Big 12 Preview: Part 2 - Texas Tech’s Encore, BYU’s Challenge & Kansas State's New Era | College Football

Summary

The Solid Verbal College Football Podcast Episode: Big 12 Preview: Part 2 – Texas Tech’s Encore, BYU’s Challenge & Kansas State's New Era Hosts: Ty Hildenbrandt & Dan Rubenstein
Release Date: July 23, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Ty and Dan dive deep into part two of their Big 12 preview series, focusing on the next eight teams in the conference: Texas Tech, BYU, Kansas State, Baylor, Kansas, Colorado, West Virginia, and Iowa State. The duo delivers spirited commentary, breaking down each program’s outlook for the 2026 season, discussing dark horses and contender tiers, and providing candid analysis of key questions, coaching changes, transfer impacts, and schedule quirks. Known for their blend of insightful football talk and relaxed banter, Ty and Dan guide fans through returning storylines and new eras within the ever-evolving Big 12 landscape.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Offensive Line (and “Portalomics”)

• Early on, the hosts riff on the ever-crucial state of offensive line play—and its value in the transfer portal era.
• The market for solid linemen is “robust,” with three-star backups potentially earning substantial NIL deals if they strategically leverage the transfer system.
  • "If you're a backup level left tackle in the year of our Lord 2026...could you make $2 million over the span of three years?" (Dan, 05:44)
  • "You have to, there would have to be a data point that a desperate, desperate offensive line coach could talk themselves into." (Ty, 06:45)
• The “if the transfer offensive linemen work out” motif lingers over all team conversations.

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Texas Tech: Encore Performance or Regression to the Mean?

[07:20 – 22:15]

Last Year’s Dominance & This Year’s Questions

• Texas Tech went 12-2 last year, dominated conference play, but got blown out by Oregon in the playoff. They return as the presumptive favorite, with a loaded roster and the “best schedule in the conference.”
• “They have the best roster in the conference. I can tell you for certain they have the best schedule in the conference.” (Dan, 17:08)

The Nuance Beyond the Hype

• Despite the momentum, questions remain about sustainability, particularly how repeatable Tech’s transfer-portal-fueled success is.
  • “We’re still sort of in the proof of concept stage of all this. We don’t know yet how repeatable the model is going to be.” (Dan, 09:19)
• Chris Level’s quote: “Texas Tech is not a made man quite yet.”

2026 Tech: Strengths & Hiccup Points

• QB Position: Will Hammond steps up as QB1, replacing Brendan Sorsby. Health is a concern, but Tech’s opening schedule is forgiving.
  • “Will's going to be the quarterback for the rest of the season, provided he’s healthy.” (Dan, 08:08)
• Offensive Strength: Elite running back room (Cameron Dickey & Jacoby Williams), an underrated wide receiver group, and a decent O-line. Red zone issues from last year need fixing.
• Defense: Lost some star power but added intriguing transfers; coaching stability is a positive.
• Schedule & Floor/Ceiling: Only tough road game is at rebooting Oklahoma State; avoids BYU, Utah, and Kansas State.
  • Ceiling: 12-0, Floor: 8-4. Prediction: 10-2 (Dan), with cautious optimism.

The Big Tech Question

• What offensive “out pitch” makes them unique? Need to develop a killer identity in high-leverage moments.
  • “What would you say you do better on offense than anybody else?” (Ty, 18:17)

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BYU: The Challenger Reloaded

[22:15 – 29:30]

Returners, Bowl Momentum, and Physicality

• BYU matched Tech at 12-2, won the Pop Tarts Bowl, and brings back significant returning production (top 20 nationally), especially on defense.
• HC Kalani Sitake flirted with the Penn State job but returns; 10 of 17 All-Big 12 players are back.

Key Issues

• Quarterback Play: Bear Bachmeier shined as a true freshman; can he develop further and add more vertical explosivity?
  • “It is absolutely reasonable to expect Bear Bachmeier to take the next step forward as a passer after looking very good as a true freshman.” (Ty, 24:17)
• Offensive Playmaking: Concern about speed/receiver explosiveness following losses, but TE room and run game remain strengths.
• Defense: Front and linebacker core look strong; some questions in the secondary.
• Schedule: Avoids Texas Tech, Kansas State, and Utah; tricky mid-season clusters. Prediction: 9-3 or 10-2.

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Kansas State: The New Era, Maximum Variance

[31:53 – 40:46]

Coaching Carousel and Uncertainty

• Chris Kleiman departed, replaced by alum/favorite son Collin Klein. 48 new players and a full staff overhaul spells unknowns.
• “Kansas State is the, in my opinion, hardest team to project in this entire conference.” (Dan, 32:14)

Three Big Questions

1. Offensive Line: Especially the right side—a concern when relying on run-heavy packages.
2. QB Avery Johnson: Talented but boom-or-bust. Needs to become more reliable and consistent.
   • “The highs are highlight real. The lows are his dad and brother fighting in the parking lot in Ireland.” (Dan, 34:54)
3. Defense: New DC from A&M, promising edges, but vulnerable in the middle and secondary.

Schedule Luck & Record Predictions

• K State dodges Texas Tech, BYU, and Utah—a “good start” for a transition year.
• Can surge or stumble based on when they catch other teams amid their own gauntlets.
• Prediction: 7-5; high variance, but likely within the 6-to-8 win window.

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Baylor: Can Aranda Save His Job?

[41:05 – 50:57]

Dave Aranda on the Hot Seat (Again)

• Year seven, career record 36-37. Over/under: 6.5 wins. Little tolerance left for “tweener” seasons.
• “It feels like that's happened at least on one and a half or two other occasions. In each of those two moments, Dave Aranda sort of answered the bell. So the question is, if we want to make things interesting, can he do it again?” (Dan, 42:12)

Defense: The (Expensive) Big Swing

• Joe Klanderman (from K State) brought in as DC; a more attacking style focusing on “havoc plays.”
• Largest defensive investment yet under Aranda.

Offense: DJ Lagway Arrives

• True freshman QB from Florida, all the physical tools, but INTs and a patchwork supporting cast are big question marks.
• New OC Jake Spavital wants to go fast. Running back and receiver depth is average.

Chaos Continues

• “If you were to describe what Baylor was last season in a word: chaos.” (Ty, 46:19)
• Turnover margin: among the worst in the country.
• Prediction: Hosts are “out” at 6.5 wins; bowl eligibility seems the upper limit.

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Kansas: Can They Finish?

[50:57 – 56:39]

The Story So Far

• Back-to-back 5-7 seasons after a 9-win peak. Couldn’t close games—held fourth-quarter leads in 9 of their 14 losses over the past two seasons.
  • “They're like the Peter North issue team of our preview season. Brutal...Finishing.” (Ty, 51:25)
• OC Andy Kotelniki returns from Penn State to bring back a creative, run-heavy approach.

Roster Turnover and Depth Woes

• Losing Jalen Daniels, Daniel Hishaw, three all-conference OL. Starting QB likely Cole Ballard (former walk-on), with possible mix-ins from Isaiah Marshall.
• Defense returns more but was poor last season.

Coaches Can Fix It?

• Leipold and Kotelniki are trusted developers.
• Schedule is tricky, with a tough midseason but potential to finish bowl eligible.
  • “I have them in a bowl conversation once again. If Cole Ballard is decent...I have them at 6-6.” (Dan, 53:56)

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Colorado: The Go Go Gamble

[59:25 – 65:46]

New Offense, Same Old O-line?

• After the Shador Sanders/Travis Hunter era, Colorado cratered to 3-9. Enter OC Brennan Marion and his “Go Go” offense—tempo, two backs, option looks, want to lean on the run.
• QB Julian “Juju” Lewis steps in with limited experience.

Skepticism on the Ground Game

• Massive OL turnover, highlighted by glowing coach-speak, but little proven.
• Hosts very doubtful: “I need to see it before I can get too excited.” (Dan, 61:51)
• Defense: Poor last year, especially against the run and tackling; new DC Chris Marv faces a huge rebuild.

Prediction

• Host outlook is deeply pessimistic, both for the run game and for overall bowl aspirations.
  • “For those reasons, I'm out.” (Dan, 65:14)
• Over/under: 4.5 wins; both hosts take the under.

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West Virginia: Quiet Upside?

[65:46 – 69:32]

Building Something

• Rich Rodriguez is back, and the Mountaineers are developing their younger players with a big recruiting class; aggressively using the portal.
• RB Cam Cook is a breakout candidate.
• New DC Zac Alley brings energy and a new defensive approach.

Year Zero…Or One?

• 11 new defensive starters; secondary a likely weak spot.
• Offense is more experienced up front, and "should be a monster" with improved running game.
• QB: Michael Hawkins and/or Scotty Fox Jr. both bring mobility.

Prediction

• Hosts expect progress and see a high floor, but not quite enough juice for a breakout.
  • Dan: “Right on the cusp at 5-7.”
  • Ty: Leans 6-6 and possible bowl eligibility.

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Iowa State: Total Rebuild

[69:32 – 75:11]

Matt Campbell Era Gone; Major Overhaul

• New coach Jimmy Rogers inherits a stripped roster: about 60 new players, mostly from G5/FCS/D2.
• QB Jalen Rayner comes with the staff; he was inefficient last year in the Sun Belt.

