Why Week 2 Showdown May Define Wildcats Season

How NIL has been operating in today’s college landscape, it just takes one donor to change a program. Outside of the past two seasons, Texas Tech has not been relevant in the conference since the 2000s. The program gets a massive NIL package and immediately wins a Big 12 championship.

The unpredictability is what makes this conference so fun. No matter what happens through the offseason, and where teams are supposed to finish, something always goes south, and not the way you thought it was going to.

With that said, Arizona has a prime opportunity to capture its first Big 12 championship and first conference title since 1993, when the program was declared co-champions of the PAC-10. A Week 2 showdown in the upcoming season will be a key indicator of whether the Wildcats will have enough in the tank to win the conference.

Arizona vs. BYU Is Must Watch

The Wildcats will travel to Provo, Utah, in Week 2 to face off against Brigham Young. Arizona will kick off conference play early in the season, which has its pros and cons.

Last season, these two teams faced off in a double-overtime battle in Tucson, with the Cougars taking home the win. BYU finished 12-2 last season and reached the Big 12 title game. The Cougars’ two losses both came at the hands of the Red Raiders.

The Cougars and Wildcats are regarded as the best teams in the conference next season, outside of Texas Tech. A win over the Cougars early in the season can jump-start the program and be a driving force for the rest of the season.

The Wildcats play Utah, the Cougars, and the Red Raiders next season. Those three teams rounded out the top three in the Big 12 last season. The Wildcats will have little room for error next season if they want to make a legitimate conference title push. Arizona traveling to Provo and defeating the Cougars, in what will be a hostile atmosphere, may lead to something special throughout the season.