Big 12 Notes

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Big 12 Notes – Colorado State Week

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September 13th

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Who will join the “Pac-6” to get the conference to (at least) eight teams?

From CBS Sports … The Pac-12’s big move to swipe four schools from the Mountain West — Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State and San Diego State — is the biggest story of the week, but the Pac-12 isn’t finished. It needs at least two more schools by 2026 to meet the NCAA minimum of eight schools to keep the Pac-12 going as a football conference.

Where could the Pac-12 turn next? We talked to multiple people with knowledge of the situation, including a high-ranking official at one of the Pac-12’s six schools to get to the bottom of it.

First, let’s start here: Cal and Stanford aren’t considered realistic possibilities. They’ve signed grant of rights deals with the ACC and by all accounts are happy in their first year in a new conference. Anything is possible if the ACC implodes, but there were influential people encouraging Cal and Stanford more than a year ago to stay put with this exact scenario in mind and the schools opted for the weird geographic fit in the ACC anyway.

The more realistic target zone resides in the American Athletic Conference. Memphis, Tulane, UTSA, North Texas and Rice were all mentioned as schools to keep an eye on by multiple sources CBS Sports talked to in the last 36 hours. Rice is the outlier of the group in many ways, but Memphis, UTSA and Tulane in particular are viewed as desirable options. Multiple sources espoused the value of getting into Texas — UTSA is considered the top option, in that regard — as the Pac-12 expands geographically. The Pac-12 had previously been in deep conversations with SMU before the implosion in 2023 that ultimately brought the Mustangs to the ACC.

If there’s a downside to the Pac-12’s two-pronged expansion effort, though, it is that it allows AAC commissioner Tim Pernetti, regarded as one of the sharpest minds in college athletics, an opportunity to fortify his conference to prevent any future defections, according to multiple industry sources. Don’t be surprised to see the American be aggressive itself in pursuing Mountain West schools like Air Force.

If the Pac-12 can’t convince any of the viable American schools to leave, it could again turn its sights on the Mountain West’s remaining eight schools. The one that makes the most sense is UNLV, although there is a complication that Nevada politicians want it to stick with Nevada, a school that isn’t as desirable of a realignment target. This is where not being in a rush to add another school could be beneficial to the Pac-12 if UNLV is the direction it wants to go.

… Continue reading story here …

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September 12th

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Boise State, CSU, Fresno State and San Diego State to join the “Pac-12”

From ESPN … Boise State, Colorado State, San Diego State and Fresno State will join the Pac-12 in the 2026-27 academic year, they announced Thursday.

The Pac-12 board of directors unanimously approved applications from the four schools, which will join Oregon State and Washington State, the conference’s two remaining schools following the league’s collapse in the summer of 2023.

“For over a century, the Pac-12 Conference has been recognized as a leading brand in intercollegiate athletics,” Pac-12 commissioner Teresa Gould said in a statement. “We will continue to pursue bold cutting-edge opportunities for growth and progress, to best serve our member institutions and student-athletes. I am thankful to our board for their efforts to welcome Boise State University, Colorado State University, California State University, Fresno, and San Diego State University to the conference. An exciting new era for the Pac-12 Conference begins today.”

MW commissioner Gloria Nevarez released a statement late Wednesday to address reports the four schools were leaving the conference.

“The Mountain West Conference is aware of media reports regarding the potential departure of several of our members, and we will have more to say in the days ahead,” Nevarez said. “All members will be held to the Conference bylaws and policies should they elect to depart. The requirements of the scheduling agreement will apply to the Pac-12 should they admit Mountain West members. Our Board of Directors is meeting to determine our next steps. The Mountain West has a proud 25-year history and will continue to thrive in the years ahead.”

Mountain West bylaws require departing schools to pay an exit fee of roughly $18 million with two years’ notice, which is what the four schools expect to pay, a source said. (That number would jump to $36 million with one year’s notice.)

The Pac-12 is expected to be in position to help the schools with the exit fees, in part, due to withheld media-rights distribution fees to departed members and other conference assets. The conference would also be subjected to $43 million in poaching fees, as outlined in the scheduling agreement between the conferences this year that resulted in Oregon State and Washington State playing six Mountain West opponents.

