On Thursday, the Big 12 media released its annual preseason poll as the conference prepares for its’ media days next week on Jul. 12 and 13. The poll comes just one day after the conference’s preseason All-Big 12 selections and preseason award winners were announced, which was dominated by Kansas and Texas.
Last season, the Big 12 had plenty of surprises up its sleeves.
The Baylor Bears have voted the favorite to win the conference after winning 17 first-place votes, narrowly edging out Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.
But it ended up being the preseason No. 5 and No. 7 team in last year’s poll that met in the Big 12 Championship game as the Kansas State Wildcats defeated the TCU Horned Frogs 31-28 to win their first conference title since 2012. The Horned Frogs would make the College Football Playoffs despite the loss and finished the season as the national championship runner-up, losing to Georgia in the national championship game.
Neither team, however, is the favorite to win the conference this season, according to the media.
Other surprises last year included Oklahoma finishing the season below .500 for the first time since 1998 and the Kansas Jayhawks winning six games for the first time since 2008.
This year may have just as many surprises in what will be a transitionary year for the conference.
The conference on July 1 welcomed four new members in BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF. But it will also be saying goodbye to Oklahoma and Texas following the conclusion of the 2023-2024 collegiate athletic calendar.
College Sports Wire offers five takeaways from the poll, from the possibility of Texas back being to the poll being potentially a bad omen for West Virginia head coach Neal Brown and everything in between.