So, if you missed it, I started this series with the bottom three of the Big 12. Iowa State, West Virginia, and Houston made up the truly awful group. This next group are teams that are just regular not good but might scare a few of the better programs. The higher on the list we go the less I have any feel for how this wild conference will shake out. Let’s get into it!

11. Kansas

Look, the vibes around Kansas are as good as they have been in years and years for that program. Last year was a colossal step forward, reaching a bowl game. Kansas is no longer a total joke of a football team, but I am just not as high on the Jayhawks as some. They really struggled down the stretch and lost to pretty much every decent football team they played. I have to see it to believe it with Kansas, but for now just being more than a meme is a win for the Jayhawks.

10. Cincinnati

Talk about a program with a totally different feel with the departure of Luke Fickell. We talked to some knowledgeable folks around those parts, and they basically confirmed what a lot of people think. Nobody knows what to expect. This is the most successful of the newcomers, having reached the College Football Playoff. But with the uncertainty around that program, and a lot of question marks on the field too, this feels like the safest of my ranking’s picks.

9. BYU

BYU, or the kings of the now vanquished Pac-12, is finally ending their independent streak by joining the Big 12. I like BYU’s experience regularly battling at this level of competition, and the future battles with Utah as conference-mates will be epic, but this BYU team is not quite ready for the Big Show. I believe BYU’s history and familiarity with Power 5 opponents will pay dividends sooner rather than later, but I am not buying the turnaround back to being a serious competitor for them quite yet.