In a recent preseason top 30 rankings list from Kelley Ford, the Big 12 Conference did not place any teams inside of the top 15.
However, they did place five teams inside the top 30, including Utah, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Kansas, and Arizona.
Kyle Whittingham and the Utah Utes kicked off the list at No. 17, five spots lower than their placement in the AP Poll (No. 12). The Utes earned the nod in the Big 12 Media Preseason Poll as the league’s top team following their move to the Big 12, edging past Kansas State and Oklahoma State for the preseason favorite.
Chris Klieman and the Kansas State Wildcats leaped past Oklahoma State in Kelley Ford’s model, whereas in the AP Poll, the Cowboys were the second-highest-ranked team from the Big 12 Conference. The Wildcats were listed one spot lower than their AP Poll placement at No. 19.
Following the Wildcats were the Oklahoma State Cowboys, who were placed four spots lower than their AP placement. Mike Gundy’s group was ranked No. 17 by the Associated Press and No. 21 by Kelley Ford. The Cowboys have been among the toughest teams to place this offseason in preseason polls.
Lance Leipold and the Kansas Jayhawks earned the final spot inside the Top 25, checking in at No. 25. The Jayhawks were slotted three spaces lower by Kelley Ford, despite many viewing Kansas an a dark-horse contender in Big 12 play.
The fifth and final team to show up on Ford’s list was the Arizona Wildcats, who were the biggest snub of any Big 12 team. Arizona earned a No. 21 rank on the AP Poll, one spot ahead of Kansas, and checked in at No. 28 on Kelley Ford’s list.
While preseason rankings don’t mean much in the grand scheme of things, the five teams listed above will certainly be ones to watch in the Top 25 poll.
