BYU predicted to finish 11th in Big 12 football preseason poll
BYU is expected to finish in the bottom third of the Big 12 Conference during its first season in the league, according to the media that covers the conference.
The Cougars are picked to finish 11th in the Big 12 preseason media poll released Thursday, receiving 318 votes.
That is second-highest among the four new teams in the league, with UCF at eighth, Cincinnati at 12th and Houston at 13th.
Texas is predicted to win the conference title — the Longhorns received 41 of the 67 available first-place votes.
Defending Big 12 champion Kansas State comes in at second in the preseason poll, garnering 14 first-place votes, while Oklahoma follows in third with four first-place votes.
This is the final season in the Big 12 for both Texas and Oklahoma before the blueblood programs leave for the SEC.
BYU’s projection is on par with where media outlets have been predicting the Cougars to finish in their first year in a Power Five conference.
The Cougars are coming off an 8-5 season with a New Mexico Bowl victory, but are breaking in a new quarterback (Pitt transfer Kedon Slovis) and a new defensive coordinator (former Weber State coach Jay Hill).
That’s led many to believe the ceiling for BYU this season will likely be becoming bowl eligible.
Big 12 football media days will be held July 12-13 at the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Big 12 preseason media poll
(first-place votes in parentheses)
1. Texas (41), 886.
2. Kansas State (14), 858.
3. Oklahoma (4), 758.
4. Texas Tech (4), 729.
5. TCU (3), 727.
6. Baylor, 572.
7. Oklahoma State (1), 470.
8. UCF, 463.
9. Kansas, 461.
10. Iowa State, 334.
11. BYU, 318.
12. Houston, 215.
13. Cincinnati, 202.
14. West Virginia, 129.
Source: Deseret News