Offensive & Defensive Identity

• Pro-style, ball control, heavy on motion and play action.
• Defense moves from the Haycock 3-3-5 to a more standard 4-2-5, with hope the front four can generate pressure.
• “Too many uphill situations for Iowa State to go bowling this year. I have them at like 3 and 9, 4 and 8.” (Dan, 74:04)

Outlook

• “Year zero” with major transition pains; significant talent deficit compared to league. Hosts agree: under 5.5 wins.

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Offensive Line Market (NIL Era):

  • "If you are a backup caliber offensive lineman...could you make $2 million over the span of three years?" (Dan, 05:44)

• On Texas Tech’s Future:

  • "They can increase the spend, they can get more wins... We're still in the proof of concept stage of all this." (Dan, 09:19)

• On Kansas State Schedule Fortunes:

  • "Kansas State slips into perhaps ideal situations for getting teams at the right time." (Ty, 37:55)

• On Baylor’s Chaos:

  • "If you were to describe what Baylor was last season in a word: chaos." (Ty, 46:19)

• On Colorado’s Untrustworthy O-line:

  • “I just don’t trust this offensive line and I know the quotes have been glowing...but I just don’t.” (Ty, 63:20)

• On West Virginia’s Upside:

  • "There seems to be a vision when the teams reach a certain point in their development...I think there’s a good amount of upside to this team." (Dan, 68:39)

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Timestamps by Team

• Texas Tech: 07:20 – 22:15
• BYU: 22:15 – 29:30
• Kansas State: 31:53 – 40:46
• Baylor: 41:05 – 50:57
• Kansas: 50:57 – 56:39
• Colorado: 59:25 – 65:46
• West Virginia: 65:46 – 69:32
• Iowa State: 69:32 – 75:11

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Overall Tone

The hosts maintain a conversational, quick-witted, and occasionally irreverent style. They blend analytic depth with skeptical commentary about hype trains, new coaching staffs, and the volatility of modern college football rosters. There’s plenty of humor underlying the detailed breakdowns, with each host owning strong opinions on expected risers and potential busts.

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Takeaways for Uninitiated Listeners

• Texas Tech and BYU look like the top dogs heading into 2026, but sustainability and true “elite” identity remain open.
• Kansas State, Baylor, and Colorado are all high-variance teams amid major transition, with optimism tempered by glaring roster and scheme questions.
• Kansas and West Virginia lurk as possible bowl teams if they can finish games and develop healthy depth.
• Iowa State is considered a “year zero” project and a likely cellar-dweller while rebuilding from scratch.

If you’re looking for a blend of sharp football insight and casual, self-aware podcasting, this episode is quintessential Solid Verbal.

Transcript

[A]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Hey, everybody. I'm Tareka Foster Brasby. What's up, y'? All? I'm your girl, Sheryl Swoops. When you tune in to a new episode of our podcast, Levels to this, you're definitely gonna get some spicy WNBA analysis. But we're more than just hoops, and the real conversation is what we actually bring. So it's been really, really cool seeing kind of these women just really step into their power off the court and understand that they are basketball, right, and they're not asking for permission. Listen to Levels to this with Sheryl Swoopes and Tarika Foster brasby on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[B]

This is Michael Rapoport, and my podcast, the I Am Rappaport Stereo podcast, is unlike any one you've ever heard. If you're looking for strong opinions about sp, entertainment, politics, pop culture, and whatever else catches my attention, then subscribe now. This kid, Jafar Jackson, should absolutely, positively get nominated for his portrayal as Michael Jackson. Listen to I Am rapaport on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

[C]

It just came out.

[D]

Jeremy, what did you just do? You just set yourself up for failure.

[C]

I've never heard you tell this story. I've never told this story. This must have been tucked deep, deep in the Jeremy Lin file. My name is MC Gin. Excited to tell you about Laugh, but least. I'll be chatting with guests from all walks of life about the power of

[B]

humor when it comes to facing difficult times. These will be conversations that remind us

[C]

all, life is hard.

[B]

Laugh harder. Listen. And last but not least, with McGen, on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

[C]

Welcome to the Solid Verbal. The Solid Verbal.

[D]

Come after me.

[C]

I'm a man. I'm 40. I've heard so many players say, well, I want to be happy. You want to be happy for a day? Eat a steak.

[D]

It's that w. Whoa.

[C]

And now, Dan and Ty.

[D]

Dan Rubenstein. Welcome back, my great and good friend. Today is big 12. Excuse me. The monster energy big 12 part.

[A]

Duh.

[D]

We've got eight teams before you today. We're going to talk through them in some semblance of an order. Part two, Part three is where we dive a little bit deeper into actual team previews. If you have any questions about where Dan and I come down relative to contender tiers, dark horses, how these teams stack up relative to one another, go back and Listen to part one. That's what we did in part one. But today we are diving in my good friend. How are you?

[C]

I'm good. I don't know if Monster Energy is paying you to say that, but ecto cooler is cutting me checks to represent the ecto Cooler Big 12. And I could not be more proud to discuss the what you said eight teams we're doing today.

[D]

Eight teams. Yes.

[C]

I'm thrilled to talk about these eight teams. It thus continues our ongoing series of, and I quote, if the transfer offensive lineman work out. I don't know, we'll see.

[D]

It's a big old shrug, right?

[C]

I can't tell you enough that I hope and pray that if you are listening to this show and you're like a pretty good guard somewhere, I hope you have beach homes. I hope you have a five car garage. I hope you are uncle OR Excuse me, McScrooge, but I hope you are diving into gold coins in a lair of some sort atop a mountain because holy hell, the market is robust.

[D]

Yes, there is no shortage of conversation around offensive line deficiencies along the offensive line. Boy, we hope, we hope these offensive linemen that transferred into our place are going to hit. If they don't, yeah, that could be a problem. If they do, hey, maybe we're talking about things that we didn't expect. So we will get into all that and much, much more. Today's eight teams are Texas Tech, byu, Kansas City, Kansas State, Baylor, Iowa State, Colorado and West Virginia. Part two, which you will hear next, will of course be the other eight teams. But just to reiterate, Utah, Houston, tcu, Oklahoma State, both of the Arizona schools, Cincinnati and ucf.

[C]

Dan, I see some of the stories, like one of the things I noticed with, you know, the teams, you always see the name where you're like, they're still playing, huh? They're still like, I think Mikey Keen's at asu.

[D]

Right, right.

[C]

And we were talking about this because we do talk about this once every three weeks. The extended career and vast wealth of a. An upper tier lefty setup man. Yes, right.

[D]

Yes.

[C]

You were talking about real Cormier.

[D]

Real cormier, rip. Yep.

[C]

Yes. Recipes. And I always reference Arthur Rhodes, again, is a pretty good right tackle, the new lefty setup man in college football.

[D]

I was thinking that too as I was going through and looking at some of these names because I had the

[C]

same thought with not Jordan Seon level. Right. Not. You're like, oh, first round talent. You're just like, oh, maybe fourth, fifth round is Mobile Is mean, picks up schemes quickly. Is a good teammate in the locker room. Is that person the new like. Yeah, I'm just going to renegotiate every year and by the end of college I'm making two and a half million dollars.

[D]

I was going to say if you're a backup level left tackle.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

Or just offensive lineman in general. But if you are a backup caliber offensive lineman in the year of our Lord 2026, if you transfer a couple times, even if you only transfer once, if you're leveraging your value in the portal, just more broadly speaking with the nil being where it is, could you make $2 million over the span of three years?

[C]

You would have to have started out at Ohio State or Miami or somewhere that you can trade on. You can launder that name.

[D]

If you're a three star. This is, this is a thought experiment. If you're a three star backup caliber offensive lineman.

[C]

Two million. Way too much.

[D]

Realistically, how much could you make over a three year span of time? Let's say after your freshman year. If you jump around, you would have to.

[C]

Again you, if you were a three star, you would have to have started out, started out at Texas. Right. At somewhere big. You make over a half a million dollars.

[D]

Beautiful.

[C]

Yeah. But you would have to have proven it on some level. There would have to have been like a four game stretch where you didn't allow a sack. Right. You have to, there would have to be a data point that a desperate, desperate offensive line coach could talk themselves into.

[D]

Yeah. Or like a viral clip of you jumping out of a pool or something.

[C]

Yes. That is a big thing to dunking a basketball when you were 10 where it's like, well, I mean, come on, what can't he do?

[D]

He's, he's long. You can use him in the run game. He can play. Yeah.

[C]

You can make a good, good amount of cash.

[D]

Where do you want to go first?

[C]

We go with the champion. Right.

[D]

The champ is here. Champ is here.

[C]

We go with the Red Raiders. We go with the demonstrable, demonstrative. I don't know, the champ. The, the champ that left no doubt when playing its two most difficult games last year, which happened to be against the same team in BYU and byu. The, the most difficult games on the conference slate.

[D]

Conference slate. Yeah.

[C]

Yes. And left absolutely no doubt. I think beat them by an average of like 24, 25 points and allowed single digits both times. Correct.

[D]

Yep.

