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! As for tonight’s drink of choice, take a look for yourself. Cheers!
@CMack0507 asks: What happens if Colorado loses to North Dakota State? Will the shine have completely rubbed off or will the majority give Coach Prime a pass because he’s still “rebuilding”?
Duke: I wouldn’t jump off the Colorado train if the Buffaloes fall to North Dakota State. The Bison are the No. 2 ranked team in FCS and are more than capable of knocking off FBS teams in power conferences. Just take a look at their history over the last ten years in case you don’t believe me. In all honesty, it would be a tough loss, but keep in mind that Colorado Football was 1-11 before Deion even stepped foot in Boulder. Give it more time.
@Particular_Drew asks: Which highly touted sophomore QB has a better season statistically – Rocco Becht or Noah Fifita?
Duke: Both are excellent quarterbacks, and I am expecting big years from them, but I would lean Fifita. Rocco may have the safer floor, but the upside of Noah Fifita is extremely high. Last season, Noah had a 73.6 completion percentage and threw for 20 touchdowns on just five interceptions. He takes care of the football extremely well and is very efficient too. I am not putting down Rocco by any means because he is a great player as well.
@holleygreg1 asks: Is the Cowboys tough slate to open conference play a blessing in disguise, considering the amount of returning & successful starters plus aged experience throughout the depth chart?
Duke: It is safe to say that Oklahoma State got off to a bit of a rocky start last year. Remember that 33-7 loss to South Alabama? Yet despite that horrific loss, they still ended up playing for a Big 12 title. When I look at their non-conference schedule, (vs. South Dakota State, vs. Arkansas and at Tulsa) it is pretty tough. South Dakota State is the reigning back-to-back national champion in the FCS, while Arkansas and Tulsa are not pushovers either. No matter what happens in those first three weeks, they will be tested and that should help them be ready for Big 12 play.
@DBSportsYT asks: The Big 12 feels like it could (once again) have the most contention at the top for the conference title game. How many teams are true contenders at the top?
Duke: When I look at the preseason Big 12 media poll, I can go all the way down to TCU at No. 10 before I start thinking about teams that will not be competing for a conference title. That means that Utah, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Kansas, Iowa State, Arizona, UCF, West Virginia, Texas Tech, and TCU are all in the mix. Of course, not all of them will be contenders by the time November rolls around, but this conference is so deep that it wouldn’t surprise me if any of those teams ended up in Jerry World come December.
@JDgreenCY asks: What kind of team is more fun? Developing three-stars down to walk-ons, or transfer portal junior & seniors, or four- and five-star recruits?
Duke: Give me the talent all day. If you can recruit four- and five-star guys, why would you turn that down? And if you can develop that caliber of player, you will have a national championship contender when you get a roster full of them.
@Austin_Keeney asks: More likely to happen in Week 1: West Virginia wins or Colorado loses?
Duke: Give me West Virginia beating Penn State, rather than Colorado losing to North Dakota State. The more I look into this game, the more I am liking WVU’s chances. Maybe it’s because I am slowly talking myself into it or the fact that I am just so darn excited for Big 12 football to be back. Either way, Neal Brown and this West Virginia team have a chip on their shoulders once again and will prove some people wrong this season.
@delbertintheadk asks: Which Big 12 team will be rocking the best uniforms this Fall? Several schools have new unis this season, and most have gone for more traditional looks.
Duke: There are some fantastic uniforms in this conference. And while I may not be the biggest fan of schools creating more simplistic uniforms, there are a few of them that still do a great job with the combinations they are able to pull off. With that said, I still am totally mesmerized by Oklahoma State. They have the best uniforms in the Big 12 and maybe even the entire country. Their combinations seem endless and there is nothing better than when they break out that special homecoming uniforms.
