Big 12 'Ball: London Calling, Sorsby Soaring

By Simon Carroll

College Football’s most competitive conference gears up for another exciting slate of games in Week 7. Simon Carroll looks at some of the Big 12 talking points ahead of kickoff:

Big 12: Blighty Bound

It was just over a week ago that Kansas Athletics announced that they would be taking the Big 12 international, hosting a conference game against Arizona State at Wembley in London. The ‘Union Jack Classic’ will become the first college football game to be played at the iconic stadium next September, following on from the success of the Aer Lingus College Football Classic in Dublin as well as the NFL international series in both cities.

Under the stewardship of Commissioner Brett Yormark, the Big 12 has taken an ambitious ideology to expanding its reach. We’ve seen it in his aggressive approach to the ESPN TV deal he negotiated in 2022, leapfrogging the Pac-12 in the pecking order and securing the future of the conference. We’ve witnessed the ‘outside the box’ thinking when it comes to conference realignment, expanding to 16 schools that spread across four timezones. And now, with five programs expected to have crossed the pond by this time next season, embracing international markets appears to be the next stage in developing the portfolio.

Jayhawks head coach Lance Leipold confessed on the College Chaps Podcast last year that he was keen to take his team to the UK. And, following the announcement, he was clearly pleased with the outcome:

“I would like to thank the Union Jack Classic, Travis Goff and our administration, the Big 12 Conference and Arizona State Athletics for making this experience happen. It will be an exciting time for our team, KU fans, and football fans across the world as we bring a Big 12 Conference football game to London.”

Since the announcement, tickets have gone on ‘pre-sale’. And despite the game being almost a year away, early uptake looks extremely promising, with almost half the blocks of the interior two tiers already sold out on the Ticketmaster website. If you want to be a part of history, do not delay – let’s show the world that we love college football in the United Kingdom and get your tickets today!

A Weekend Of Reckoning

Back to the present day, and things are beginning to take shape in the Big 12. Much like last year, where Arizona State – picked to prop up the conference – took home the title, we have some surprise contenders making early moves. Cincinnati under Scott Satterfield have thus far defied expectations, their win over Iowa State last weekend a statement from the Bearcats that they are here to compete for a conference title, not a wooden spoon. And BYU, despite the setback of watching starting QB Jay Retzlaff leave under a cloud just before the season started, are sitting pretty with an unbeaten 5-0 record. They are two of nine programs with one or no losses heading into Week 7, once again showing the beautiful unpredictable nature of the Big 12.

Commissioner Yormark ahead of the season expressed a desire to see one school separate themselves from the rest atop the conference. This may seem redundant to the competitive nature of these affiliated schools, but it’s a statement that acknowledges the perverse nature of how the College Football Playoffs defines strength of schedule. If, as has been the case for many a year, the Big 12 is so competitive it delivers a 3-loss conference winner, then it will likely be the only representative in the postseason bracket, as voters assume no team stands out from the crowd. Ideally, a few very strong programs will end conference play with records that rival any in the country.

Texas Tech looks to be the team to beat, the oil money pouring into Lubbock delivering a star studded roster overnight. If the Red Raiders go undefeated, but lose the title game to another high flying school, the Big 12 could deliver multiple playoff teams, a real boon for Yormark & co. And this weekend is where we find out who the real contenders are, with every game sporting at least one team with a record of 4-1 or better.

It’s gut check time, and we’ll know a lot more about who’s got the stomach for a playoff push come Sunday.

Red Raiders Unveil New Look Logo

Texas Tech announced on Monday that they would be rebranding their iconic ‘Double T’ school logo from next season. Opting for a more classic, cleaner look, the bevels and shading have gone, and it looks very similar to the original logo the school adopted back in 1935.

I personally feel it’s a nice move, even if I’m dubious how much work has gone into the ‘transformation’. Someone somewhere is rich thanks to what amounts to five minutes of effort. Nevertheless, TTU embarks on a new era, one filled with NIL money that pours from the oil wells of Northwest Texas.

