Welcome to our newest feature, which we’re calling “What-If Wednesday.” In this column, I’ll propose a handful of questions that, at this point, have not come to fruition. But IF they do, what will come out of it? What’s the end game?
Join us for this one, and let’s have some fun.
What If… West Virginia upsets Penn State in Week 1?
Then it would mean two things: 1) The Big 12 will get some immediate love and respect as a conference, at a time it desperately needs it in the New World Order coming to college football. 2) West Virginia Football will immediately become talked about, rightfully so, as a favorite to end up in Arlington for the upcoming Big 12 football season.
As we’ve discussed extensively throughout the offseason, the Big 12 Conference needs to do well in some of its premier non-conference games. And while WVU will be an underdog vs. Penn State, it’s important that the conference not lose games it should win, and then be competitive in games its an underdog in, while ideally pulling off a couple upsets.
All in all, the Mountaineers beating a likely top-ranked Penn State team in a Big Noon Kick Off Game Week 1 would be a tremendous start to the season for the conference.
What If… KJ Jefferson is the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year?
Then that likely means UCF will be in the mix to reach the Big 12 Championship Game in Arlington. UCF has one of the more favorable schedules in the Big 12 this season and the Knights were only a couple of plays away from being 8-4 instead of 6-6 last season. They’re flying under the radar as is, and now Gus Malzahn gets his kind of a quarterback, the closest thing you can get to a Cam Newton, without it being Cam Newton, in Jefferson.
If KJ Jefferson has that kind of season that makes him the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, then we are talking about a Knights team that could be playoff bound via an auto bid in 2024 and would become a one of the year-in, year-out favorites in a league that is looking for a consistent team in the upper echelon of the conference.
What If… Phil Steele is Right About Arizona’s Regression?
Than a lot of “experts” are going to be wrong in picking them to compete atop the Big 12 Conference this season.
Phil Steele has Arizona as the most likely team in the country to not see an increase in their win total from 2023 based on his Stock Market Index. After going 10-3 in 2023, the Wildcats lost head coach Jedd Fisch to Washington but were able to retain the vast majority of their roster for first-year head coach Brent Brennan. However, it appears an 11-win season is very unlikely, if Steele’s prediction is any indication.
The good news is that Arizona returns some of the most productive skill position players in the country, led by quarterback Noah Fifita and wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan.
But is that enough, with a new staff, to get off on the right foot in a brand new conference? It remains to be seen, but with Arizona Football returning 15 starters, there’s reason to believe they can compete. However, if Steele is right, we won’t be talking about the Wildcats in Arlington in early December.
