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By Tyler Everett
Sports Betting Editor
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The Big 12, like almost every other conference in the nation, will look very different in 2024.
With Oklahoma and Texas, who combined to win the conference championship in seven of the last nine seasons, both out of the picture, this year's Big 12 title race looks like a battle between conference debutant Utah and Kansas State.
Both teams have strong cases, but the Utes and Wildcats aren't the only contenders.
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Oklahoma State reached the conference championship game a year ago and brings back one of the best players in the country in RB Ollie Gordon II, and Kansas QB Jalon Daniels is electric when healthy.
And while Utah is the former Pac-12 team that's getting the most preseason love, Arizona is also dangerous. The Wildcats won their last seven games to go from 3-3 to 10-3 and ranked No. 11 in the final AP Top 25 poll of the 2023 season. Arizona lost coach Jedd Fisch to Washington, but returns one of the best QB-WR duos in the nation.
2024 Big 12 Football Championship Odds
Below are the conference title odds for the top contenders in the Big 12:
Veteran Utes Seek Bounce-Back Season
Utah is a popular pick to win the Big 12 and reach the 12-team College Football Playoff in its first season in this league for a few reasons.
Coach Kyle Whittingham has made this one of the most physical squads in the country, and it may have fought for a third consecutive Pac-12 title in 2023 if not for a slew of injuries.
Veteran QB Cam Rising, who started his career at Texas back in 2018 (no, that's not a misprint), missed all of 2023 due to injury, and former All-Pac-12 tight end Brant Kuithe also returns after missing most of 2022 and all of 2023.
Utah should have one of the best defenses in the conference, which makes it a solid bet to win the Big 12 as long as Rising and Co. have better injury luck this season.
Avery Johnson, K-State Look Dangerous
The Wildcats' sophomore QB might not be the first player who comes to mind when most fans think of the country's top dual threats under center, but that might change in a hurry in 2023.
Johnson played limited snaps behind Will Howard as a true freshman a year ago, but looks poised for a massive step forward after leading his team to a win over a ranked opponent, NC State, in last year's Pop-Tarts Bowl.
His combination of speed and accuracy should create headaches for opposing defenses, and he'll lead a team featuring an always-solid defense under coach Chris Klieman.
Unfortunately for fans, K-State and Utah do not meet in the regular season, but a conference title matchup between those two teams feels like a strong possibility.
Big 12 Longshots: OK ST, KU, UCF, Arizona
Below are quick looks at a few of the teams that could challenge favorites Utah and Kansas State.
Oklahoma State Cowboys
Ollie Gordon II is a fringe Heisman contender in 2024 (currently +7500 at DraftKings) after running for 1,732 yards and 21 touchdowns a year ago.
Oklahoma State will need improved QB play from seventh-year signal-caller Alan Bowman, who threw 14 interceptions in 2023. As long as he can take care of the football, an offense that returns nearly every key player from a year ago should make the Cowboys a threat in this league.
Kansas Jayhawks
Few teams have a bigger gap between their floor and their ceiling in 2024 than the Jayhawks. If QB Jalon Daniels can stay on the field, Kansas could have one of the better offenses in a conference full of good ones. The problem for KU is that Daniels has missed significant time in each of the previous four seasons.
However, between Daniels, stud RB Devin Neal and last year's top receivers, who are all back in the fold, Kansas has the offensive upside to justify a small wager, especially at a price as tempting as +950 at DK.
UCF Knights
The case for UCF is simple: former Arkansas quarterback KJ Jefferson should thrive in Gus Malzahn's offense. Jefferson and Malzahn, who has led a number of potent offenses led by running quarterbacks over the years, will make the Knights tough to stop. But the defense has to improve dramatically for this team to compete for the Big 12 title in 2024 after going 6-7 in 2023.
Arizona Wildcats
The teams mentioned above all have plenty of upside.
But thanks to quarterback Noah Fifita and WR Tetairoa McMillan, no one's ceiling is higher than Arizona's. The Wildcats not only won seven in a row down the stretch in 2023, but did so after pushing both USC and Washington in early-season losses.
That seven-game winning streak included wins over Oregon State, Utah and Oklahoma (Alamo Bowl). It's fair to question how this team will look without Fisch running the show, but Fifita and McMillan alone make this team well worth a look at 14-to-1 (BetMGM, FanDuel). Another Arizona player to keep an eye on is former New Mexico RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt, who was outstanding for New Mexico in 2023, with 1,190 yards rushing on 6.3 yards per carry and 17 TDs.
All Eyes (Again) On Coach Prime, Colorado
The three biggest names in the conference arguably all play for a team that went 4-8 (1-8 Pac-12) in 2023. Colorado will once again be fascinating under Deion "Coach Prime" Sanders, star QB Shedeur Sanders and must-see WR/CB Travis Hunter.
2024 Big 12 Football Predictions
Champion: Utah
Teams to reach CFP: Utah, Kansas State
Best Longshot (+1000 or longer) Big 12 Futures Bet: Arizona -- best odds +1400 (BetMGM, FanDuel)
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