[C]

And distance themselves in a way that you said. Okay. There are multiple playoff caliber teams from the Big 12 last season I made the case that I think what I said, Utah and byu, I don't remember if I said anybody else was of playoff caliber beyond Texas Tech, but there's a long way of saying the upper tier of the Big 12 was only Texas Tech last season because BYU showed in no way an ability to hang with them for an extended period of time. And it's the biggest compliment to any team in a conference that they stand alone. This is. They're not. I mean, you can do it this season as we look forward, but last season's Texas Tech league of their own

[D]

Texas Tech went 12 and two last season, eight and one in conference. They won the Big 12. They got a first round by. They did get shut out by your Oregon ducks by a 23 to zip margin. We can talk about that. But you know, in terms of getting there, in terms of proving that this could work, I think this was a pretty successful start to things. The danger with Texas Tech, at least in terms of national commentary in this moment, is that this was an off season dominated by Brendan Soaresby in that debacle. And thus far, the preseason has been something of a hand wave. Right? Yeah. Well, Will Hammond's going to be the quarterback for the rest of the season, provided he's healthy. The rest of the roster is loaded. So they're still the favorite. They're still the favorite because of the pieces that they have in place, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. I think there is a lot of room for a much more nuanced conversation around Texas Tech. I hope we can have that now.

[C]

Sure.

[D]

There's a lot more meat on that bone. One thing in particular that really caught my attention because, you know, we've been, we've been studying these teams now for a couple months. It just didn't start a week ago. Our friend Chris Level, who's been on this show, who does the Locked on Texas Tech podcast, does a great job among many other things in the Texas Tech universe. Back in May on his show, he made a quote about, and I'm paraphrasing here a little bit, but something to the effect of Texas Tech is not a made man quite yet. And I thought that was interesting because despite all of this, all of the news that has been circulating around Texas Tech and Cody Campbell, Brennan Sorsby and the roster and David Bailey and pause. They can increase the spend, they can get more wins. We're still sort of in the proof of concept stage of all this. We don't know yet how repeatable the model is going to be way off into the future. It worked one year. I think there's a very good chance of it working a second year. But Chris's point is valid. They got to win something. I think certainly on the conference level we saw that last year. But the next step now in proving that this is a sustainable thing is going to the playoff and actually winning a game, not getting shut out at a minimum the way they did a year ago. So like I said, there's room for more discussion around Texas Tech beyond the obvious headlines. And I think that's a big one. Like we just can't assume that this is going to work in perpetuity because it worked so well a year ago.

[C]

Yes, agree. We're also talking about starting points. We're also talking about a conference slate and we can get into Texas Tech on the national level in this conversation. In a conversation down the road, what is Texas Tech building towards? Is it only contained within the Big 12? Obviously not. No, you're right that Texas Tech has the resources obviously to grow and obviously recruit through the prep ranks and recruit through the portal and build out a championship level roster, at least in the Big 12, if not nationally, depending on how how the chips fall. But you're also right in that I don't know if there's a specific school that you can point to as saying, okay, they spent heavily in the portal multiple years in a row and it has worked out for them on a huge national level. You point out they haven't won a playoff game yet. Obviously you walk before you can run.

[D]

Sure.

[C]

We've seen Ole Miss, we've seen teams like Oregon, we've seen teams obviously Indiana did it once more than twice in terms of overhauling that roster. It was not a an overhaul before last season, though they did add a pretty enormous piece in the Heisman winning quarterback that they added. So when if we're going to talk about if I'm going to talk about Texas Tech and any team as being a combination of quarterback and defense away from convincing me they're a playoff team. New quarterback slash quarterback questions Given the Soresby situation now, given Will Hammond's health and what Will Hammond did and sometimes didn't show last season and Texas Tech losing significant star power from a not just good but great defense last season on all three levels, you look at Rodriguez, you look at Wisniewski at safety, you look at obviously Lee Hunter, Romello height, David Bailey up front, they're trying to replace looks like they're going to do A pretty good job of replacing it, but a one to one. Yeah, that's, that's the TBD for me. Now when you look at what Texas Tech also has on offense, which is definite upside and experience along the offensive line, a really strong looking running back room, obvious upside at receiver, there's room for error, there's margin for error that the defense doesn't have to be as excellent for this team to run away from the, the Big 12 competition this season. Will Hammond kind of just needs to be what Baron Morton was last season, which was fine, but nothing special. That's the bar if the defense is good, if the surrounding talent is sound. And I think we expect the coaching on offense to probably keep getting better. They need to be better in the red zone. If you're going to nitpick anything with Texas Tech in those higher leverage moments, they were, they struggled in the red zone and I don't think we have a lot of questions about defensive development, especially with some of the transfers that they added on all three levels. They should be in a really strong place schedule wise. They play experienced arms if that's what you're going to look at. Like with Texas Tech, you have to sort of look at like where could the struggle be? And so an experienced quarterback at Houston, at Colorado, somewhat we'll see at Arizona State, Arizona definitely, Oklahoma State definitely Baylor experience, but perhaps sloppy TCU experience, but not on this level. So there are interesting arms, there are interesting pieces to a lot of the teams that they play, but nobody can match what Texas Tech has roster wise and momentum wise. And so I can't imagine looking at Texas Tech as anything other than a clear contender for this conference once again.

[D]

So on the quarterback front because we've sort of been dancing around this a little bit. Will Hammond is QB1. Will Hammond, if you believe Joey McGuire and something he said just this week as we are recording this at the Texas High School Football Coaches Convention.

[C]

Sitting next to Sark.

[D]

Sitting next to Sark. If you believe Joey McGuire, he said no uncertain terms. Will's going to be ready for week one, right? Even if he is not ready for week one. Their first two games of the season are Abilene Christian and Oregon State. Game on the road. My sense is that both of those games are winnable with the roster that they have regardless of who's playing quarterback. But that game that everyone is circling in week three is at home on a Friday night against Houston. They're going to want him back for that one because you and I think are. Well, we can talk about Houston in

[C]

the next episode against whom they torched on the road last season. Torched them.

[D]

Torsham. They still should be better than Houston.

[B]

Yep.

[D]

But clearly you would want your QB1 ready for that matchup. I am viewing the strength of this team as its running back room. I view it as Cameron Dickey and Jacoby Williams, both of whom went for nearly 2,000 combined yards a year ago. Quinton Joyner is also back. They're going to lean on him in some way, shape or form until Will Hammond is fully integrated back in. Even after he is fully back and confident and firing on all cylinders, I still think the offense looks a lot like shorter, higher percentage stuff. At least for a while until they can figure out what the interplay is like between him and the receiver room. This is an excellent group of pass catchers that I don't think is getting enough love right now in the preseason. I think they can get really creative with that wide receiver room. I think the scheme can and will evolve over the course of time provided the line does its part. I'm most interested in that one facet of this offense as the line grows as Will Hammond gets a little bit more comfortable. How does that passing game evolve from start to finish? That to me is a story arc worth following, something that we can talk a little bit more about. Beyond that, I think you hit on all the key points, certainly on the defensive side of the ball. The only other thing worth mentioning, and again, we've alluded to this time and again throughout the course of the preseason and even back in part one. Tech, I think has the best roster in the conference. I can tell you for certain they have the best schedule in the conference.

[C]

It's pretty nice on paper.

[D]

Their toughest road game is week 11 against an Oklahoma State team that we already know is rebooting. Otherwise, the toughest games are Houston, Arizona State, Arizona and tcu. Tough opponents in some regard. All those are at home. They don't play byu, they don't play Utah, they don't play Kansas State. There is a Cincinnati sandwich situation though. Cincinnati, now that we're using this term, home against Arizona State, on the road against Cincinnati. Back home against Arizona a little later on in the year. Maybe that's a trap game, maybe it's not. You could convince me of anything between 8 and 4 and 12 and oh, I will split the difference and say 10 and 2.

[C]

Okay. The only thing I would add because I think you're right about the upside of their skill position dudes, running back, receiver, tight End is. I'm curious as to where, if anywhere, it's Mac left, which right the. The offensive coordinator. What's their out pitch? What's their excelsior? What is it that you say you do really, really well here? Not just what do the Bob say in office space.

[D]

What would you say you do here?

[C]

What would you say you do here? What would you say you do better on offense than anybody else? Because what we saw in the playoff last season and look, you're only going to be able to do what your talent can do and whatever talent efficiencies they had, you know, the offensive line didn't look like it did during the Big 12 season when they had to play against Oregon's front. And that's okay. Oregon had a very good front, but we saw that Texas Tech was in need of a very specific explosive identity. Not like explosive plays. But who are they when push comes to shove? Are they just going to run you over in a creative, violent way with this room in this offensive line? Great. Are they going to be precise and precision based and you know, hit for a high batting average when they're, when they're in the red zone where they're just like a step ahead, you know, third downs are just a breeze for them. They go forward on every fourth and short and they're just pummeling teams into oblivion and just hyper efficient. Are they bombing the ball downfield? Are they super creative with the screen game and generating explosives like that? That's the thing with last year's Texas Tech offense. Maybe it was a Baron Morton thing, maybe it was, who knows thing, an offensive line thing, but it's now going to be on this offense. If they have aspirations of being final four type college football playoff team, there has to be something lethal that they can point to. Like this is who we are. That will turn us from a 28 to 17 team into a 52 to 17 team. And they showed it at times against weaker Big 12 competition last year, but now they're aiming higher. And so that I think is a missing piece to this offense where like you saw that come up in the red zone. They were in a step ahead of teams. Maybe they were a little predictable in the red zone last year. That's the next step for them this year is like, okay, what is it that we do in a killer way?

