Looking Ahead To Week Two Of Big 12 Football In 2024

read all the stories about BYU Sports no one else has heard go to KSL sports.com for exclusive columns by BYU Insider Mitch Harper that's KSL sports.com that's me welcome back in first and 12 Mitch Harper Alex ker with you we hold it down every single Sunday during the Big 12 Football season and we're doing a big this year because it's the 16 team Big 12 and we love optionality we're going to be additive option I got to bring in some bright Yark isms to every every show every show and it sounds like it sounds like an offense that's being run in the Big 12 somewhere he runs the optionality I don't know why every time I try to do Yark it's it's a hint of trump I know ites it does has like a they didn't say we be on top we'd be back on top but we might not be back on top I don't know but but you know what at the same time like they both have a lot of that like that shozy salesman kind of thing right like that's that's the vibe you get but your mark is open for business and he has done a great job with this league where they're surviving they're not the Pack 12 right now and that is half the battle is survive and Advance as a conference every single year and they survive in advance to week two these 16 teams in the Big 12 and I think the schedule is a lot better next week Alex and it starts off here here locally uh BYU going to go to the traditional Big 12 area Dallas to take on an ACC team in SMU BYU SMU Friday night a kou's important game here to maybe you know continue to build this momentum somebody was telling me that uh and this is a massive mistake massive oversight by SMU they they started putting up like tickets for like a couple of bucks like if you're get some members of the Church of Jesus Christ the latterday sints out to a game somewhere else and you throw out a a a a low price on a ticket I'm sorry there you're going to get you're going to get shown out by the uh by the visiting crew but yeah that's an SMU team that uh man they have a history right uh and and you know they played in the bowl game a couple of seasons ago and obviously people think of the miracle bowl very very different time but yeah this is an SMU team that's now in the ACC and BYU goes down there I I maintain they need to go two and one at the very least and they're out of conference schedule and now that you see that Wyoming uh could have some chinks in the armor and you you see SMU isn't necessarily as as perfect as a team you think like there might be a possibility for boou to to steal one at SMU and then go to up to larmy go up to larmy and do the same thing up there as well but uh that's a tall task and that's maybe me getting a little bit ahead of myself there uh yeah but either way it's going to be a hot one too and that's one of the reasons they discounted the tickets 90 6 deges is the projected temp so it is going to be a scorcher for BYU in Dallas Utah going to have a we talked about it in the last segment they're going to have a game against a big 12 team but it's a non-conference matchup because it's a carryover of a home and home series from last year UT's GNA host the Baylor Bears you know Baylor this team's better and dcoin Finn the quarterback they bring in offensive coordinator Jake spavital who's a former head coach Baylor gave Utah an absolute scare last season with the pig farmer uh that was the worst offensive football I've probably seen from Utah in about 15 years since the early years of the Kyle Winningham tenure uh I think Utah rolls in this one but maybe Baylor can make it a little more interesting uh than you know what they were at the end of last season yeah we talked about Dave Randa and how much of a hot seat he's on and you know I don't think it gets much better next week because Baylor could could go in and they could be the next victim of cam Rising finding another gear and uh that could be a tough one for them the Battle of Iowa and Iowa state did you see that the Iowa Hawkeyes yesterday put up 40 points in a shutout so hey don't discount Kirk fence's uh uh blazing offensive possibilities there uh for the Hawkeyes but that's a big one of course because Iowa State I think is one of those teams that could absolutely surprise some people I don't know why people discount what Matt Campell can do Roco Beck Abu Sama like this is a team that I really like and they're going to Iowa they're facing off against the Hawkeyes team that's uh you know just perennially ranked high and don't have much going on on the offensive side of the football but uh yeah they're kicking things off uh easy there uh for the for this uh you know kind of Quasi inate uh you know uh rivalry between those two teams and it's one of a handful of Big 12 games against Big 10 or SEC foes next week Oklahoma State Arkansas and Arkansas had a massive performance in the return of Bobby patrino they went 10 for 10 10 consecutives drives with 10 touchdowns Arkansas looks loaded so that's going to be a really good test for Mike Gundy in Oklahoma State and then Kansas did you just throw out did you did you just throw out a it's good to have Bobby patrino back in Arkansas yes reference is that what you did w the Redemption Trail let's face it the guy he's got great offense the neck brace was iconic but the neck brace what a what a dork that guy is hat and the neck brace that's iconic look look that's a great fit that's I was in a motorcycle accident oh my goodness Kansas goes to Illinois and then Colorado this is going to be a good one they go at Nebraska do you think the Buffs can upset the Corn Huskers you know the corners are interesting because Matt rule typically does well in year two I just don't believe at all in Colorado they're going to uh Memorial Stadium too you know Lincoln's not an easy place to play boy how the mighty have fallen this used to be one of the Premier matchups in all of college football it's been relegated to us looking at it going is that even going to be a good game uh but we'll see I I I believe Nebraska is going to get Colorado I I don't I don't know what Colorado's got going on but right now it's not good vibes and it certainly is not a lot of consistency one thing we do have going on next week we're all Houston Cougar fans it's probably not going to lead to much but they're playing Oklahoma oh yeah and all the big 12 can agree they're they're pulling for Houston to pull off a miracle which I don't think it's going to happen but I bet the Big 12 offices and Irving are hoping for it to happen a couple of uh former stops of may he rest coach Mike Leech uh Washington State hosting Texas Tech Washington state by the way uh putting up a lot of points in this fir in this last first week in Texas Tech obviously uh last year they won on the road to Wyoming and uh that that was not good for Joey Maguire Squad hitting the road and Washington State I think just like uh o Oregon state has got a lot to prove this year as a two- team uh uh Power conference the Pack 12 it's back baby would you Alex this is I'm I'm asking you on the spot here yes would you want Yukon or Washington State as a member in the Big 12 next Washington State hands down not even a question not even a debate not even a question what what do you what what is uh Yukon Basketball doesn't do it for you no it does not no it does not and and honestly uh like it makes a difference to have a team that is kind of here you know what I mean I do not care about where is it stores Connecticut I'm not interested in adding another team that BYU and Utah are going to have to travel out to and yeah just for the sake of being like Oh yukon's in the conferences a basketball team no thank you give me Oregon State and give me Washington State I I'm one of the few people that and I'm a it's because I grew up a pack 10 guy Pack 12 guy so I I I like those programs and I think they bring you a lot and I think that Washington state new Oregan State have a lot to prove this year I bet Texas Tech goes up there and they and they are going to struggle Arizona TCU they play FCS opponents ucf's got Sam Houston West Virginia's got Albany uh an FCS opponent Cincinnati's got a good one Pittsburgh uh coming in and can State plays to Lane so loaded schedule next week I think we're gonna have a lot more to kind of digest and learn kind of get a clearer picture of what these teams are looking like this season Mitch we fired off the first week of first and 12 man you feel good about it I feel good it's a good start absolutely let's get it going we got so much more to go Mitch this is going to be a fun season man I'm looking forward to it uh many thanks to our producer Eric Cabrero who does a f a phenomenal job every week the team is back baby first and 12 uh again we'll be back again next week join Mitch on Tuesday for cougar Nation join me every day on the KSL Sport Zone with Jeremiah Jensen with JJ and Alex we're going to be back again next week another edition of first and 12 so for Mitch I'm Alex we'll talk to you next week everybody