Iowa State Faces Rebuild as Eclectic Big 12 Season Kicks Off

The Big 12 has never claimed to be the best conference in college football, but it might still be the most eclectic. Sixteen teams stretching from Iowa to Florida and West Virginia to Arizona have very little tying them together geographically, and there hasn't been a clear standout since Oklahoma and Texas departed for the SEC in 2024.

For Iowa State fans, this season brings a sobering reality: the program that has been one of the conference's steadiest over the past decade is starting from scratch after a massive exodus of players and coaches to Penn State in the wake of Matt Campbell's move to Happy Valley.

The Cyclones aren't alone in facing uncertainty. Texas Tech has made its pitch as the conference favorite using a groundbreaking cash infusion, while Oklahoma State, BYU, Utah, and Houston all harbor legitimate hopes of reaching the College Football Playoff. Here's what to watch in the Big 12 this season.

What happened to Iowa State after Matt Campbell left?

Campbell's departure to Penn State triggered a talent drain that has left the Cyclones in unfamiliar territory. Key players followed their coach to Happy Valley, and the program now faces the challenge of rebuilding under new leadership while competing in a conference that has no clear dominant team.

The timing couldn't be worse for a program trying to maintain its trajectory. With Texas Tech loading up on talent and BYU returning 13 starters, the Cyclones will need to find answers quickly if they hope to remain competitive in the new-look Big 12.

Can Texas Tech live up to its billing as the Big 12 favorite?

The Red Raiders have made their pitch using a groundbreaking cash infusion to stock talent over the past two years. They landed former Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby in January, only to see him banned for betting over the summer, reinstated, and eventually withdrawn from the program.

In place of Sorsby, Texas Tech has a promising fallback option in Will Hammond, who played well in relief of Behren Morton last year, notably in a 34-10 road win against Utah that shifted the Big 12 hierarchy in Week 4. Hammond tore his ACL in October and was expected to be sidelined through the first month of this season, but has taken first-team reps throughout fall camp and will start in the opener against Abilene Christian.

Texas Tech was one of the best teams in the FBS in almost every defensive metric last season, including rush defense (first), total defense (third) and points allowed (third). After having six players from that unit drafted, it replenished the edge by adding Trey White (San Diego State) and Adam Trick (Miami OH) via the portal, as well as interior lineman Mateen Ibirogba (Wake Forest) and linebacker Austin Romaine (Kansas State).

In all, Texas Tech boasts seven players named to the Preseason All-Big 12 Team, one more than runner-up BYU. With what feels like a clear path to the playoffs, Texas Tech would have plenty to prove upon arrival after falling flat in a 23-0 loss to Oregon in the Orange Bowl.

Is BYU ready to compete for a Big 12 title?

BYU won 12 games last season, its most since 1996, but was defined by its two losses, each of which came against Texas Tech, including a 34-7 blowout in the Big 12 Championship. That second strike was all the committee needed to omit it from the playoffs.

The Cougars mostly added depth through the portal and return 13 starters, including quarterback Bear Bachmeier and star running back LJ Martin. Bachmeier won the starting job in 2025 as a true freshman and was one of the biggest revelations in college football, scoring 26 total touchdowns while ranking 16th in the FBS in QBR (78.2). Martin was the Big 12's best runner, finishing with a conference-best 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns.

If the Cougars hope to keep pace with Texas Tech, they'll need another breakout star, and they believe they might have one in true freshman wide receiver Legend Glasker, who's already secured a starting role while being the standout of fall camp. The marquee matchup is the Cougars' home game against Notre Dame on Oct. 17.

Could the top NFL Draft pick be playing at Oklahoma State?

Drew Mestemaker still has to prove it against Power Four competition, but he hasn't let much get in his way to this point. Oklahoma State hasn't won a Big 12 game since 2023 and fired Mike Gundy one week after a 69-3 obliteration at the hands of Oregon last September, the program's worst loss since 1907.

In December, the Cowboys brought in Eric Morris from North Texas as head coach, then saw 19 North Texas players follow a month later, including Mestemaker, running back Caleb Hawkins and wide receiver Wyatt Young.

Mestemaker's story is already unique enough. An unrecruited, zero-star quarterback who didn't start a single game in high school, he walked on at North Texas, then went from sixth-string to being the most prolific passer in college football within 18 months. He orchestrated the best offense in the entire FBS last season, throwing 34 touchdown passes while leading the nation with 4,379 passing yards.

Even if he breaks out on the big stage, Mestemaker will have plenty of competition for that first spot in April's NFL Draft. Arch Manning figures to stake his claim with Texas, and Oregon's Dante Moore and Notre Dame's CJ Carr are certain to have their say as well.

Which other teams could challenge the Big 12 elite?

Last year, Texas Tech and BYU ran the table in the Big 12, and Utah held tight as well, with its only two losses coming to those two teams. The Utes figure to be back in contention under new head coach Morgan Scalley, but Houston might be next in line to push the three teams that currently make up the Big 12's elite.

Last year, the Cougars recovered from a 24-point home loss to Texas Tech in Week 6 to finish 6-3 in the conference and stamped a 10-win season by beating LSU in the Texas Bowl. Conner Weigman was quietly one of the best quarterbacks in college football in 2025, accounting for 36 total touchdowns after never really finding his footing in three previous seasons in the SEC at Texas A&M.

Houston also added Makhi Hughes through the portal, two seasons removed from a 1,400-yard, 15-touchdown season at Tulane. The optimism surrounding Houston goes beyond 2026, as the Cougars secured the highest-rated recruit in program history in Keisean Henderson, a five-star in-state quarterback ranked by ESPN as the fourth-best player in this year's freshman class.

What's next for Deion Sanders at Colorado?

The saga continues for Coach Prime at Colorado, following a season where the Buffaloes took a major step back after its two Heisman finalists leapt to the NFL. Colorado dipped from nine wins to three and managed to go just 1-9 in the Big 12.

Sanders did manage to replenish Colorado's receiving room with DeAndre Moore, who had 532 yards last season as one of Manning's top targets at Texas, as well as Danny Scudero, who had 88 catches and led the FBS with 1,297 yards at San Jose State. In all, Sanders added more than 40 new players via the portal, as well as new offensive and defensive coordinators.

Colorado's most notable addition on defense is linebacker Gideon ESPN Lampron, ESPN being his literal middle name, who finished third in the MAC with 119 total tackles at Bowling Green. He actually met Sanders on a Cleveland-bound flight from Dallas last December, found himself at the team's facility in Boulder the following week, then officially joined the Buffaloes in January.

As the Big 12 season gets underway, one thing remains certain: in this conference, we never really know what's going to happen.