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One Big (12) Series: One Big Question for Each Team

Welcome to One Big (12) – a new series where we’ll examine one big topic each week within the Big 12. 

It can be anything from one big x-factor on the field, one big in-game experience suggestion or one big TV or movie that represents the current state of the program. 

Some analysis, some fun, and if you take anything away from this, it’s that every opinion shared here is 100% correct and we totally know what’s going to happen this fall. 

For our first voyage, let’s examine One Big (12) question that looms over each football program:

Arizona: Can the established culture cue a turnaround?

Brent Brennan and company were in an interesting situation last offseason. They got to Tucson late and had one of the best rosters in the conference waiting for them. Pac-12 Freshman of the Year Noah Fifita, future first round pick Tetairoa McMillan, the core of a talented offensive line and a secondary full of ballhawks like Gunner Maldonado, Treydan Stukes and Tacario Davis.

With talent comes outside forces trying to get these Wildcats out of Tucson. The time usually spent by a new staff for building a culture and identity was spent on defense keeping the team intact. That left Brennan’s staff trying to put together a culture on the fly and build trust with a team that was recruited by the previous staff. A bit of a square peg-round hole situation. Throw in some injuries to key members throughout the year, and that’s how you get a 4-8 season. 

So while Arizona saw top players leave for the draft and the portal, what’s been made crystal clear is this program now has Brennan’s fingerprints all over it. The Redline mentality is apparent and the offense is taking shape under new offensive coordinator Seth Doege. There’s a clear vision for the type of athletes they want on that side of the ball and the tempo will be turned up to 11. The defense has also evolved with Danny Gonzales taking over. 

 

Will that translate to wins? To be determined. But the Wildcats already have answered a question of identity, something Brennan couldn’t answer weeks into the season last year.

Arizona State: Was last season a flash in the pan?

Noted Survivor fan Kenny Dillingham has posted clips from the show of the famous fire-making challenge at the end of each season. Host Jeff Probst explains maintaining a healthy fire is harder than getting a quick spark and flame. Which will Arizona State be? Last year’s team was picked dead-last in the Big 12 at the beginning of the year, only to win the conference, go to the Peach Bowl and go to overtime against Texas.

 

Will 2024 be the first step of something great in Tempe? The Sun Devils return just about everyone they can, coaching staff included. But sports performances are not linear and trajectories change at a moment’s notice. The Sun Devils can look to their rivals in Tucson as a reminder that just because you return the key pieces doesn’t 100% equate to the same result. 

That’s the driving motivation in the offseason. 

Baylor: Can there be a carry-over effect from last year’s second half?

The Bears were one of the hottest teams in the second half of the season, winning their final six regular games. Fueling that run was Sawyer Robertson, who threw 17 touchdowns and four interceptions in that span (three of those interceptions came in a 20-10 win over Houston). 

Perhaps even more telling is the usage of freshman running back Bryson Washington. In 10 games last year, he rushed for 1,028 yards. In the seven wins he participated in, he averaged 132 yards per game. In the losses he played in, he averaged 26 yards. 

Momentum is often debated in sports, especially when it’s turning the page on the calendar, but can Baylor skip the slow start and firmly put themselves in the conversation for the Big 12 championship off the bat?

BYU: What does running it back look like?

BYU was another team that entered the season with a low projection but exceeded expectations with a dominant win over Colorado in the Alamo Bowl. They return a lot, but questions remain about the sustainability of where they stand in the Big 12 pecking order. 

That was even before Jake Retzlaff left the school. Now, the question is who will be taking calls under center? McCae Hillstead, Treyson Bourguet and Bear Bachmeier seem to be duking it out for the starting gig. Those in Arizona know the Bourguet name and know not to count any one of them out of a competition.

The Cougars have some youth in their receiving core behind Chase Roberts. Jojo Phillips will look to expand his role. The offensive line will be one of the older groups in the Big 12 and potentially all of college football. 

Now, that was the case for Oklahoma State last year and it did not equate to wins. 

Can the midsummer shakeup get settled before September rolls around?

Cincinnati: Will the 5-2 or 0-5 Bearcats show up?

The Bearcats started the year red-hot with a 5-2 record and a win over Arizona State before limping to the end of the season losing their last five games. Only one of those games was decided by one score. 

A telling sign of change was the defense. The Bearcats gave up just over 19 points in their first seven games. Their last five? 32 points. Can the Bearcats help slow down offenses in 2025?

Colorado: What’s life after Hunter and Shedeur look like?

We can laugh about number retirements (don’t worry, we will in future posts), but let’s not forget the work that was done in Colorado over the past two years. 

There was an overwhelming sense of apathy in Boulder prior to the Coach Prime era. Was all the hype warranted for what they accomplished? No. But they put Colorado back in the conversation.

Now, it’s a matter of life after some key players, headlined by Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter and quarterback Shedeur Sanders. Colorado needs to replace a marquee defensive back and wide receiver (all in one player) and the conference’s pass leader last year. Kaidon Salter has come in with a Fiesta Bowl appearance under his belt with Liberty and top recruit Julian Lewis is also in that room as well, but how will all that translate? 

Houston: Can points be scored?

The Cougars averaged just 14 points per game and there were five games where Houston scored 10 points or fewer. Just about every player on that side of the ball have been replaced. 

Headlining the group is quarterback Conner Weigman, a former five-star quarterback and Texas A&M signal-caller. 

Can they get all of these new additions on the same page and find the end zone more?

