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, our message boards and even email! For tonight’s drink of choice, take a look for yourself. Cheers!
@tracks182 asks: How badly did Deion screw up with the media?
Duke: I knew I would have to talk about this at some point so here we go. I will keep it simple. If Deion Sanders goes out and wins eight games or more this year, will anyone remember his outburst from Colorado Media Day in August? I seriously doubt it. However, he went 4-8 last season which means he’s going to get asked questions he probably doesn’t want to answer.
Coaches get paid millions of dollars and when they don’t do a good enough job, they will get criticized by the media. Especially the struggling coaches who fly off the handle and treat the local media poorly. When you lose games, your act will get stale. Winning cures everything. When you win, you can do almost anything you want because you can do no wrong. But when you lose, you become the target. Right now, Deion has a target on him and the coach I saw on Friday was not a confident one.
@savagefund asks: How many Big 12 teams will be undefeated going into conference play?
Duke: Just glancing over the schedule, I think we could see as many as nine or ten Big 12 teams that go undefeated in the non-conference. Keep in mind that some Big 12 teams are actually going to be playing each other due to schedules being released years in advance. Of course, I would love for it to be as many as possible.
Justin Webb asks: How will not having any true home games affect KU?
Duke: Honestly, this is something I haven’t given much thought, but I don’t see why it would be a big issue. Let’s face it, Arrowhead is better than what Kansas was playing in, so that alone is an upgrade. The thing I worry about is the crowds, which you mentioned in your e-mail. I can’t stand regular season games in NFL stadiums. It just doesn’t feel right to me. But in the end, if Jalon Daniels is healthy for Kansas, that’s all that matters. The Jayhawks could be playing in a parking lot and as long as Daniels is there, I would feel good about this Kansas team.
@sun_devil_chris asks: Give us one team from the top/contender tier most likely to crash and burn. And one team from the bottom/doormat tier to most likely surprise.
Duke: My top contender that has the best chance of crashing is Kansas State. While I am counting on them to be a top contender, they have a lot of question marks left to answer. The defense will be good, and Avery Johnson is getting a ton of hype. Johnson showed flashes but can he do it for an entire season? Plus, I worry about some of the weapons around him and a few new faces up front. Kansas State will be tested early so we should get to know if they are for real or not right away.
As for a bottom tier team outside the preseason poll Top Ten to keep an eye on, give me Baylor. Bringing Dequan Finn from Toledo was a solid move, and they bring back most of their offensive line and their top five receivers from 2023. New offensive coordinator Jake Spavital should have some nice pieces to work with. The defense should be improved as well with some key starters back and with Aranda taking a more hands-on approach. Their schedule is friendly in the first few weeks, and they have a legitimate chance to get off to a 4-1 start heading into October.
@pennute asks: Who will Utah be matched up against on Dec 7th in Arlington?
Duke: I like the confidence from Utah fans. They know they have a good team this year and aren’t afraid to tell the world. You are right, I also have the Utes making it to Jerry World. As for their opponent, that is the million-dollar question. Right now, I have Kansas State being the second team to get to Arlington. I had them in my three best teams in my summer series along with Oklahoma State and Utah. However, I can be sold on the Cowboys making it as well.
@caseybourke1 asks: Most exciting non-conference game you are looking forward to.
Duke: It’s got to be Penn State at West Virginia. That is, by far, the biggest non-conference game in the Big 12 for obvious reasons. Big Noon Kickoff will be there, and Morgantown will be rocking. I can already smell the pepperoni rolls and moonshine in the parking lot from here.