[D]

The other thing that I would add, then we should move on. We could talk BYU next, I guess. Yeah, but the bottom tier of that prediction bracket for me, 8 and 4. The reason that I say 8 and 4 is not. Because I am overwhelmingly thinking this is a possibility. I'm not. But something you alluded to back in part one and something that I've been feeling but haven't really given a whole lot of voice to, there is a possibility that Will Hammond does step in as a full time QB one and doesn't pop.

[C]

Yeah, agree.

[D]

I don't think we can just blindly assume that yes, this will work because we saw him have a great half against Utah, as you pointed out. I think rightfully so. Back in part one, there were moments where Will Hammond sort of looked aggressively average, which I think is why you bring up the point that all he needs to be is Baron Morton and

[C]

he was a backup quarterback last year.

[D]

Baron Morton with a little bit more mobility I think sees them through here.

[C]

Agreement.

[D]

Uh, I'm, I'm not ready to just fully assume that Will Hammond is going to be the next great thing.

[C]

Yeah, it's. Look, you watch some of the tape and he was the quarterback for that Arizona State game and he had some incredible throws in that game. He like double pumped a touchdown throw into like the front corner of the end zone against ASU on a, a deeper crossing situation. He nailed it. Like he has arm talent, he has dimes within his, his mind and his arm. It's. How often do we see that? How much is he trusted and how much does he trust his receivers to go make plays? Because I think he will have the opportunity with his line to confidently throw the ball downfield. It's just a question to me of like do we get that in his fifth best game? No, because if we don't, that's when you. Oh, they lost 23 to 20 to TCU or something. That's. I don't know if they're playing tcu. I don't have the schedule.

[D]

Yeah, they got tcu.

[C]

Yeah, something like that. So that, that would be the concern that like are you going to Will Hammond your way to 12 and one and a playoff winner too? That's like very hazy and murky to me right now.

[D]

All right. So it would at least appear on paper that their primary competition this year is BYU. As it was a year ago. BYU also went 12 and 2, 8 and 1 in conference. Their only losses all season long. Word of Texas Tech, neither one of those games was particularly close. But it seems as if they are loaded for bear and they're coming back for more in 2026. We just mentioned they don't play in the regular season, which is nice for byu. I Kind of feel like this year's BYU preview is incredibly straightforward. It's the passing game and it's the defense. Sure, I would suspect we'll get into that shortly, but before we do, here's a little bit of context that I think is important. A, BYU got to 12 wins for just the fifth time in school history after winning the Pop Tarts Bowl. Also, B, Kalani Sataki did not leave despite, I think, credible reporting that he was interested in that Penn State job, But back at BYU. C, it is a team that is top 20 nationally in terms of returning production, a lot of which is on defense. D, 17 starters earned some form of an All Big 12 honor, and seven of them graduated, but 10 of them are all back. So everyone who could be back on that rung of talent is back.

[C]

It's impressive.

[D]

And it goes without saying, I don't. I'm not even going to make this its own letter, but let's say D again, to put a bow on all this. They should be very, very good. It's a big team. It's a very big team physically. But I think in terms of talent level, they should, again, be very, very good.

[C]

The question to me is, are they built to beat Texas Tech in a more obvious way? This year they have Notre Dame. There's a clear, meaty middle to this schedule, but I think you nailed it, right? The big bodies on offense should be good. The backfield should be able to run the ball. The combination of Barebach Meyer and LJ Martin should be very, very good. It is absolutely reasonable to expect Bear Bachmeyer to take the next step forward as a passer after looking very good as a true freshman. For the most part, there were stretches where you're like, man, what is that? But you can't really ask for more out of a true freshman quarterback thrust into that situation, by the way, and he was at Stanford and he was like, it was very impressive everything he did, especially since he weighs, what, 140 pounds? Is that what I said last year, erroneously?

[D]

He's like 100 pounds heavier.

[C]

He just has a baby face. Excuse me, I'm sorry.

[D]

He's a big.

[C]

He's a big guy. He's a big boy. So offensively, I. I don't have the exact same question as I have with Texas Tech, but you would like, for a team, if they're now multiple years into a playoff conversation, as being just outside and looking to take that next step, you say to yourself, okay, what's missing? And so last year, obviously, it was an ability to beat Texas Tech. But if you look internally it's if Bear Bachmeyer is taking that next step in confidently throwing the ball downfield, to whom is he throwing the ball? Where is the speed? Where is the receiving talent? I know that they're looking at tight ends and multiple tight end sets and they're looking at Big Ten backups to be the answer there. Walker Lyons and Roger Sally Apoga from Oregon and both of those dudes have obvious talent. Oregon I'm sure would have liked to have have kept Roger Sally Paga as their second tight end. But what are they doing to keep teams honest downfield as receiver gets less experienced and perhaps less explosive? And if Texas Tech was able to sort of dictate the line of scrimmage last year to some degree on offense and BYU is not quite as impressive and experienced up front on defense as they were last year, the question is like okay how are they developing and how are they accommodating that fact? Linebacker should be extremely strong once again we'll see on the secondary but there's a good base layer, the edge should be good, the linebacking course should be excellent and they bring in the cow transfer Kate Ulu Ave Ulu Ave.

[D]

Yes, I love thank you rolls off the tongue.

[C]

So that next step to me is where where are the big plays coming from on offense and is the beef up to the task on defense?

[D]

Yeah, I think you nailed it. I mean look the engine of this offense is undeniably Bear Bachmeier and LJ Martin running behind a really good offensive line. As you said, they will be a very good rushing team again. I don't expect they're going to wander too far away from that type of physical offense that has been really successful for them.

[C]

Right.

[D]

We're going to see a lot of that. The question for me is the passing game. It is the passing game. Now I think you can make the case for whatever you make of bowl games. I think Aaron Roderick, their offensive coordinator did open it up, did put a little bit more on Behrbach Byers plate in that game to the point where with what they've seen in the springs thus far they they've talked to think about. They feel good about what he's doing pre snap. They feel good about him getting the ball out a little quicker even though it wasn't a monster season. Bear back Byer had a really high completion percentage. So I think there is a lot to build on even if we didn't fully see it a year ago. But for sure that evolution that evolution, just as it was the case with Texas Tech and Will Hammond and how that might evolve in the passing game as the season goes on, I think that is doubly true for Bear Bachmeier and byu. This year's crop of pass catchers is definitely physically bigger. I don't know if they're going to be more explosive. I definitely don't think they're on the same level as Texas Tech. But again, that evolution for me on the offensive side of the ball is going to be really, really interesting to chart.

[C]

Yeah, I totally agree. And I should mention I did fact check while you were saying that David Bailey did not play for Georgia Tech in the the Pop Tarts bowl, which probably can add to the comfort of going downfield confidently a little bit more correct. In fact, none of the Texas Tech defensive linemen were playing for Georgia Tech. That so? Yeah, I mean, look, it's, it's. What are you comfortable with risk wise? And that's the next step for BYU is closing the gap and should mention it is a very obviously meaty middle to this schedule. TCU at Iowa State I'm not very high on the clones right now. Notre Dame before they travel to ucf. And UCF has a buy the week before they host BYU in the bounce house.

[D]

That's trap city right there.

[C]

They have whatever ASU is this season, which I think there will be a certain amount of danger to the Sun

[D]

Devils a week before the holy war

[C]

and a week before the holy war on the road. Obviously it's not a distance thing, it's an environment thing.

[D]

It's an environment thing.

[C]

So it is a a tricky stretch for byu. And to be fair, those teams have to play byu, who's really good.

[D]

Seven home games, five road games, notably no Texas Tech, no Kansas State, but correct among the teams that you are listing off there. These are all top 35 caliber teams. I've got him at 9 and 3, 10 and 2. Somewhere in that range. I feel better about 10 and 2 than I do 9 and 3.

[C]

I'm with you.

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[D]

All right, those are sort of like the top dogs. At least they were in the top dogs tier when we did the part one six teams left on today's episode. Who is of most interest to you among the next grouping of teams here?

[C]

Oh, the. The Fight Inclines of Kansas State.

[D]

Okay, 6 and 6 a year ago, 5 and 4 in conference. Chris Kleiman steps away. They hire Colin Klein from Texas A and M. Kansas State is the, in my opinion, hardest team to project in this entire conference.

[C]

I think that's fine.

[D]

I have no idea what to expect. Their win total per Vegas is seven and a half. I think it's harder to make a case for seven and five than eight and four. We can discuss this. We can debate it. I have a long list of questions about this team. Before we get into that, though, here is what we are looking at. Here is the State of play going into the year. The new coach is Colin Klein. If you followed Kansas State, if you followed Texas A and M, if you followed college football over the last 20 years, you know who Colin Klein is. Colin Klein won the Big 12 with K State. Back in the day, he was runner up for the Heisman. He was the offensive coordinator when they beat TCU back in 2022, mind you, before TCU went on their run and ended up playing for the national championship. So he's something of a folk hero. There was a lot of steam on him coming back home to his alma mater, but now There are also 48 new players and a completely new staff. Yeah, so I talk about that list of questions. I've got three biggies.

[C]

Hit me.