Director of Athletics Kirby Hocutt was excited for what the refresh means to the program going forward:

“The Double T represents one of the most recognizable logos in all of collegiate athletics and a point of pride for all Red Raiders. As we celebrate Homecoming this weekend and welcome back thousands of alumni to campus, this is the perfect opportunity to unveil our new branding that will resonate with our history and define Texas Tech Athletics for future generations of Red Raiders. This multi-year project will propel our athletics brand further into this new era of college athletics where Texas Tech will continue to lead at a national level.”

Wreck ‘Em!

Coach Prime Undergoes Operation, Will Coach Saturday

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Fresh off telling the Boulder beat writers that he believed his previous troubles with blood clots had returned, Colorado head coach Deion Sanders underwent an operation on his left leg on Tuesday. Coach Prime was true to his word however, returning to practice the following day and confirmed he will be on the sidelines on Saturday when the Buffaloes host the Iowa State Cyclones.

Sanders has battled blood clots and other health issues for some years. He had to amputate two toes and parts of his calf in 2021 when the issue first materialised, had clots removed in 2023, and only this past May had to have his bladder removed after doctors discovered a cancerous tumour. All told, the 2011 Hall of Fame inductee has had sixteen surgeries in the last five years. Toughness was a trait of his playing career and now also his coaching one too with it evident he was in some discomfort following last week’s defeat to TCU.

Struggling at 2-4, the Buffs will be desperate to have their enigmatic leader at the helm in a make or break contest. Colorado has suffered with inconsistent quarterback play, with Sanders rotating Liberty transfer Kaidon Salter, freshman Julian Lewis and holdover QB from the previous regime Ryan Staub and finding no clear starter. 0-3 to start Big 12 play, we wish Coach Prime the best of health and improved fortunes for his program.

Heisman Candidate? Sorsby Leads ‘QB Conference’

Anointed as the ‘Conference of Quarterbacks’ ahead of the season, the Big 12 was lauded for its talent under center. Sam Leavitt, Josh Hoover, Rocco Becht, Sawyer Robertson, Devon Dampier, Jalon Daniels, Behren Morton, Avery Johnson – everywhere you looked in this conference, it seemed they were blessed with a top tier starter at the most important position in the sport.

However, in a league where games are dramatic and routinely decided by three points or less, it was always going to be impossible for ALL these quarterbacks to excel. Some may have been plain overhyped, others suffering from the curse of losing in Dublin. But one signal caller who perhaps didn’t pop up on any preseason watchlist has quietly become one of the most efficient gunslingers in the Big 12…

Somewhat consigned to the scrapheap at Indiana when Curt Cignetti came to town and lured Kurtis Rourke to Bloomington, Brendan Sorsby went to pastures new in Cincinnati. Year 1 with the Bearcats was middling, almost reasonable in an otherwise forgettable season for the program. But Sorsby has found an extra gear in 2025; the Nebraska game in Week 1 was tough, but since then he’s thrown 12 touchdowns with no turnovers, and rushed for another three. To date, Sorsby has 1,548 all-purpose yards and 17 scores this term – his 82 yard touchdown strike to Caleb Goodie to clinch the win against Iowa State last weekend the highlight so far.

There’s a long way to go for both Sorsby and the Bearcats this year. But could it end with a conference title? Playoff appearance? Even a trip to New York? Memories of Max Duggan in 2022 live fresh in Big 12 memories. Watch this space!

Big 12: Week 7 Schedule

Saturday:

Houston (4-1) @ Oklahoma State (1-4)

UCF (3-2) @ Cincinnati (4-1)

Iowa State (5-1) @ Colorado (2-4)

TCU (4-1) @ Kansas State (2-4)

Kansas (4-2) @ Texas Tech (5-0)

BYU (5-0) @ Arizona (4-1)

Arizona State (4-1) @ Utah (4-1)

Bye Week:

Baylor (4-2), West Virginia (2-4)

Mock Draft

SIMON CARROLL

Lead Writer, Head of Content

PREVIOUSLY THE FOUNDER OF NFL DRAFT UK, SIMON HAS BEEN COVERING COLLEGE FOOTBALL AND THE NFL DRAFT SINCE 2009. BASED IN MANCHESTER, SIMON IS ALSO CO-CREATOR & WEEKLY GUEST OF THE COLLAPSING POCKET PODCAST AND COVERS THE JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS FOR SB NATION.

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