Iowa State: What does this offense look like without their top wide receivers?

The Cyclones had two of the best wide receivers in the conference – and country – in Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins. They combined for 2,377 yards and 17 touchdowns, helping the Cyclones make it to the Big 12 title game. 

Both are now with the Texans, and Rocco Becht has to find where that production should go. Iowa State went out and got Chase Sowell from East Carolina, an intriguing 6-foot-4 receiver who saw a lot of production last year. Xavier Towsend came from UCF in a limited role.

Iowa State is known for its balanced offense, but having two studs in the receiver room really opened things up. We’ll see if they can replicate that in 2025.

Kansas: Was last year’s 5-7 record bad luck?

Coming off an incredible 2023, Kansas started last year 2-6. Five of those losses were decided by less than one score. It was death by 1,000 close losses, and losing can take a toll. Near miss after near miss can REALLY take a toll. The Jayhawks return Jalon Daniels and most of last year’s offensive line. 

 

Is this just a case where if they replayed last year, they’d 8-4? They’ll hope for better luck in 2025.

Kansas State: Can they make the jump to Big 12 Championship territory?

Chris Klieman’s teams have hit the eight-win mark in every year of his tenure as Wildcat head coach with the exception of the 2020 season. 

Kansas State was built on consistency under Bill Snyder and Klieman has continued that, peaking in 2022 with a Sugar Bowl appearance and Big 12 championship. 

Can Kansas State get back to that level here in 2025?

The Wildcats have the best odds of any Big 12 team to make the CFP according to Circa Sports:

 

Avery Johnson returns as starting quarterback and is now paired with offensive coordinator Matt Wells. Kansas State has multiple big-bodied targets at tight end and they are positioned well in the backfield with Dylan Edwards slating in as the featured back. 

In what is going to be a conference of chaos, can the Wildcats rise to the top and be playing in Dallas in early December?

Oklahoma State: Who is running the offense?

Oklahoma State returns one starter from their disappointing 3-9 season. They have a completely new offensive line and plenty of new pass-catchers. Unless you’re Mike Gundy, you’re also a new coach with the Cowboys. There will be a new face under center as well.

The leading candidates are Zane Flores, who is in his third season in Stillwater, and Hauss Haney, a transfer from TCU. Haney has played for new offensive coordinator Doug Meachum and quarterbacks coach Kevin Johns, so there is familiarity there. 

 

There’s plenty of uncertainty there, but the first domino to fall has to be quarterback.

TCU: Can the offense repeat this turnaround?

TCU went from the national championship game to a 5-7 rollback to a quietly impressive 8-4 season. The Horned Frogs lost to UCF and Baylor by a combined four points. Those both go TCU’s way, and they are firmly in the Big 12 championship conversation. 

 

Fueling that success is Josh Hoover, who threw for the second most yards in the Big 12 last year. Four of his five top receivers from last year are in the NFL and Eric McAlister is looking to shift into that WR1. How does that position group take shape with a talented guy like Hoover delivering them the ball?

Texas Tech: Will the investment pay off?

The Red Raiders’ transfer class is one for the books. New investments and donors means Texas Tech has gone full Jean-Ralphio.

 

They have a war chest that few can rival in this new era of college athletics, and the Red Raiders brought in the second-best transfer class in all of college football according to 247Sports. 

A decade ago, continuity was king when it came to prolonged success on the field. But turnarounds can be expedited when the right transfers enter the building. The got the highest-rated additions to Lubbock, but are they the correct ones?

UCF: Who’s under center? 

This roster has been an overhaul since Scott Frost’s return. Tayven Jackson comes from Indiana and Jacurri Brown saw action under center last year as well. That’s not a unique distinction for last year’s Knight crew, who had four quarterbacks see time. 

There’s no RJ Harvey to lean on in the backfield, and Frost offenses do love the run game. But getting the right guy under center can help heal a lot of struggles.

Utah: Will the new additions fuel a bounce back?

Forgive the quality analysis but last year’s Utah season did not go well. 

There were injuries and questions at quarterback. It felt like – at least last season – the Utes did not have that bite or physicality they’ve become known for. 

They’ll have a new offense under Jason Beck. Devon Dampier is coming off a great season at New Mexico and creates a lot of matchup problems for opposing defenses. There are multiple new faces at wide receiver and running back, and they return two of the top tackles in the conference as well. 

 

Lance Holtzclaw is a guy I feel could pop in a new setting. With an expanded opportunity, the Washington transfer could thrive. But the EDGE group in Salt Lake City is particularly deep.

A team that has such a clear identity is looking for a revamp and wasn’t afraid to make some key additions. We’ll see if that is enough to help them climb back up the Big 12 ranks.

West Virginia: What does this chapter of Rich Rod look like?

Rich Rodriguez not only brought West Virginia to some of its highest of highs in program history, but the Mountaineers revolutionized the way offense is played in college football. 

Current Mountaineers can learn from two of the best to ever do it in Morgantown on the staff in Pat White and Noel Devine. 

Can West Virginia get back to the mountain-top with Rich Rodriguez making his return?

He sure thinks so.

 Now, Rodriguez needs to defend against a version of the offense he created. West Virginia is in a new conference, and one that looked vastly different just two years ago. It’s a different landscape in college football since Rodriguez was in Morgantown, so how can this program evolve and be on the cutting edge once again?

Next Topic:  One Big (12) Impact Addition For Each Team

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