In August, The Odyssey predicted a wild free-for-all in the Big 12 featuring a dozen competent teams but no squad that would take your breath away:

In one of the shocks of 2024, let’s take a look at the Big 12 records of 4 of the preseason favorites to win the crown:

Oklahoma State                  0-5

Utah                                      1-4

Kansas                                  1-4

Arizona                                 1-4

 

3-17 overall!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Meanwhile, BYU was projected to have a losing record in 2024.  Instead, the Cougars are undefeated and in the Top 10.  The Mormons, strangely featuring a Jewish quarterback, have handed SMU and Kansas State their only defeats.

Arizona State’s rise come 1-2 years earlier than anticipated.

Coach Prime now has some semblance of a defense.

A supposedly downtrodden Houston squad has upset TCU and Utah (as well as giving Oklahoma a scare).

There may only be two non-surpriing elements in the Big 12 bizarro world:

  1. Iowa State and Kansas State are both quite solid and are trending toward an epic Farmageddon showdown.
  2. Texas Tech gives up points as rapidly as it puts them on the scoreboard

One of Pink Floyd’s songs capsulizes this year in the Big 12: “Shine On, You Crazy Diamond.”