“We are ecstatic to be joining the Pac-12 Conference,” said John David Wicker, San Diego State director of athletics. “While we are grateful to be a founding member of the Mountain West with 26 years of success in the conference, we are excited at what lies ahead with these new opportunities.”

The six members will collaborate to decide which schools to target for further expansion, as the conference still needs to add two more schools to reach the NCAA minimum requirement. The conference is in the first year of a two-year grace period afforded by NCAA bylaws to exist below the minimum in the case of departures.

… Continue reading story here …

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September 11th

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The Athletic: If Shedeur wants to be the No. 1 Draft Pick, he needs to act like the No. 1 pick

From The Athletic … By themselves, the pieces of a puzzle reveal very little. But link them together and a clearly defined picture emerges.

Metaphorically speaking, that describes the NFL Draft. After spending months, if not years, gathering information on prospects, teams then connect all the dots — er, data — to create a fuller picture of whom they might be selecting.

Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders should understand that more than any prospect. His father, Deion Sanders, is not only his head coach but also one of the greatest cornerbacks in NFL history. Coach Prime, as he likes to be called, knows the league and its inner workings as well as anyone. He is familiar with the circus that is the draft process and how innocuous incidents can take on a life of their own.

That’s why I’m surprised Shedeur hasn’t handled the spotlight in a more circumspect manner over the past year. It goes beyond him throwing his offensive linemen under the bus after he was sacked five times in Saturday’s loss at Nebraska. It’s also having his work ethic questioned by Miami quarterback Cam Ward, another potential top-5 pick, after the two trained together in South Florida in the offseason. And him making a disparaging comment about a former teammate after the player transferred. And legendary QB Tom Brady joking (?) that he needed to get out of the car showroom and into the film room after he posted pictures in a Rolls-Royce.

By themselves, these things might not mean a lot.

But when strung together, they could result in uncomfortable questions about his fitness to potentially be drafted No. 1 — which is one of the reasons he returned for his senior season. As one former longtime general manager told me this week: “If you’re asking the question, teams are definitely going to be asking the question.”

At this point, just three weeks into the season, it’s too early to credibly discuss front-runners for the top spot. And though some entered the year projecting 2025 to be a QB-weak draft class, history tells us relative unknowns will be pushed up draft boards by the end of the season, making for a robust discussion about who should go No. 1.

… Continue reading story here …

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September 10th

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CBS Bottom 25 includes CSU (with a dig at CU)

From CBS Sports … The 2024 college football season rolls on, and so does the Bottom 25. After a fiery Week 1 debut that saw five Power Four teams rank among the nation’s worst — and worst is meant as an endearing term, in this instance — this week’s Bottom 25 is a bit lighter on college football’s upper crust.

But it’s not totally without. ACC competitor Clemson was able to lift itself out with a dominant 66-10 win against Appalachian State, but Florida State is still in the rankings amid its 0-2 start to what was once a promising 2024 campaign. At No. 25 in the Bottom 25, the Seminoles could escape being ranked in this space next week if they can win Saturday’s game vs. Memphis, FSU coach Mike Norvell’s former team.

Though we have to bid adieu to Texas A&M for now, Texas Tech is doing its part to ensure that the Lone Star State is well-represented among the Bottom 25. The Red Raiders have, somehow, steadily regressed in three years under coach Joey McGuire. Their one win thus far came by one point against an Abilene Christian team that went 5-6 at the FCS level last season.

If Texas Tech was hoping to make a statement about its ability to threaten other Big 12 schools, it has fallen hopelessly flat thus far.