[D]

Jump in whenever you feel the need. Question one, offensive line. Yeah, especially the right side of the line. But offensive line in general. My assumption is that they're going to want to lean on Avery Johnson and Joe Jackson primarily as running threats, at least to start. If the line does not hold up its share of the bargain there, obviously that's going to be a bit of

[C]

a problem, as it would be for anybody.

[D]

Last year there were some explosives on the ground, but there were also too many times where they were asking Avery Johnson to drop back into a very obvious passing down and make some kind of magic.

[C]

Yeah, it was sort of boom or bust, all or nothing. It was the Bryce Loveization. Right. He was the Stanford back who would like he would hit 98 yarders or 3 yarders.

[D]

They got to put him, Avery Johnson, in better situations for success because second and long, third and long. Everyone knows what's coming. That is not the situation in which Avery Johnson has necessarily thrived here through his first couple years at Kansas State. So can they stay reasonably ahead of the chains given this line, given what they've got on offense? That's question one for me.

[C]

Yep.

[D]

Question two is Avery Johnson. It is. Because now this is our fourth year of talking about this guy was cleaner last season. Yes, absolutely. Physical tools are still off the charts.

[A]

Yep.

[D]

We know he can run like a gazelle. But the Avery Johnson experience, thus far as you put it, I think has been very boomer, busty. That's just who he's been. The highs have been really high. The highs are highlight real. The lows are his dad and brother fighting in the parking lot in Ireland.

[C]

Right. Sure. That's not his fault.

[D]

But yes, it's adjacent to Avery Johnson.

[C]

Yeah, it was not a good moment for Kansas State. He did not have a good Game against Iowa State and Dublin. Yeah.

[D]

So I think the challenge now for Colin Klein, for the new offensive coordinator, Sean Gleason is going to be turning Avery into a quarterback on which you can depend. I'm not sure I can give you a good read on what the scheme is going to be. How much of it will be old school Kansas State with the power rushing attack? How much of it will just be, you know, getting guys in space, shotgun runs, stuff that maybe is like a newer version of that. I don't know. I genuinely don't know. But I do think the thing worth charting is going to be this slow merge of the Colin Klein version of the pen of the almost at Penn State of the Kansas State playbook with what Sean Gleason has done philosophically. That merge to me is question two and that will be interesting because I don't know what that's going to look like. I don't what shape that takes. On question three is defense. You got a new defensive coordinator from A and M. I like the secondary. I like the edges. I think they're gettable through the middle, those three things. To me, that's where I'm at with K State this year.

[C]

Okay. K State offensive line's a question, but I think it's a smaller question than the defense. I don't know who Colin Klein. Colin. Yeah, well, Colin Klein. But I don't know who Avery Johnson is going to be throwing to dependably. Obviously they're working in new names. Joe Jackson's very good. You're absolutely right about the chain. The chain will keep them together. They will be running in the shadows if it works out. Well, that's a Fleetwood Mac reference for.

[D]

Thank you.

[C]

My Fleetwood Heads. My Mac heads for the youth that

[D]

are listening to this show.

[C]

They have an interesting schedule. So the defense is a huge question. You know, they lose Austin Romain to Texas Tech and obviously he brought a significant amount of star power up front. They're starting over. Secondary seems to be a big question. New obviously new coordinators coming along with Colin Klein and what they're going to do as they shift things to their preferred methods. That's a big question. Okay, Kansas State misses Texas Tech, BYU and Utah, whatever Utah is this season, they do have good players, but they're working in obviously new infrastructure in Salt Lake City. That's a good start to miss those three teams with a new coach starting over at Kansas State, sort of. Nicolin Klein has worked with Avery Johnson. I think not since his freshman year. Right. He's been gone since 23, I want to say so. It's a tricky October, October stretch. But Kansas State has a buy before Houston. They play Kansas, who has Utah on the road the week before that? Kansas is in Salt Lake City. Kansas State has Arizona State, who has Texas Tech the week before that on the road in Lubbock.

[D]

Is this a gumpy situation for Kansas?

[C]

It's a gumpy situation. Look, Kansas City has to control what it can control. Yeah, but in November, they have Oklahoma State at home, whatever that means. By then they're on the road at tcu, who is at Arizona the week before and they get Utah the week after. So Kansas State is the perhaps let down, look ahead, sandwich situation there. Everybody's going to take K State seriously. They're a good team that won the conference not terribly long ago. When they have Arizona, Arizona has Utah the week before and their rivalry game against Arizona State the week after. I am just saying Kansas State slips into perhaps ideal situations for getting teams at the right time. So Maybe they're a 6 and 6 team that goes 7 and 5, 8 and 4 because they catch somebody in the right moment. I don't know where you, where you officially landed. Kansas State's gonna be fine with Colin Klein, I think. I think their defense might take a step back. I think their offense might get a little bit more creative and interesting. So I do have them in that seven and a half. I don't know what their Vegas number is.

[D]

Seven and a half.

[C]

There you go. I think I would take the under at 7 and 5 just because week to week it seems like there's gonna be a lot of variance to this team. But I do love that schedule and it is tempting to go over and hit eight. I don't think they're going to win more than eight. I don't think they's going to win fewer than six.

[D]

I'm. I'm going to go seven and five.

[C]

Okay.

[D]

Just a hair on the under.

[C]

We agree.

[D]

I could definitely squint and see a better regular season mark, though I don't think it takes much because this is a conference that is ever in flux. Even the top team is in flux, maybe to a lesser degree. But you can find something with all these teams, all 16 teams, that if a little thing goes in one direction, we could be having a much, much different conversation.

[C]

Yeah, they were like a. I mean, they were a snip snap team last year. Beat ucf, lose to Baylor, beat tcu, lose or beat tcu, beat Kansas, but then lose to Texas Tech, beat Oklahoma State, Lose to Utah, beat Colorado. So I. I do like that Avery Johnson has been here this long, that he contributed as a freshman and then he's been starting for three years. Like they're starting ahead of people because of Avery Johnson. The problem is Avery Johnson, production wise, last season was like a lower third tier Big 12 quarterback.

[D]

No. Okay.

[C]

They were boomer bust. They were a lot of boom. But they didn't do the boring things right last year. So I think that's what Colin Klein is here to do. Just like be better on third and five. Right. Stuff like that.

[D]

Get to third and five and not third and 11.

[C]

Get third and five instead of third. Yeah. Can you imagine a Kansas State fan these past couple years on 3rd and 11 just like slumping in their couch? Like, I wonder how this is going to go.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

Okay. So I think we agree we're kind of in agreement on the first three teams here that we discussed. You mentioned Baylor in passing. I wanted to talk to Baylor a little bit here because Baylor is another one of these teams that if K State is the hardest to project in the conference, and I believe that. I stand by that.

[C]

Yep.

[D]

Baylor more broadly is one of the more interesting teams in the conference or bigger picture, college football. This season they're over under a six and a half. Personally, I'm fully out. Okay.

[C]

I think I am too.

[D]

I'm fully out. And it pains me to say that because we have a lot of great Baylor fans and podcasters and people cover the team that listen to this show. They may know a lot more about Baylor than I do. I would encourage you to write in solid [e-mail]. baylor was 5 and 7 a year ago, 3 and 6 in conference. Six and a half is the over, under. I'm out. But they're not. Not interesting.

[C]

They're definitely interesting.

[D]

There are three reasons why I think Baylor is one of the more interesting teams in college football.

[C]

I'm ready.

[D]

The first is Dave Aranda being on the hot seat again. Thank you. Yep. 5 and 7 a year ago missed the bowl. It was a very good, albeit very inefficient offense. We're now headed into year seven of the Aranda era at Baylor. I can't believe it's been that long. Seven years. Can you believe that?

[C]

Kind of Last couple years have aged me a little bit.

[D]

But yeah, it's now been five years since that one where they went 12 and two and won the Big 12. But we've gotten to this point slowly, perhaps painfully, where Aranda's career record in Waco was 36 and 37, so one game below.500, this is not the first time he has been on the hot seat. It feels like that's happened at least on one and a half or two other occasions. In each of those two moments, Dave Aranda sort of answered the bell. So the question is, if we want to make things interesting, can he do it again? I think there will be less tolerance for a tweener type season for a 6 and 6 season that gets him back to a bowl. I could make a case that he's got to get to 8 and 4 and show promise for 2027 in order to keep this job, but I'll leave that to the Baylor fans. You can Write in again solidverbalmail.com and let me know what the cutoff is, but I don't think 6 and 6 is good enough. I'm also really curious if I'm going to question two now about the defense because this is I think, the main source of tension with the Aranda era, especially now. Aranda stepped foot on campus as a defensive minded guy. He was a defensive coordinator much sought after, won a national championship, won a national championship. He tried taking back control of the defense. Didn't really work. Now he's handing the keys over to Joe Klanderman who comes over from Kansas State. A bit of symmetry here. This is a guy who is highly respected. It was something of a big swing for Aranda to go out and get him from K State. It may surprise you to learn that Joe Clanderman wants to run a more aggressive attacking defense.

