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BYU football: 3 reasons the Cougars should win the Big 12 in 2023

By John Scimeca

WACO, TEXAS - OCTOBER 16: Tyler Allgeier #25 of Brigham Young Cougars scores a touchdown against safety JT Woods #22 of the Baylor Bears in the first half at McLane Stadium on October 16, 2021 in Waco, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
WACO, TEXAS - OCTOBER 16: Tyler Allgeier #25 of Brigham Young Cougars scores a touchdown against safety JT Woods #22 of the Baylor Bears in the first half at McLane Stadium on October 16, 2021 in Waco, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /
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STILLWATER, OK – NOVEMBER 27: Linebacker Devin Harper #16 of the Oklahoma State Cowboys dives to stop quarterback Caleb Williams #13 of the Oklahoma Sooners with a five yard gain on fourth and 10, turning the ball over on downs late in the fourth quarter at Boone Pickens Stadium on November 27, 2021 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The Cowboys won ‘Bedlam’ 37-33. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)
STILLWATER, OK – NOVEMBER 27: Linebacker Devin Harper #16 of the Oklahoma State Cowboys dives to stop quarterback Caleb Williams #13 of the Oklahoma Sooners with a five yard gain on fourth and 10, turning the ball over on downs late in the fourth quarter at Boone Pickens Stadium on November 27, 2021 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The Cowboys won ‘Bedlam’ 37-33. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images) /

2. Wide-open Big 12 race

OU and Texas are relatively down. Well, for Texas, the team in burnt orange hasn’t lived up to the hype since 2009 and the Mack Brown days. Seriously — the team that seems to dominate recruiting news every offseason has finished with three losing seasons in that span and has finished as an AP Top 25 team just four times in the past dozen seasons.

As a program overall, OU is in an interesting position this season. The Sooners are led by a first-time head coach in Brent Venables after the sudden departure of Lincoln Riley to USC. The former OU boss took several high-profile high recruits with him to Los Angeles, in addition to star quarterback Caleb Williams and standout wide receiver Mario Williams.

OU still has plenty of talent on its roster after winning the Big 12 for six years in a row (2015 – 2020), but it’s feasible that the Sooners won’t immediately bounce back given all the roster and staff turnover. Fall 2023 is still a long way away, so consider how the OU fanbase might react if Venables struggles (relatively) coming out the gate in his first season as head coach in Norman.

Oklahoma State had a special 12-win season in 2021 thanks to a powerful rushing attack, a savvy quarterback in Spencer Sanders, and a rock-solid defense. That defensive unit, though, lost several sixth-year senior leaders and its defensive coordinator, Jim Knowles, who just took the same job at Ohio State before recruiting Cowboy standout safety Tanner McCalister to join him in Columbus. Senior Cowboy cornerback Jarrick Bernard-Converse transferred to LSU in the offseason.

Many expect the Cowboys and the Bears to be right back in the mix for this season’s Big 12 title, but they both lost significant talent from their surprise 2021 squads. It’s hard to count on both OSU and Baylor performing as Top 10-caliber teams in 2023.

The biggest threat to BYU’s Big 12 title in its inaugural season could be from another newcomer like Cincinnati or Houston. The Bearcats have had their share of media love and national attention after becoming the first Group of Five team to reach the College Football Playoff in 2021, but they also have several question marks after offseason departures.

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