Notables …

No. 25 Florida State … Florida State had a bye in Week 2, so at least it couldn’t lose again. After a rather disastrous start to the season, the Seminoles now have to turn their attention to a potential College Football Playoff team when they face Memphis, Mike Norvell’s former team. It never gets easier. (Last week: 19)

No. 24 Air Force … Remember when Air Force was an AP Top 25 team last year? Now the Falcons are headed in another direction, thanks to a 2-6 skid in their last eight games. Things hit a new low when they lost to San Jose State for the first time ever. Troy Calhoun is a great coach so it’s hard to see this trend continuing. (NR)

No. 23 Texas Tech … The Joey McGuire honeymoon period is 6-feet under at this point. He may recruit well, and he’s a Texas football icon, but the actual on-field results aren’t backing any of that up. After a thrilling overtime victory against mighty Abilene Christian in Week 1, the Red Raiders got thrashed by Washington State last week. (NR)

No. 16 Colorado State … Colorado State rebounded big time last week with a 38-17 win against Northern Colorado. Next on the docket is non-directional Colorado, with superiority of the state on the line. The Buffaloes are reeling after getting run out of the stadium against Nebraska and still don’t have an offensive line, so this is a Prime opportunity for the Rams to continue their ascent. (2)

No. 2 Wyoming … (CU plays Wyoming in 2025) … It’s frankly shocking to see the Cowboys fall this low. Turns out that 48-7 loss to Arizona State may have been a bad omen. Wyoming followed that up by falling 17-13 to FCS Idaho. Idaho is a great team, and the Vandals pushed Oregon in Week 1, but it’s hard to justify that result. (4)

… Read full story here …

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September 9th

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CBS Sports 1-134: CU takes a tumble in national rankings

From CBS Sports …  The college football rankings rarely see bigger week-to-week changes than in the first month of the season because each result leads to overreactions … which sometimes then leads to a course correction a week or two later. That’s certainly the case in the post-Week 2 edition of the CBS Sports 134, where unexpected results have led to some huge adjustments inside the top 50.

Things are less dramatic at the top of the rankings where Georgia holds firm in its position of No. 1 and Texas’ jump of Ohio State for No. 2 follows in line with the wide-ranging reaction to a statement win at Michigan. The Buckeyes will have their chance to state a case for No. 1 later in the season, but for now, the Bulldogs and Longhorns have power conference victories that give them an edge in that debate.

Movement around the top 10 was sparked in part by Notre Dame’s stunning loss to Northern Illinois, leading to big rankings changes for both teams, and a top-10 arrival for Tennessee, moving up six spots to No. 7 following a primetime beatdown of NC State in Charlotte on Saturday night.

And while Michigan and Notre Dame took a step back in the rankings following Week 2 defeats, neither fell outside of the top 25 –a range that now includes five different 1-1 teams. The voters from CBS Sports and 247Sports have docked those squads by knocking them outside the top 15, but there is still enough belief in their overall quality to keep them from falling outside the top 30.

It is in that range from No. 25 to No. 50 where we see some of the biggest movement in the opening month of the season. From a cold, objective power ratings perspective, we’ve long known that there isn’t a lot of difference between the 25th best team in the country and the 40th best team, so when our sample size is small, the impact of individual results is greater when trying to split hairs among those similar teams.

From the Big 12 … 

• No. 11 … Utah … down one spot from last week
• No. 13 … Oklahoma State … up four spots
• No. 14 … Kansas State  … up one spot
• No. 16 … Iowa State … up ten spots
• No. 21 … Nebraska … up eight spots
• No. 22 … Arizona … down one spot
• No. 31 … Kansas … down 11 spots
• No. 35 … UCF … up four spots
• No. 37 … TCU … up three spots
• No. 45 … West Virginia … down 1 spot
• No. 56 … Arizona State … up 8 spots
• No. 64 … BYU … up five spots
• No. 73 … Texas Tech … down 20 spots
• No. 74 … Baylor … down 16 spots
• No. 75 … Colorado … down 21 spots
• No. 83 … Houston … up six spots
• No. 91 … Cincinnati … down nine spots
• No. 95 … Colorado State … down three spots 

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THIS WEEK IN BIG 12 FOOTBALL – WEEK TWO