[C]

Dan, if he can run a more anything defense than what Baylor has done recently, that's a win with a real

[D]

focus on havoc plays, right? The turnovers and the sacks and the negative tackles for loss, that type of stuff. The consensus seems to be that he's exactly what Baylor needs. It is a question though, I think rightfully, how long is that going to take? He might be exactly what they need three years from now, but in order to save Aranda's job, it's going to have to happen in a hurry. I'm not sure. To that end, Aranda is on record saying that this is the most money they've ever spent on defense in his time at Waco. Clearly he understands what the stakes are here. I do think they did a good job along the defensive line and in the secondary and in some cases bringing some guys over from K State who are already familiar with Joe Clanderman and the language and the system that he's going to run. So I don't think they fell short at least in the off season trying to get to that point. But now the rubber meets the road. Defense is number two. Third reason why they're interesting. You ever hear of DJ Lagway, Dan?

[C]

I have heard of DJ Lagway, quite familiar.

[D]

DJ Lagway comes over from Florida. He's a new quarterback. Almost 4,200 career passing yards. They're going to pair him with Jake Spavital, who wants to go quick. Right, that's. That's the Spav system. Let's go quick. Let's move. Let's play with tempo.

[C]

He's developed a lot of quarterbacks. Yep.

[D]

The best of Lagways. Really good physically. Physically. Now he's probably got some of the best tools of any quarterback in the game. He gives them a running threat, he gives them leadership. He was voted team captain. He just got there like 15 minutes ago. Everybody seems to really like DJ Lagway as a person, but the issue is too many interceptions. What's the supporting cast going to look like this year? The line in front of him is very much in flux is pass catchers. Feel like they're an open question as well. There is a lot here, especially on offense, that I am not liking. I like DJ Lagway, but just too many questions for me on offense. Way too many questions on defense and how long this reclamation project is going to take. I am just not buying that any of this is going to be a quick fix. And I think that's the main reason for those reasons.

[C]

For those reasons, I'm out. I think I'm out too. Okay, so if you were to describe what Baylor was last season in a word chaos. Right? Kind of. Isn't that the Bill Hader and a word chaos? Running backs lost eight fumbles. They played in a bunch of tight games. I think they were they the worst turnover margin team in America last year. If they weren't, they were in that conversation. They were down there. They were minus 13 or 14 turnover margin. They just. There was nothing terribly boring in a good way about Baylor last season. Red zone wise on both sides of the ball, turnover wise, penalty wise. And to that chaos they add DJ Lagway. Again, all the talent in the world. But if you're coming off of the season that they had where there were all of these up and down moments and comebacks and coming up just short, whatever. You kind of want dependability at quarterback now. I actually really like the Joe Clanderman hire.

[D]

I love It. I think it's a great hire in

[C]

the way that Baylor has had, I think four straight pretty bad defenses since it was the 21 season. I think they had like a top 20 national defense. Joe Clanderman never has bad defenses or at least hasn't in a long time. His time at K State was sort of defined by at the very least, competent defenses. Maybe not game changing, maybe not lethal, but competent, organized and developed dudes at all three levels.

[D]

Baylor wins more games last year. If they've got a semi competent defense. Sure.

[C]

But you can say that for a lot of teams. I just, I don't want to think about Baylor in close games all the time as I'm sure Baylor fans don't want to either because it's very difficult to see why the chaos is settling into disappear. I know Dave Aranda said they spent more on their defense than they ever have before, especially up front. And I think they're still waiting at the time of recording on an eligibility injunction situation. An Indiana transfer up front who if they get Jose Wheeler, I think that's his name. If they get him, that's definitely a huge, huge deal for what Baylor might be able to look like up front. It's still chaos. Yeah, it's still chaos. If you're waiting on one guy to either change your defense or not change your defense. I'm just not there. I'm not there right now with Baylor. I think Joe Clanderman will improve things on that side of the ball. I think you will see moments from DJ Lagway that make him look Heisman esque. But I need dependability. If I'm in Waco at this point and I, I don't see the star power around him like I think the running backs room is like, it's what Dawson Pendergrass, like, he's fine. I think they're, they're decent players. I'm not trying to disrespect anybody on this offense, but if your goal is to win nine games, where are you finding those nine?

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

Because that's the step forward.

[D]

Yeah, I think it is.

[C]

It's a violent finish to this schedule, by the way.

[D]

Yeah. So this is a schedule we can run through this quickly. But they open with Auburn neutral site game in Atlanta. Also on this thing, they're at Arizona State home against tcu, they're at BYU home against Texas Tech and at Houston. Those three games back to back to back to close out November. So if there is a Runway, it is much earlier in the season because those are Three teams that figure to be favored against Baylor. They'll have opportunities here, I think, to kind of make some hay earlier in the year, certainly throughout the month of October. There are some wins on the schedule. There are more wins on the schedule early. But the math problem to me is they've basically got nine games to get to eight wins because I'm not counting on them winning any of those last three. And that seems like a bridge too far given what I'm seeing here. But who knows.

[C]

Yeah, I'm. Listen, I'm hopeful. I thought Sawyer Robertson was pretty good last year at times. Still too many picks. Like I, I just worry that this is, this is going to be a year in which DJ Lagway's best and worst impulses are indulged. And I don't, I don't see that as a good turnaround recipe.

[D]

Let's go over to Kansas, Dan. Kansas has a five and a half over under. They went five and seven a year ago. They've now had back to back five and seven seasons which as you know is down from the nine win campaign that they had back in 2020. Three of their 14 losses in the last two years, as pointed out by our friend Brett Ciancia over at pick six previews, they have held a fourth quarter lead in nine of them.

[C]

They, they're like the, the Peter north issue team of our preview season. Brutal or I guess Peter South. Right. Finishing.

[D]

This is definitely Peter South. Now. The offense got hollowed out. They lose. Jalen Daniels, Daniel hi shaw, Lashawn Williams, three all Big 12 linemen among some others. The defense does have more back, but it's a defense that wasn't very good last year. So pick your poison. Also back the one true God, Andy Kotelniki who comes back from Penn State. Yeah, he steps into a role where he is associate head coach. He's going to be calling the plays on offense, which to me is a pretty clear signal that Lance Leipold wants to try and get back to what they were doing. He wants to recapture that magic from the last time Andy was in Kansas. Remember this was a system in Kansas when he was there last that was known for running a little bit of oop de oop and a lot of oop de oop. If you want to talk about Penn State.

[C]

Well, just running though. Running. Period.

[D]

Running. Yes, running. It was a very, very good ground attack. Physical ground attack.

[C]

Devin Neal, guys like that.

[B]

Yeah, of course.

[D]

So I'm curious to see how he schemes for a guy like a Dylan Edwards who You know, the odyssey is in the news right now. Dylan Edwards has been on a bit of an odyssey himself. Going from team to team to team to team.

[C]

Yep.

[D]

Now staying in the state of Kansas with a different Kansas team. More of a scat back than a

[C]

workhorse but smaller guy. Yeah.

[D]

Definitely the type of player that Andy Kotelniki is going to like to use in a variety of different ways. That'll be fun I think to watch. See what he can do with him.

[C]

Same page like look, the Kansas thing to me is a depth question and finishing games. It's likely starting Cole Ballard, a former walk on at quarterback and what his upside is or isn't.

[D]

They did hold on though. You're right. I think it's a Cole Ballard team.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

But I've been picking up notes of hey, we might mix in Isaiah Marshall.

[C]

Okay.

[D]

To add in the running threat at quarterback. I can guarantee you. Guarantee. I don't. You can't bet on this anywhere. If you could, I would put a sizable sum a number of units on Andy Kotelniki finding a way to get both Cole Ballard and Isaiah Marshall on the field at the same time. It is too tantalizing for him to pass up an opportunity like that.

[C]

Agree.

[D]

Totally will happen. You will see a two quarterback set at some point. Anyway, please continue. I didn't mean to interrupt.

[C]

I have them in a bowl conversation once again. If Cole Ballard is defense decent, I, I think the defense will get a little bit better. The schedule is kind of weird. They have a meaty middle but maybe a decent enough finish. They've got the border war back to back with Arizona State in London.

[D]

Yeah, I don't like that they're, they're

[C]

oddities to this schedule. The meaty middle stretch for them is at Utah, at Kansas State, Baylor, tcu, ucf. Look, I think Lance Lipole teams by and large are going to develop players. They're going to win games. To me it's roster construction, you know, the development of the twos and they talked about how like they were just gassed at the end of some of those games because they were playing their starters so much. Yeah, it's developing those dudes. It's figuring out if they can develop and evaluate the right small school type transfers at Kansas. I think they're going to beat deficient teams and lose to more talented teams often and that puts them in the bowl conversation. If Cole Ballard is fine. I have them at 6 and 6. I think they go bowling this year.

[D]

Okay. Yeah, I think I can get behind that it is a tough schedule.

[C]

I think there's a decently high floor.

[D]

Yeah, I'm right. I'm right on the fringe of that. I'm skeptical about the offensive line and what the plan is at quarterback. And just to put a bow on the defensive conversation. They were sort of in a box all last season because it kept trying to bring pressure with their back seven because they couldn't get it with their front four.

[C]

Sure.

[D]

And so you can imagine if that doesn't work, that puts your whole defense in a bit of a bind. The hope is that this year they can bring that a little bit more into balance. If nothing more, there's more depth on defense. That should hopefully help. To your point, guys being gassed, having a little bit more depth, maybe having a little bit more beef up front or a little bit more of a pass rush up front, that would be what I think I'm looking for, at least on that side of the ball. But I'm. I'm with you. The over under, again, is five and a half. I think they're right on that cusp. I could see another five and seven year. I could see a seven and five year if things really pop.

