West Virginia Mountaineers to win Big 12
“Is it the Utes for you? Yeah, I mean, look, it's been a league of parity. It's not suddenly a league of parity. It is. One of the things we talked about on Big 12 radio was the fact that really since the reinstitution of the Big 12 championship game, we've only seen one team that's been to the Big 12 championship game twice, and that's Oklahoma State. so I mean when you think about the big breadwinners in this conference in Texas and Oklahoma you know they've been a part of the parody of this league and history. I mean, Oklahoma had a run, a string where they won, I think, five consecutive Big 12 championships. And then, you know, really ever since the announcement of Texas NOU leaving, it has been very much a lot of different teams that have played into this. So it's not going to be a league of parity this year. It's been a league of parity. So, I mean, everybody's picking Utah. And so, you know, PJ, you asked me there, am I picking Utah? And no, I'm not, because anytime there's an overwhelming favorite in this league, they don't win. So history suggests that. I've got West Virginia winning this conference. It is very much off the board. In fact, nobody, I didn't vote in the poll this year. Last year I got killed, destroyed, because I picked Oklahoma State to win the conference, and they had number one next to their name in the preseason poll, and everybody was wondering what moron picked them to win the conference. And it wasn't like I had some sort of a, you know, Nostradamus knowledge of what was going to happen. It's just this, like, this is what it's been. So if you've seen patterns, then you can expect that pattern to continue. It's funny that people think Utah's going to win this week when the pattern suggests they're not going to. So I'm going off the board and going West Virginia. I think they really built something last year with Neil Brown. And I think the mentality of the buy-in of these players, you kind of hear them talking. I think there's a major buy-in. I think they have the most underrated quarterback in the country in Garrett Green, who has shown last year's tremendous growth. I think they lost a few games they should have won last year, including one where Garrett Green had a really dumb penalty for ripping his helmet off after throwing a touchdown pass to win the game. Only him ripping his helmet off cost him 15 yards, and Houston kicked a game-winning field goal. So I think that's the kind of stuff that gets cleaned up and right into this year. But look, I mean, your guess is as good as mine in terms of who wins this conference. I'm just betting against Utah because, again, let's look at recent history. Recent history says the overwhelming favorite is not going to win this conference.”
45-19 — Arizona State beat Iowa State 45-19 to win the 2024 Big 12 Championship Game, so West Virginia did not win the conference (Big 12 official).
Colorado Buffaloes over 5.5 regular-season wins
“All right, let's do something that nobody ever does. Let's have a reasonable discussion about Colorado football, shall we? so the over under last year they hit okay so while we might look back and reflect and say what a bad year one for deon i think it's because expectations got so skewed because of how they started the year but they hit the over right so same deal right they live in the margins either they're going to be so good or so bad you know i said on andy staples podcast you know a few weeks ago in in Colorado, like, yeah, their ceiling is they can win the Big 12. And, of course, that's the hot take express, right? But, I mean, like, when you've got a quarterback at that level, like, you have a high ceiling. So do I think they're going to win the Big 12? Absolutely not. Can they? Sure. When you've got a quarterback that's that talented, especially with the wide receiver talent that they have, when you look at, you know, what they are bringing back in Horn and Travis Hunter and then what they bring in for the transfer portal, I mean, their skill position is as good as it's been. So, again, let's have a reasonable discussion. They're over and under this year. Their win total, I think, is five and a half, is it? It's five and a half? Yep. Six? Correct. Five and a half. Okay, so are they going to win 10 games? Are they going to win two games? They're probably going to win six or seven games and be a bowl team. Pretty big jump when you look at where they were two years ago before Deion got there. And this is like most programs operate this way. These are the small steps. Look at my alma mater, Kansas, where they were when they weren't winning any games. They weren't even competitive. They won two football games. And then they got close to being bowl eligible. They got to a bowl and lost the bowl game. Then last year they won a bowl. So it's incremental steps. The issue is, again, that Deion is so polarizing. They live in the margins. It's hard to have a reasonable discussion. So, I mean, I absolutely think taking over on Colorado should be a bowl team. This is a team that, again, exceeded expectations based on preseason expectations last year and is a better roster. There's no doubt this is a better roster. They still have questions. obviously on the offensive and defensive lines. They also have a new defensive coordinator that has never called plays. He's only been a position coach in the National Football League. Doesn't mean he can't, but we've just never seen it. So there are legitimate questions, which is why I wouldn't pick them to win the conference. But again, looking at their win total, having a reasonable discussion about them, they exceeded their win total last year. Baby steps. This should be a bull team this year.”
Colorado finished the 2024 regular season 9-3, clearing the 5.5 win total (ESPN schedule/results). (Colorado 2024 regular season: 9-3)