT 20 NORTH CAROLINA
10 OCT 4 KANSAS
11 AUG 28 JACKSONVILLE STATE
12 SEPT 6 NORTH CAROLINA A&T
MISSING: ARIZONA, ARIZONA STATE, COLORADO, IOWA STATE, TCU, UTAH
16 TEXAS TECH RED RAIDERS
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE SCORE: 690
1 OCT 18 AT ARIZONA STATE
2 SEPT 20 AT UTAH
3 NOV 1 AT KANSAS STATE
4 OCT 4 AT HOUSTON
5 NOV 29 AT WEST VIRGINIA
6 NOV 8 BYU
7 OCT 25 OKLAHOMA STATE
8 NOV 15 UCF
9 SEPT 13 OREGON STATE
10 OCT 11 KANSAS
11 SEPT 6 KENT STATE
12 AUG 30 ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF
MISSING: ARIZONA, BAYLOR, CINCINNATI, COLORADO, IOWA STATE, TCU
TEAM-BY-TEAM SCOUTING
ARIZONA: It looks like they’re on the decline. They lost a ton the guys over the last two seasons. The success of this coaching staff will depend on how fast they can find a quarterback who can run this new system.
ARIZONA STATE: The Big 12 is very volatile right now, so there’s an idea that another program might jump out of nowhere like Arizona State did last season. It’s hard to pick against them after winning the league last year and returning almost everybody.
BAYLOR: The offense clicked, and it turned them around completely last season. They’ll go as far as they can with an experienced backfield. This could be one of the best offenses in the nation this season.
BYU: The Cougars have a physical defense that can give opposing teams a lot of problems. Their style runs counter to the offensive mentality of the league, and they embrace contact. Picking up several Utah players in the portal was a big statement for them.
CINCINNATI: This is a hotseat job, and they have to show results this season or they may be looking for a new coach. Their quarterback turns the ball over too much. They’re not far off in terms of overall talent. The defense looks solid in terms of the guys they brought back, but they faded big time down the stretch last season.
COLORADO: One of the biggest questions for Deion Sanders and Colorado is who will lead the offense. It’s still a circus in Boulder. They turned over a ton in the transfer portal, and they try to make it out like it’s a competition–based result, but they’re going to struggle on the offensive line because of transfers again.
HOUSTON: It’s all about the offense. They need a great running back to emerge from the group they brought in. Defensively, they did a lot of stuff well in the first year, and they built on that in recruiting.
IOWA STATE: They could go to the Big 12 title game again. They did a great job in the portal, placing guys at needed positions on offense, especially at wide receiver. They have a dominant offense. Injuries hurt them at linebacker last season, and they’re turning over a lot of the secondary. Defense is the area where they might slip from last season.
KANSAS: You see a lot of holes when it comes to returning production, but don’t rule out a bigger step forward this season if they have a healthy quarterback. On paper, they’re not a top team in the league, but this program gets the most out of what they have.
KANSAS STATE: If they win their opener against Iowa State, they’re in the driver’s seat for the conference championship game. The defense is solid, but the offense could carry them to the playoffs.
OKLAHOMA STATE: Never count out head coach Mike Gundy and the Cowboys. The biggest question mark will be the offensive line, and there is no clear answer at quarterback. Defensively, the Cowboys will have a challenge.
TCU: The Horned Frogs built depth and recruited to fill every deficiency. They have the best signing class in the league. Defensively, they have developed some very excellent players. They could be a surprise conference title team.
TEXAS TECH: Expectations are significantly higher than ever before. There is complete buy–in from the coaching staff and donors. If they’re not a double–digit win team this season, it will be considered a failure.
CENTRAL FLORIDA: Head coach Scott Frost takes over a program with just one starter on offense returning. He led the Knights to a perfect season in 2017 before leaving for his alma mater, Nebraska. There are questions at quarterback, and the defense appears capable of keeping the Knights competitive.
UTAH: The Utes have undergone big changes, particularly on offense. The defense is in a rebuilding season. Early signs are positive and point to a bounce–back season.
WEST VIRGINIA: West Virginia experienced significant turnover through graduation and the transfer portal, but the coaching staff has been active in filling those needs. Only three starters return on offense, and only one on defense. This could be a surprise team considering all of the unknowns.
