3 issues to know concerning the Large 12, together with why Texas Tech ought to roll even with out Brendan Sorsby

The offseason story that dominated the Large 12 will prove to not matter a single bit throughout the season.

Defending champion Texas Tech added Cincinnati QB Brendan Sorsby in one of many largest switch portal strikes of January. However after Sorsby transferred, it grew to become public that he had been betting on sports activities whereas in faculty. These bets included Indiana video games when he was a member of the Hoosiers.

As Sorsby (and, unofficially, Texas Tech) efficiently pushed to stay eligible for the 2026 season, the remainder of the Large 12 was up in arms.

d. Amidst the blowback, Sorsby mentioned he'd discover his supplemental NFL Draft choices and never play for the Crimson Raiders in 2026. The NFL, in the meantime, mentioned that it wouldn't have a supplemental draft this summer time and Sorsby will now successfully sit out each the 2026 faculty soccer and NFL seasons.

Received all that? Right here's what you’ll want to know concerning the Large 12.

Preseason odds for all 16 Large 12 groups

Texas Tech vs. a staff from Utah for the Large 12 title?

There are three clear favorites for 2 spots within the Large 12 championship sport. And Texas Tech doesn't need to face both of its two foremost challengers within the common season.

The Crimson Raiders are favorited for a second straight Large 12 title partly due to a schedule that may be the best within the convention. Tech's two hardest video games on paper are each at residence. Houston visits on Sept. 18, and Arizona involves Lubbock on Halloween. The 4 opponents Texas Tech visits mixed to win 16 video games in 2025.

Positive, there's an actual situation the place Texas Tech doesn't make the convention championship sport. Possibly the quarterback place is unsettled after Sorsby's spring departure and Will Hammond isn't totally recovered from the torn ACL he suffered final season. Turnover regression might additionally hit exhausting. After being plus-1 in turnover margin in 2024, Texas Tech was plus-14 in 2025 as LB Jacob Rodriguez parlayed his penchant for turnovers right into a fifth-place end within the Heisman voting.

However we really feel protected penciling within the Crimson Raiders.

John E. Moore III by way of Getty Pictures

From there, you can also make quite a lot of circumstances for Texas Tech's opponent. The strongest two belong to BYU and Utah. The Utes host BYU on Nov. 7. However Utah can also be coming into a season with out Kyle Whittingham in cost for the primary time since City Meyer was the top coach in 2004.

Longtime Utah defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley takes over after years as Utah's coach in ready. That is Scalley's first head teaching job and he's additionally received a brand new offensive coordinator after Jason Beck adopted Whittingham to Michigan.

Scalley was in a position to maintain quarterbacks Devon Dampier and Byrd Ficklin in Salt Lake Metropolis together with RB Wayshawn Parker. Utah ought to have top-of-the-line dashing assaults within the nation as soon as once more after averaging 266 yards and 6 yards per carry in 2025.

BYU is hoping for a second-year leap from QB Bear Bachmeier after he began as a real freshman in 2025. The QB who wears No. 47 totaled 26 touchdowns, but in addition had eight video games with fewer than 200 passing yards. He's going to should be a greater passer in 2026. And he's additionally going to be doing it with some unfamiliar receivers. The return of RB L.J. Martin is big, however no BYU receiver with greater than 14 catches in 2025 is again on the roster.

How shut are Houston and Arizona?

The Cougars made a six-win soar from 2024 to 2025 and Arizona improved by 5 wins. We're bullish on each groups sustaining that stage of success.

Houston brings again QB Conner Weigman for a second season after he threw for over 2,700 yards and rushed for 700 extra. Weigman will present a steady bridge to five-star freshman Keisean Henderson as Henderson is prepped to be the staff's starter in 2027. Henderson, a local of Houston, was the highest recruit within the state of Texas in 2026 and the No. 2 participant total behind Miami sort out Jackson Cantwell.

After shedding high RB Dean Connors, Houston added former Tulane and Oregon rusher Makhi Hughes within the switch portal. Hughes performed for Willie Fritz at Tulane in 2023 when he rushed for 1,378 yards as a real freshman. After a 1,400-yard season in 2024, Hughes received simply 17 carries in his lone season with the Geese. The offensive line is filled with skilled transfers and may very well be top-of-the-line within the Large 12.

Arizona can declare it has the very best QB within the convention in Noah Fifita. The fifth-year QB threw for over 3,200 yards and 29 TDs in 2025 because the Wildcats received their remaining 5 regular-season video games. Head coach Brent Brennan added a bunch of energy convention defenders within the switch portal in an try and reload a unit that allowed simply 19 factors per sport in 2025 after giving up over 30 in 2024.

The Wildcats may be on the incorrect aspect of some turnover regression, nonetheless. Arizona was plus-18 in turnovers after ending plus-10 over their remaining 4 video games of the season. Street journeys to BYU and Texas Tech are additionally essential to any playoff push.

Outdoors of these cats, Arizona State and TCU are the 2 groups with the very best odds of sneaking into the title sport. The Horned Frogs added former Harvard QB Jaden Craig to interchange Josh Hoover, whereas former Kentucky QB Cutter Boley takes over in Tempe. TCU might have each alternative to play its manner into the Large 12 title sport over the ultimate two weeks of the season with video games in opposition to Utah and Texas Tech.

Nick Cammett by way of Getty Pictures

Will Colorado or Oklahoma State have an even bigger bounce-back?

Fourteen of the Large 12's 16 groups received not less than 5 video games in 2025. The 2 that didn't, Colorado and Oklahoma State, went 1-17 in convention play. The lone win was Colorado's 24-17 victory in opposition to Iowa State.

It's simpler to make the case for an Oklahoma State rebound than it’s for one for the Buffaloes. After firing Mike Gundy three weeks into the 2025 season, OSU employed Eric Morris from North Texas. The Imply Inexperienced offense was one of the vital prolific in faculty soccer, and QB Drew Mestemaker, RB Caleb Hawkins and WR Wyatt Younger are among the many transfers who adopted him to Stillwater. Mestemaker has emerged as an intriguing NFL Draft prospect after throwing for almost 4,400 yards final 12 months. Hawkins rushed for 1,434 yards and 25 TDs and Younger had 70 catches for 1,264 yards and 10 TDs.

There could also be some rising pains, however a schedule that doesn't embrace Arizona, Utah or BYU may very well be tailored for the Cowboys to make a bowl sport.

The Buffaloes could have a good suggestion of the place they stand amongst all energy convention groups earlier than Large 12 play begins because of highway journeys to Georgia Tech and Northwestern over the primary three weeks of the season. QB Julian Lewis is the undisputed starter after getting enjoying time in 2025 because the Kaidon Salter experiment wasn't too profitable.

Colorado has by no means found out have a dependable dashing assault in Deion Sanders' tenure, and shedding OT Jordan Seaton received't assist these efforts. Former Alabama RB Richard Younger is the newest participant added to the backfield in an try to spice up the run sport and former Sacramento State head coach Brennan Marion is now the Buffaloes' offensive coordinator.

The protection is mainly overhauled from a season in the past. Colorado gave up simply 23 factors per sport because it received 9 video games in 2024. It's allowed over 30 per sport in Sanders' different two seasons in cost.

Defensive again Makari Vickers might find yourself because the Buffaloes' solely starter on protection who wasn't added within the switch portal, and the main focus was on the entrance seven. Colorado gave up 223 dashing yards a sport in 2025 and allowed over 5 yards a carry.

It's not not possible that the Buffaloes will probably be underdogs in opposition to each FBS staff they face in 2026. Some upsets will probably be crucial.