The Big 12 conference championship was already being boasted by Kansas State football before Texas and Oklahoma left the league. The Wildcats are now the second-ranked team in the conference heading into the 2024 season, behind Utah, a newcomer.
The Big 12 has the potential to be extremely parity-filled this season as it expands to a 16-team league. Regardless of preseason rankings, no squad really distinguishes itself that much from the rest.
There is a face to every conference. It’s multiples in the SEC, including Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Tennessee, and so on. It’s Michigan and Ohio State in the Big Ten. It’s Florida State and Clemson in the ACC. In the Big 12, the answer is… Since 2019, seven different teams have participated in the conference final, according to CBS Sports Dennis.
There aren’t any Texas, Georgia, or Ohio State teams to highlight. It’s completely open. And that’s only one of the reasons why the Kansas State football team can repeat as Big 12 champion.
The Big 12 will be quite balanced.
The loss of Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC may have caused many people to ignore the Big 12 this season. With a potential to either dominate the College Football Playoff or eat themselves alive, the SEC is more powerful than ever. But I think I would probably choose the former.
However, the Big 12 is the only conference you need to search for very contested college football matchups involving teams who don’t really differ all that much from one another.
Six teams, including the Pac-12 newcomers, won eight games or more in the previous campaign. Some teams this season—Kansas State football being one of them—will probably have more wins than others.
Last year’s defeats were narrowly defeated.
The four losses of Kansas State football’s 8-4 season the previous year were closely contested. They went into overtime in their matchup with the Longhorns, losing by three to both Texas and Missouri. Then, they fell behind Iowa State by seven and Oklahoma State by eight. With the exception of Iowa State, every one of those teams won nine games or more.
In 2024, the Kansas State football offense might be even more potent.
Dec. 28, 2023; Orlando, FL, USA: At Camping World Stadium, Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson (2) rushes the ball against NC State during the fourth quarter.
USA TODAY Sports’ Jeremy Reper
The Wildcats’ prolific offensive from the previous season was what made them such a strong squad. They only failed to score at least 30 points in two games during the previous campaign. That was in their losses against Missouri (30–27) and Oklahoma State (29–21).
With an average of 37.1 points per game, Kansas State finished as the No. 10 overall scoring offense in the previous campaign. Will Howard, the quarterback, has gone for Ohio State, so they won’t have him anymore. However, there is an incredible amount of optimism about Avery Johnson and his ceiling. Not to mention Denver transfer Dylan Edwards in the backfield and 1,000-plus yard rusher DJ Giddens.
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