Welcome to the Heartland College Sports Big 12 Football mailbag. This mailbag is for all you football junkies out there who root for a Big 12 school and not only have questions about your team but other teams in the conference as well.
So, join me, grab a can, bottle, or glass of your favorite beverage, and relax as I answer all your Big 12 questions.
I want to thank each one of you who submitted a question this week on Twitter and our message boards! For tonight’s drink of choice, take a look for yourself. Cheers!
@pennute asks: Curious what Big 12 fans should expect for exposure from ESPN/Fox when everyone knows they are both going to be giving all of their best TV slots to their premier leagues (B1G/SEC)?
Duke: I can tell you that in the first few weeks of the season, the Big 12 has some games already in primetime slots on ESPN and FOX. The four corner schools (and BYU) help the conference lock up those late slots. When conference play rolls around, then that is where you will see certain teams featured more. Schools that are Big 12 title contenders are going to get better time slots. Will we get as many as the SEC? No, but I think there will be a good chunk of quality Big 12 games in primetime.
@savagefund asks: The Big 12 turned 30 this year. Since its inception in 1994, what years have been the Big 12’s most influential on college football and why? Are years like that possible in the future?
Duke: I have only been covering the Big 12 since 2016 but I have been a fan of the conference much longer than that. I don’t have one specific year, but what the Big 12 did for college football is bring some interesting and innovative offenses. From Mike Leach at Texas Tech and all those great Big 12 offenses we had in the early 2010s, no other conference in college football had better offenses than the Big 12. In fact, it is a stereotype that this conference is still trying to shake off when it comes to national media. People think still think that the Big 12 doesn’t play defense and they are crazy. This isn’t 2012 anymore.
@holleygreg1 asks: Is there any chance fans/media are sleeping a bit on Alan Bowman’s ability to capitalize on his age and experience for big improvements in his second year in Stillwater?
Duke: That is a fantastic question and I do believe that Alan Bowman is part of the reason some people are more hesitant about Oklahoma State. And to be fair, I am a little bit too. Last season, Bowman certainly had some up-and-down moments, as his TD/INT numbers would indicate (15 touchdowns and 14 interceptions). Plus, his 60% completion percentage isn’t all that great. Up to this point in his career, Alan Bowman’s best season was his freshman year, all the way back in 2018, when he was at Texas Tech under Kliff Kingsbury. While I do think he will improve in his second season in Stillwater, I don’t think he will suddenly morph into an elite quarterback.
@Cmack0507 asks: ESPN writer Bill Connelly recently previewed the Big 12, in which he says quarterbacks such as Noah Fifita, Garrett Greene, and Jalon Daniels are more “proven” than ISU’s Rocco Becht. Connelly has yet to provide any evidence to support his claim. What is your take here?
Duke: That is certainly an interesting statement, but I will say this right off the bat. Jalon Daniels and Noah Fifita are a cut above Rocco Becht. Don’t get me wrong, Becht was FANTASTIC last season for a guy who got thrown into the fire, but he isn’t better than a healthy Jalon Daniels or Noah Fifita.
The interesting part to me is the Garrett Greene (WVU) thing. Does Greene have more experience? Yes, this will be his fifth season in Morgantown. But is he a better passer than Rocco Becht? No. Garrett does have a clear edge when it comes to athletic ability and running the football, but I wouldn’t necessarily say he is a better quarterback than Rocco at this very moment.
@angelhare asks: Oklahoma State played in the conference championship game last year and returns almost all its players from that team. Why do you think no one is ranking them better than fourth place in the Big 12?
Duke: I haven’t seen anyone rank them fourth because the media preseason poll has Oklahoma State at three, which is where I have the Cowboys as well. In fact, I just wrote an article in my summer series about my top three teams in the conference, and Oklahoma State made the cut. In the article, I also list my concerns about one particular side of the ball, along with a tough schedule. Maybe this is why some people have a harder time buying into Oklahoma State than others.
@louisdjksu asks: How many Big 12 teams will go bowling this year?
Duke: I almost want to go with ten, but I think nine is a safe bet for the Big 12. But if I’m wrong, the more the merrier.
