As the Big 12 college football season kicks off, who sits atop the Week 1 rankings?
The college football season officially kicked off on the last weekend of August, with five FBS games being played on Week Zero. No Big 12 teams played, but that will change as September opens.
The 2016 Big 12 season saw Oklahoma win the conference championship. The Sooners started slow but finished strong and became one of the best teams in college football by the end of the season. They’ll be back to make more noise and contend for the College Football Playoff National Championship.
12 games — and a conference title game — need to be played first, however. That begins with Week 1 and the early outlook for all the Big 12 teams. How do things stand as the season starts?
Where Kansas finished the 2016 college football season is the spot they’ll remain to start 2017: last place. That could be where this program sits for the majority of the season, with a case for every team in the Big 12 being better.
If there’s a bright spot on the Jayhawks, it’s defensive end Dorrance Armstrong Jr. The junior is one of the top defensive players in the Big 12, and is in for a big season. A strong performance could get him selected high in the 2018 NFL Draft, so look for him to break out early and attack opposing offensive lines.
Outside of Armstrong, it may be another long season in Lawrence, KS.
Iowa State has a tall task itself. The team struggled throughout the 2016 season and won’t be favored to move up the Big 12 final standings, if at all, from the previous ninth-place finish. Like Kansas, there is one bright spot, though.
Jacob Park will get a full-year attempt at being the starting quarterback for the Cyclones. He received a stretch as the starter from the Oct. 29 game against Kansas State and beyond. Four games saw Park throw for two touchdowns each and as the catalyst for ISU’s 66-10 win over Texas Tech.
Park’s development will be crucial toward Iowa State’s season. If he improves, so will the team’s record.