BYU Is Squarely in Race in Wide Open Big 12

The Big 12 Conference is one of the most exciting football conferences in the country. Among the four “power” conferences, the Big 12 has the most teams with better than +700 odds to win the conference (three). Texas Tech, BYU, and Utah all have odds better than that ahead of the season to become Big 12 champions.

The conference feels even more unstable with the news that Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby taking a leave of absence from the team as the NCAA investigates his gambling history. His playing status for 2026 (and potentially beyond) is highly uncertain, making the top dog in the conference a little less formidable.

In case you forgot, BYU made the Big 12 Championship Game in Arlington last December, falling to the Red Raiders. BYU was good enough to get to the title game, regardless of what the score of that game was. Not only that, but the Cougars return their quarterback, running back, and several key parts of their defense from that team that finished 12-2, with a thrilling win over Georgia Tech in the Pop-Tarts Bowl. They finished the season ranked No. 11 in the final AP poll, the fifth time ever that they finished better than 12th in the final poll.

With the Cougars returning some very key players at premium positions, along with head coach Kalani Sitake fresh off of a new extension, and a few impactful additions in the transfer portal, there’s no reason why BYU shouldn’t be squarely in contention for the Big 12 title once again.

Utah seems to be on the rise, according to the media, but there’s a large question mark in Morgan Scalley replacing longtime, legendary head coach Kyle Whittingham. Texas Tech is uber-talented, even if their quarterback situation is murky at the moment. Lurking are the Arizona Wildcats with veteran QB Noah Fifita.

No team is head-and-shoulders better than the rest of the conference. Texas Tech is still the favorite, but they may be more vulnerable than last year.

Where BYU can separate itself is with its defense. Yes, they had to replace Jay Hill at defensive coordinator. Kelly Poppinga slides into the role with a talented roster at his disposal. Linebacker Isaiah Glasker, corner Evan Johnson, safety Faletau Satuala, and defensive tackle Keanu Tanuvasa are all candidates for All-Big 12 honors after becoming staples of the defense last year.

Newcomers like linebacker Cade Uluave, tight end Walker Lyons, and receiver Kyler Kasper look like they can fill voids left by most of BYU’s biggest departures.