The Big 12 is kicking off Week 1, and with it comes the long climb toward Arlington, Texas, in December, where the conference title game will decide who reaches the College Football Playoff. Every team in the league has something to chase. A few, though, are carrying expectations so heavy that even a good season might not be enough.
Texas Tech sits near the top of that conversation for one simple reason: the bar is already set extremely high. Plenty of outsiders are looking at the Red Raiders and seeing an 11-1 run and a 12-1 finish after the league title game.
Inside the program, the goal is even bigger - win the Big 12 and get back to the CFP. When that’s the standard, one badly timed loss can change everything.
With a target on its back, Texas Tech doesn’t need a collapse to come up short.
BYU is in a similar spot. The Cougars are being treated like a real Big 12 championship and CFP threat, and the pieces are there to justify it.
LJ Martin is the best returning running back in the conference, Bear Bachmeier is expected to take a step forward at quarterback, and the roster has enough core talent to make a push. But the ceiling is so high that anything less than a title chase will feel like a disappointment.
BYU is targeting a title. Anything less will be disappointing.
Houston also has the kind of profile that can go either way. This is the best the Cougars have been positioned to win a Big 12 championship, and maybe the best shot they’ve had in a long time to make some national noise.
The quarterback is experienced, and the defense is one of the best in the conference. Still, the schedule is not forgiving.
If Houston drops two or three league games, it could end up well short of the expectation that it will contend for a berth in the Big 12 Championship game.
TCU belongs in this group too, even after winning nine games last year. That part matters, because it’s easy to forget how solid that season was.
The Horned Frogs also changed quarterbacks after Josh Hoover’s transfer to Indiana, but there’s still enough talent on hand to matter in the league race. The concern is the familiar one: TCU tends to shine when the spotlight isn’t brightest.
This year, people expect more. The Ireland game is another worry, especially now that they’ve lost it.
A loss there set back Kansas State’s season a year ago, in my opinion.
Utah rounds out the list, and the concern here is less about raw talent than about the shape of the season ahead. Kyle Whittingham’s final year was a strong one, even if he didn’t know it at the time, and the Utes won 10 games.
But Morgan Scalley has never been a head coach, and the roster is light on returning starters - only five in all. On offense, the only returning starters are Devon Dampier and Wayshawn Parker.
That kind of turnover makes consistency hard to find, and it’s especially tough for a first-time head coach. There are a lot of trap games here, and if Scalley hits the usual growing pains early, Utah could wind up below the level its 2026 expectations demand.
In Other News...
Puka Nacuas NFL Situation Leaves BYU Fans Waiting On One Decision
Puka Nacuas NFL situation has kept plenty of attention on a former BYU star whose rise once made him one of the programs most visible recent success stories. The league is still reviewing his legal matter and the possibility of discipline, but for now he has not been placed on the commissioners exempt list, leaving his status in a holding pattern as the process plays out.
Nacua also spent part of the offseason in a care facility after a run of controversies that included a civil lawsuit alleging assault and antisemitic remarks, adding another layer of uncertainty around what comes next. He has missed some training camp time with soreness, though he has since returned to practice, and BYU fans are left watching for the one decision that will finally clarify how much of his season, and his future, remains in doubt. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Freshmen Are Already Pushing For Roles That Could Matter Fast
BYUs first depth chart for the 2026 season offered an early look at how much youth could shape the roster right away, with eight true freshmen showing up in a range of spots. It is the kind of opening snapshot that says as much about opportunity as it does about talent, and it suggests the Cougars are not planning to wait long before testing some of their newest players. Names like Jaron Pula, Terrance Saryon, Enoch Watson, David Tangilanu, Braxton Lindsey, Bott Mulitalo, Kennan Pula and Legend Glasker all surfaced in roles that point to real pathways onto the field.
The most interesting part for BYU is not just that those freshmen made the chart, but how many different ways they could matter as the season unfolds. Some are already positioned to factor in sooner than later, while others appear to be developing toward heavier work as fall camp observations and coaching staff comments continue to shape the picture. For a team trying to build depth and keep pace over a long season, having that many first-year players in the conversation this early is a sign the roster may be younger, and more open-ended, than usual. [Read more 🡒]
BYUs First 2026 Depth Chart Reveals A Defense Still Taking Shape
BYUs first official depth chart for 2026 offers the first real look at how the Cougars are sorting out roles on both sides of the ball, and the defense is the side drawing the most immediate attention. Kelly Poppinga has already shown a willingness to tinker, mixing multiple defensive fronts and leaning on five defensive backs as he shapes a group that is still finding its identity.
The chart also gives a glimpse at the young talent and open jobs that will define the early part of camp, with true freshman Legend Glasker listed at receiver and a battle brewing at Rover linebacker. Siale Esera and Jake Clifton are both in the mix there, and the spot is one of several where BYU is still working to see which pieces fit best as the 2026 season approaches. [Read more 🡒]