Press release from the Big 12 …

• The Big 12 Conference posted a record of 9-5 against other conferences in week two to give the league a combined non-conference record of 25-7 through the first two weeks of the season.
• The Conference’s five nationally ranked teams went 4-1 in week two.
• The Big 12 is home to the nation’s longest active winning streak at 9 consecutive wins by Arizona.
• For the second consecutive week, a Big 12 player led the nation in scrimmage yards, as Arizona State’s Cam Skattebo gained 297 yards against Mississippi State (262 rushing and 35 receiving). Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan led the nation in Week 1.
• The Big 12 placed five teams in the AP Top 25 poll this week, including three teams in the top 15.
• This week’s national rankings mark the first time since 2012 that five or more Big 12 teams have been ranked in the first three AP polls of the season.
• Four of the top 20 FBS leaders in rushing yards per game are from the Big 12, including NCAA Division I leader UCF at 419.0.
• Through week two, Big 12 institutions represent 13 of the top 50 national leaders in average attendance in FBS.
• Three Big 12 teams had a game-winning score in the last two minutes or later to beat a Power 4 team: BYU (to beat SMU), Iowa State (to beat Iowa) and Oklahoma State (in double OT to beat Arkansas).
• BYU was the only team in Week 2 to hold a Power 4 opponent (SMU) without a touchdown. BYU and Georgia (vs. Clemson) are the only defenses to keep a P4 opponent out of the end zone this season.

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September 8th

… Foe Pause … 

Buffs open as an 8.5-point favorite over Colorado State; Big 12 favored in every non-conference game

From Draft Kings …

… Big 12 Week Three …

Thursday, September 12th

• Arizona State at Texas State … 5:30 p.m., MT, ESPN … Arizona State is a 2.5-point favorite

Friday, September 13th

• UNLV at Kansas … 5:00 p.m., MT, ESPN … Kansas is a 7.0-point favorite
• No. 20 Arizona at No. 14 Kansas State (a non-conference game) … 6:00 p.m., Fox … Kansas State is a 7.5-point favorite

Saturday, September 14th

• No. 13 Oklahoma State at Tulsa … 10:00 a.m., MT, ESPN2 … Oklahoma State is a 20.5-point favorite
• Cincinnati at Miami … 10:00 a.m., MT, ESPNU … Cincinnati is a 2.5-point favorite
• North Texas at Texas Tech … 10:00 a.m., MT, FS1 … Texas Tech is an 11.5-point favorite
• West Virginia at Pitt … 1:30 p.m., MT, ESPN2 … West Virginia is a 2.5-point favorite
• No. 12 Utah at Utah State … 2:30 p.m., MT, CBSSN … Utah is a 22.0-point favorite
• Colorado at Colorado State … 5:30 p.m., MT, CBS … Colorado is an 8.5-point favorite
• Air Force at Baylor … 5:30 p.m., MT, FS1 … Baylor is a 13.0-point favorite
• UCF at TCU … 5:30 p.m., MT, Fox … TCU is a 2.0-point favorite
• Rice at Houston … 6:00 p.m., MT, ESPN+ … Houston is a 5.5-point favorite
• BYU at Wyoming … 7:00 p.m., MT, CBSSN … BYU is an 8.5-point favorite

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Kansas drops out of AP poll; Iowa State and Nebraska in

From the Associated Press …

1-Georgia (54 1st place votes)
2-Texas (4)
3-Ohio St (5)
4-Alabama
5-Ole Miss
6-Missouri
7-Tennessee
8-Penn St
9-Oregon
10-Miami
11-USC
12-Utah … down one spot from last week 
13-Oklahoma State … up three spots from last week
14-Kansas State … up three spots from last week 
15-Oklahoma
16-LSU
17-Michigan
18-Notre Dame
19-Louisville
20-Arizona … same as last week
21-Iowa State … up eight spots from last week
22-Clemson
23-Nebraska … up seven spots from last week 
24-Boston College
25-Northiern Illinois

Others receiving votes: Illinois 101, Boise St. 77, Texas A&M 68, Syracuse 63, Memphis 38, Washington 27, Iowa 24, Kansas 22, Vanderbilt 18, South Carolina 10, Liberty 9, Wisconsin 9, UNLV 7, North Carolina 7, California 3, BYU 2, UCF 1, TCU 1.

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This post, about the Colorado State game, from the 2024 Season, is filed under Article.
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