Dave Aranda has had some bad luck with injuries, namely to starting quarterback Dequan Finn, and his Bears team hasn’t been able to close opponents out. Baylor had second-half leads against Colorado and Iowa State but dropped both games. If Aranda can’t start pulling out some wins, he may be leaving Waco.

At the start of the season, Kanas was considered a top-tier Big 12 team, but the Jayhawks have stumbled to a 1-5 record. Lance Leipold’s team has found ways to lose close games while making far too many mistakes.

After being hired in January of this year, Brent Brennan didn’t have much time with his team before the 2024 season began, and this has been shown in the Wildcats’ play. What was considered a potent offensive squad has averaged only 25.7 points per game (15th in the Big 12).

Things haven’t been good in Fort Worth since TCU lost the College Football Playoff title game in 2022. Sonny Dykes’ squad underwhelmed in 2023 and has become a bottom-of-the-barrel conference team in 2024, thanks in part to a 30-19 loss against Houston.

It’s hard to judge Willie Fritz too harshly in his first season rebuilding the Houston Cougars. Fritz had his work cut out for him due to a lack of talent on the roster, but there have been some rough patches, including back-to-back shoutout losses against Cincinnati and Iowa State.

Gus Malzahn’s great 3-0 start has soured after an 0-3 stretch in which the Knights have lost by double-digits twice. Now, Malzahn is hoping a change at quarterback can jumpstart UCF’s offense.

Neal Brown’s West Virginia team has been an enigma in 2024. The Mountaineers dropped nonconference games to Penn State and Pitt before winning their first two Big 12 games, including a 38-14 dusting of Oklahoma State. WVU did hold a lead against Iowa State in Morgantown, only to wither away in the second half of a 28-16 loss.

Scott Satterfield has done a great job this season, jumping to a 4-2 record. Those two losses against Pitt and Texas Tech came by four combined points. The second half of the Bearcats’ conference schedule is daunting with trips to Boulder, Manhattan and Ames.

Nobody expected this level of play from Kenny Dillingham’s Sun Devils. Picked as one of the worst teams in the league before the season, ASU is now flying high at 5-1 and could make a play at the conference championship game.

Joey McGuire’s Red Raiders are a team of extremes this season. They’ve won four single-score games, including a wild 52-51 season-opening victory over Abilene Christian in overtime. McGuire possesses the best scoring offense in the Big 12 at 39.3 points per game, but his defense gives up a league-worst 32.3 points per game.

Colorado has taken a step forward in Year 2 under Deion Sanders’ direction. Coach Prime won his first two Big 12 games and was poised to upset the Kansas State Wildcats at home, but a late KSU score led to the Buffs’ first conference loss.

Once thought to be a Big 12 favorite, Mike Gundy’s Oklahoma State Cowboys have been undone by a lack of consistent quarterback play from Alan Bowman. Gundy has tried to inject backup Garret Rangel into the lineup, but he hasn’t faired any better.

Another preseason favorite that has seen its season derailed, Utah has been hurt by the loss of quarterback Cam Rising, who has been replaced by the inconsistent Isaac Wilson. Whittingham and his offensive staff must figure out how to move the ball with Wilson before a brutal three-game stretch against BYU, CU and Iowa State.

Chris Klieman and his Wildcats have dominated at home and recently secured a great road win against Colorado. All eyes will be on KSU’s last regular season game when it travels to Ames to play the Iowa State Cyclones.

Iowa State just keeps on winning. Matt Campbell and his 6-0 Cyclones have dominated their schedule, winning every game but one by double-digits. The Cyclones were ranked No. 12 in the latest US LBM Coaches Poll.

Kalani Sitake’s head coaching job this season has been incredible. The Cougars were picked to finish 13th in the preseason Big 12 media poll. However, BYU has ridden great defense and solid quarterback play from Jake Retzlaff to a 6-0 record.