[C]

I hope Kansas didn't miss its window because they've had a lot of fun offensive players recently, and it kind of feels like they're fading into the background a little bit, that we got to see what they're going to do. Well. But again, I think that. I think Lance Leipold is a good enough coach that if his players have legs late in games, I just don't think you can mess up that many games late two years in a row. And I just like Lance Leipold. So I'm in on Kansas doing more this season.

[A]

Hey, everybody. I'm Tareka Foster Brasby. What's up, y'?

[B]

All?

[A]

I'm your girl, Sheryl Swoopes. When you tune in to a new episode of our podcast, Levels to this, you're definitely gonna get some by CWMBA analysis. I see a lot of men who

[D]

get into the space because now it's

[A]

a hot product, and that grinds my gears to dust. But then the conversation goes on and levels up beyond basketball. It's been really, really cool seeing kind of these women just really step into their power off the court and understand that they are basketball. Right. And they're not asking for permission because on levels to this, the game is always the starting point. But we're more than just hoops, and the real conversation is what we actually bring this is Levels to this, the podcast about all the levels of stuff that women go through. Listen to Levels to this with Sheryl Swoopes and Tarika Foster brasby on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Remember, always be generous with the nutmeg. Just eyeball it, okay?

[D]

Mom's wisdom has served you well, but now it may be your turn to guide her.

[A]

Hey, I'm worried about Mom. She keeps forgetting her famous sweet potato pie recipe. Some things come with age, sis, and some don't.

[D]

Knowing the early signs of Alzheimer's and a loved one will help you make the best decisions for your family. Visit 10Signs.org to learn the signs brought to you by the Alzheimer's association and the AD Council.

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This is Michael Rapaport and my podcast, the I Am Rappaport Stereo podcast is unlike any one you've ever heard. We're a variety show, and if you're looking for strong opinions, funny opinions about sports, entertainment, politics, pop culture, and whatever else catches my attention, then subscribe now. This kid Jafar Jackson is as good as Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury, and it's as good as Timothee Shamalay as Bob Dylan. And I say that with love and respect for both of those actors. And I don't know how many Oscar nominations they give out. I don't know if it's 5, 6 for best actor. 150%. This kid, Jafar Jackson should absolutely, positively get nominated for his portrayal as Michael Jackson. Listen to I Am rapoport on the iHeartRadio app and Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.

[C]

I am.

[D]

We have three teams left here.

[C]

Okay.

[D]

We have Iowa State, we have Colorado, and we have West Virginia, which is of most interest to you,

[C]

I guess

[D]

Colorado three and nine.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

Last season, they're over unders four and a half. Last year was a bad year for Colorado.

[C]

Yep.

[D]

I think we saw it coming. It was a year after both Shador and Travis Hunter went pro. A lot of teams, I think, would probably be in a similar position. I don't know if the bottom would have fallen out quite as much, but it's not a stretch to look back and say, oh, well, of course they got worse because they lost their two best players. The biggest question, though, was whether there was a plan, whether there was a plan for that, the post Shador, the post Travis Hunter era. And I don't know if we have an answer to that yet.

[C]

Well, the plan is Brennan Marion.

[D]

Is that a good enough plan, though?

[C]

Well, it depends what you're intending to do.

[D]

Okay. They're installing the Go Go offense. Brennan Marion is now in Colorado. Speaking of an odyssey, he's been on 1, 2. He's been with a bunch of different teams. Yeah, this is an offense that sounds fun because it is fun. It's two running backs. It's certainly an emphasis on the run. They've got variations that include options that include run pass options, deep shots, and as you might guess from the name, they want to play quick. The go go. Mm. QB1 looks to be Julian Lewis. Juju Lewis. He played sparingly last season. The goal with this offense is to not ask him to throw it 40 times a game. They want the run game to work. They want more of a balanced approach. They don't want it to all fall on his shoulder. Forgive me for not being uber confident in this ground attack. They were 127th nationally last season in terms of rushing success rate. There are other metrics that also would indicate it was not a good team on the ground. There was an intense focus on the offensive line this off season. They did lose Jordan Seaton, the big offensive lineman, the tackle, to lsu, but they also brought in a really big group of transfers. Otherwise, publicly, both Deion Sanders and Brendan Marion have been pretty bullish on this group. I feel like, personally, I need to see it before I can get too excited. But I think it's notable for whatever you make a coach quotes that the coaches at least seem to be pretty bullish on what they're seeing. Make of that what you will.

[C]

Dan, do you have a year in which Deion Sanders in Colorado really impressed you on the ground?

[D]

No.

[C]

Running the ball? No, I. I don't. And it's a year once again where they're rebuilding an offensive line, rebuilding an offense, new running backs. One of them is with a Sac State coming along with Brendan Marion. Right. Put up some big numbers in the offense, which. Great.

[D]

Good. I like their receiver room, actually. I like Danny Scudero, who comes from San Jose state. I like DeAndre more. I like the potential of DeAndre Moore coming from Texas.

[C]

He's been beat up, but, yeah.

[D]

Camp Perry from Miami, Ohio, I think is a. Is a nice piece. Like, I think that aspect of what they've got out there actually looks kind of appealing to me. To what degree they use it and how Julian Lewis operates in this new system. These are bigger, more existential questions in 2026. But in terms of names and stats on a piece of paper, that seems to compute for me.

[A]

Sure.

[C]

I think the skill position guys are fine. I don't trust this offensive line and I know the quotes have been glowing that like, this offensive line is bigger and better than what Brennan Marion saw at Texas. And it's always down as one of the best. Always are one of the best offensive lines and or the best offensive line in Colorado history. Big bodies coming in.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

Don't trust them. I just don't. I don't trust the offensive line coach. I don't trust another new offense. I don't trust a quarterback who is going to begin reading defenses this year after a quote of they just went out there and played high school football last year. I just. There's not much for me to trust here. Brennan Marion has called a lot of really good offenses and is, I think, been hailed as an innovative offensive mind. I think it's. It's a bad match. I don't see it with Colorado this year. I don't trust the line. I just don't. I'm not there. I have to see it with Colorado before I believe it because it seems like there have been conflicting ideologies in that offensive line room. We've seen coordinators come in and out. There's new assistants on both sides of the ball. Once again, Marshall Falk is out. Warren Sapp is out. The defensive coordinator, I think, was Robert Livingston. He's out.

[D]

Robert Livingston went to the Broncos. I'm glad you brought this up. I wanted to mention this, too.

[C]

The defense wasn't even that good last year.

[D]

It wasn't. So the new guy is Chris Marv. It was a really bad run defense in several key areas. A really bad defense, let's say, in several key areas, namely the run defense, but also big plays, the pass rush in general. They kind of sucked at tackling. Just not a good tackling team at all. He is not. I don't care who it is. Insert defensive coordinator here is not going to fix all of those things. And I don't care how aggressive or attacking any of them want to be. I just. I'm not seeing that all getting fixed in short order as well. So you, you, like, layer that onto the fact that this is actually a tough schedule. And like, I'm not buying this at all. Four and a half. Is that what I said? Let me scroll up. Yeah, four and a half. I would go under. I'm not in on this at all. And I'm. I'm real curious on Julian Lewis. I love the Go Go offense. It is fun to watch. Yeah, I'm Just like I think this is another situation. For those reasons, I'm out.

[C]

Yeah. I just. There's nothing much for me to trust at this point.

[D]

No.

[C]

And so yeah, I don't see them going bowling. I think at their absolute best they're 6 and 6. If it all clicks, they have health, luck and they catch teams in fortuitous situations. But no, the schedule is difficult enough. It's a weird road schedule early. Right. It's Georgia Tech, Northwestern and Baylor in the first month on the road.

[D]

Yeah. They got to get off to a quick start.

[C]

Not that those are impossible teams to beat.

[D]

No. But they got to get off to a quick start. Otherwise they're toast.

[C]

Yep. I'm not feeling great.

[D]

What do you think about West Virginia this year?

[C]

I'm intrigued. I'm intrigued as an improvement candidate for sure. I'd love for their starting point to be better at quarterback, but I'm intrigued by the skill position guys. It's with the Jacksonville State transfer at running back.

[D]

Cook.

[C]

I love camp who has experience with, with Rich Rod obviously.

[D]

Yeah,

[C]

I like how aggressive they've been. It's another year with a lot of new players but I like that they're developing the younger players as well as a good recruiting class coming in. I like Zach Alley, their defensive coordinator. I think he's a good mind to, to help improve this team. And they, they, they stopped the run a good amount last year, right? No, it's, it's a developmental thing with West Virginia in this moment. It's an identity thing in this moment. They obviously have had to cycle between a number of quarterbacks, not just last year but last couple years with injury and just guys in and out of the lineup. I think West Virginia is due for some stability. I think you are going to see improvement across the board from West Virginia. I think they're going to look like a well coached team, like a developed team. But I still think it's pretty early in the like Rich Rod life cycle with West Virginia team.

[D]

I think year three is probably the year where it starts to take flight.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

But there are plenty of, plenty of reasons to be interested this year.

[C]

Agree.

[D]

It does look like there are 11 new starters on defense. I have seen some previews cite that they've looked longer and more athletic for whatever that's worth to you. It doesn't mean better.

[C]

Right.

