No Media Poll? No Problem. Big 12 Coaches Make Their Picks

Although the Big 12 has decided to discontinue the media preseason poll, that doesn’t mean we can’t share our opinions on who will win the conference.

When I heard that, I just thought to myself, “Well, I will make my own damn poll then.” It appears that many others had the same idea. But what about a preseason poll that doesn’t include any media? What about a coaches’ poll?

That’s precisely what On3 did during their time in Frisco when they asked each Big 12 head coach to pick the winner and runner-up in the conference this season. The only rule? They can’t pick their own school.

While many folks had Arizona State winning the conference, it appears that the coaches didn’t see it that way. In fact, the Sun Devils weren’t even picked to make it to Arlington.

Six head coaches picked Kansas State to win the Big 12, while Arizona State finished with the second-most votes to win the championship, with four. Three Big 12 coaches voted for Texas Tech to win the conference, while two voted for TCU. Even Baylor had a first-place vote as well.

With Kansas State leading the way, the only question left was who they would play in Jerry World? Well, the answer may surprise you. It’s actually a rematch for the Wildcats and a rivalry game at that. No, I am not talking about Kansas, I am talking about the Iowa State Cyclones.

What is shocking is that Iowa State didn’t receive a single first-place vote from the coaches. However, they received seven second-place votes, which was five more than any other school. Kansas State, Arizona State, and Texas Tech each received two second-place votes, while TCU, Baylor, and Utah each received one runner-up vote.

Whether you agree with it or not is one thing, but you must admit that it would be pretty cool to see these two schools go at it with a Big 12 title on the line. Farmageddon is not just one of the best rivalries in the Big 12 but one of the best in college football.

They have played 108 times going into this season, making it the longest series that has never been interrupted in FBS. Unfortunately, the Big 12 dropped the ball when they didn’t make Farmageddon a protected rivalry, so eventually, that streak will come to an end.

The good news is that we still have a game between them this year and even one next season in Ames before taking a break in 2027. When I saw that Farmageddon was not just going to kick off the Big 12 season but the college football season, I was excited to say the least.

If I know one thing about these two fan bases it’s that they will show up. I already know they are going to pack Dublin full when they meet on August 23^rd in Ireland. But AT&T Stadium playing for a Big 12 championship? Jerry World would be rocking and I am sure the Big 12 would be perfectly fine with that and so would I.