[D]

But 11 new starters secondary is probably going to be an issue in my view. But Rich Rodriguez has talked about the offense and specifically why the offense last year didn't get fully up to Speed. And it was a lot of not doing enough on first downs, not running well enough to stay on schedule this year. As you mentioned, they're trying to fix that with Cam Cook, who does come up from Jacksonville State, has been crazy productive. I think he's going to be a monster this year. Also, they are deeper at law on the offensive line. They've got better tight ends. I think they've got a quarterback and Michael Hawkins who can keep them active in the run game, whether it's him or Scotty Fox Jr. Either way, I. I can find reasons to get behind West Virginia this year and reasons to feel optimistic about what they can be beyond 2026. But five and a half, the over, under, like I've got about five and seven. I think they're right on the cusp there.

[C]

I'd go as hard as 6 and 6. I think they can be a bowl team.

[D]

I could see it.

[C]

There is.

[D]

I could see it. I just don't want to put my name to it.

[C]

The one of the things I do like about West Virginia, and obviously, as you mentioned, they're. They're retooling the defense almost entirely. But there's something culturally about a team that. I think it was Houston and TCU last season. They kind of gave them all they could handle late in the season.

[D]

Yeah, Yeah.

[C]

I like that belief kind of thing where there is proof of concept early for the returning players on both sides of the ball. There is energy in the building. Rich Rod wins everywhere he goes. To what degree? Obviously there's variance there, but I think he hires well. I think he evaluates well. There seems to be a vision when the teams reach a certain point in their development. Usually it's on the ground, running the ball, but I don't know. I. It's a different time in West Virginia than obviously decades ago when he was there and had his. His big level success. But I don't know. I think there's a good amount of upside to this team based on what's there, that they can catch a couple of sleepers, they can win a couple of those games they lost last year. And I just think there's going to be more comfort this year the longer Rich Rod is there. So, yeah, I have them in the range of 6 and 6.

[D]

Let's close this out with Iowa State, another team with a five and a half win total. For what it's worth. Last year, eight and four, five and four in conference, you can basically throw that out the window. That was the Matt Campbell era.

[C]

There's Nothing you can take from last season.

[D]

Be like, okay, they did nothing, nothing, nothing. Matt Campbell goes to Penn State. The entire roster pretty much went elsewhere. Jimmy Rogers steps in. He spent about 15 minutes at Wazoo. I know you like to tell that joke, but did a good job while he was there. They were competitive.

[C]

Also a tough situation.

[D]

Very tough situation. They were very competitive against Ole Miss, uva and James Madison. He could be the best coach in the world. Dan, so much turnover here. 60 new players, as many as 16 new starters, by the way, who could come from the G6, FCS and D2 ranks.

[C]

I saw this. The University of Sioux Falls. Yeah.

[D]

So no disrespect to these guys. I'm glad they're getting their moment. It could be a bit of a transition here for Iowa State taking on that many new guys from, let's be honest, the non power 4 ranks.

[C]

Agree.

[D]

I think this year is going to look a lot like under center, pro style, motion play action, stuff like that. I don't think they're going to ask their new quarterback Jalen Rayner from Arkansas State to sling it 50 times a game. This is going to be a lot of ball control. It's going to be a lot of quick passes, some of Jalen Rayner's abilities to run on display. I like the running backs. I like Aiden Flora camp headway running back a lot, by the way. But I'll be interested to see how they use Jalen Rayner because this is a guy I was all in on last year. You tell the joke. We told it earlier in the year. I Talked for like 25 minutes on the Arkansas State preview last year because of how high I was on Jalen Rayner. Now he didn't have the good year, the banner season that I was hoping for, but yeah, he comes over with his quarterback coach with his tight end. He does need to be better. He needs to not turn the ball over nearly as much and needs to move quicker because the competition and everything about the Big 12 is going to be a grade above what he saw in the Sun Belt. But I don't hate Jalen Rayner. Starting quarterback, Iowa State. I'm okay with that.

[C]

Okay. Jalen Rayner was, I think one of the worst quarterbacks in the Sunbelt last year in terms of his production. He was not very good. He didn't go downfield all that well. His like yards per attempt were very, very. It was like 11th out of 12 or something.

[D]

Yeah, it wasn't, it wasn't a good year.

[C]

And now you're putting him Behind a combination FCS D2 Mac offensive line in spots. There's some intriguing names maybe at the skill positions. If it works out. Guys who've been like, well he's starting at running back or he's the number two running back, hasn't really carried the ball but is a returner like well, okay, let's hope that that translates into something. I think there is some intrigue up front on defense with some of those transfers.

[D]

Yeah. And they're switching the system too.

[C]

They're switching the system away from the Haycock. 3, 3, 5.

[D]

The 335 is going Jesse Bobbitt is the name of the new defensive coordinator who comes from Wazoo. With Jimmy Rogers going to be more 4, 2, 5 going to be more emphasis on creating pressure with the front four as opposed to the Haycock system which was more space eaters up front. Let the linebackers do it. I think the line will be okay. The back seven is really concerning to me.

[C]

I don't that's there's a lot of

[D]

new faces that troubles me.

[C]

Filling in the blanks.

[D]

Yes.

[C]

There's also concern on my part for for an offense at Iowa State that by early ish October is on the road at Iowa has Utah and a road game at BYU by again like early ish in October. The defense is maybe more gettable later on in the season. But I don't know. Kansas State might have a defense by the time they play. Oklahoma State could be interesting. Cincinnati could be UCF might have that's on the road. Arizona. We'll see how they they bounce back after losing the guys they did in the back end of that defense. But I just think there's just too many uphill situations for Iowa State to go bowling this year. I have them at like 3 and 9, 4 and 8.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

I think I'm it feels like a year zero situation.

[D]

I think I'm of similar mind. I mean Jimmy Rogers did do a really good job at Wazoo.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

So I don't want to rule out a situation where he steps in and suddenly they do a lot better than expected. I'm just not seeing the talent level on this roster being up to par with what they're going to face elsewhere in the Big 12. Mind you, we're saying 3 and 9, 4 and 8.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

This is a schedule that also misses Texas Tech and Houston, but still gets five top 30 caliber teams. So even though maybe they're not playing the top of the top, the perceived top of the top, it's still pretty meaty throughout and I think they'll be tested. I'm not sure that this roster has enough juice to go toe to toe with what they're up against here, so I'm with you. I would be inclined to go under, not for lack of respect. I think Jimmy Rodgers has done a pretty good job here in very short order putting a roster together, but it's going to take a minute.

[C]

I think so too.

[D]

All right, SolidRebomail.com is where you can write in if you've got something to say. If we got something wrong, if you have a differing opinion, if you just want to tell us how good the show is, we'll take all of those emails.

[C]

If you want to tell us you regret Googling Peter North, I'm sorry. Sorry about that.

[D]

SolidVerball Gmail.com is where you can go if you want to write in and let us know your thoughts. Of course, verballers.com is where you can go if you're interested in the extras, be it ad free episodes, episodes that are a little bit early, the Discord, the gaming portal that we're going to unveil here in a couple weeks. All that stuff is how you can directly support what Dan and I do. That's our patreon [e-mail] if you want to get the weekly newsletter, which is free, all you have to do is give us your email. SolidVerbal.com Newsletter is where you can go for that and if you are ever so inclined, if you've made it this far, please hit, follow or subscribe. If you've already done that, leave us a star rating or review wherever it is you watch or listen. All that stuff really helps.

[C]

You absolutely nailed your grammar on that. If you want to support what Dan and I do, that was really good. You really nailed it. Because you wouldn't say if you want to support what Dan and me do. Yeah, because you would.

[D]

I'm still struggling with this. I haven't fully internalized your instructions yet.

[C]

You're doing great.

[D]

Thank you.

[C]

You're really. I want to sort of fill you with confidence, Ty, that you're on the right track. Because as somebody who struggles with English regularly, I know how important confidence is.

[D]

It's good that we're struggling with our English in public as prominent college football podcasters. Not a great look.

[C]

I've heard the word bravery thrown around. I've heard the word courageous thrown around. That's not for me to weigh in on. But I appreciate everybody that cannot stop pummeling us with those emails saying something about like beacons of lights. I don't know. But you know what? I appreciate it.

[D]

Thank you to one and all for downloading, for supporting what we do. We'll be back next episode. Go through part three. We're going to knock out the other eight teams here in the Big 12. Hope you enjoyed what you heard here today. Hope you're enjoying what you have heard all throughout preview season. Much, much more to come for that guy over there, Dan for myself over here, Ty. Catch you all next time in the peace.

[A]

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All?

[A]

I'm your girl, Sheryl Swoops. When you tune in to a new episode of our podcast, Levels to this, you're definitely gonna get some Spy, cw, NBA Analysis. But we're more than just hoops and the real conversation is what we actually bring. It's been really, really cool seeing kind of these women just really step into their power off the court and understand that they are basketball right? And they're not asking for permission. Listen to Levels to this with Strobe Swoopes and Tarika Foster brasby on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[B]

This is Michael Rapaport and my podcast, the I Am Rappaport Stereo podcast is unlike anyone you've ever heard. If you're looking for strong opinions about sports, entertainment, politics, pop culture, and whatever else catches my attention, then subscribe now. This kid, Jafar Jackson, should absolutely, positively get nominated for his portrayal as Michael Jackson. Listen to I Am rapoport on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.

[A]

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