In a recent collaboration between According to Brad Crawford of 247Sports and Jerry Palm of CBS Sports, seven teams in the Big 12 Conference are in danger of losing bowl eligibility for 2024.
28 teams from various power conference countries would likely miss bowl eligibility on the list, seven of which belong to the Big 12 Conference.
Hurricanes in the state of Iowa
“Missing a bowl game for the second time in three years would be a huge disappointment for Iowa State, which returned to the postseason with seven wins last fall,” wrote 247Sports’ Carter Bahns. “Matt Campbell brought back nearly every single starter from that roster, including quarterback Rocco Becht, who should be a more experienced weapon in the top half of the Big 12 playmakers in 2024. Despite all the continuity, the Cyclones missed out on a bowl berth in 247Sports’ projections amid a year of neck-and-neck competition in an extremely competitive Big 12.”
BAYLOR BEARS
“This has all the makings of a pivotal year for Dave Aranda, who has yet to deliver consistent results in his debut as head coach,” Bahns said. “Since his great 12-win season, Aranda has had two losing seasons in a row and is coming off a miserable three-win year. New offensive coordinator Jake Spavital and transfer quarterback Dequan Finn could breathe new life into the group, but it’s hard to say if the Bears have made enough significant improvements to exceed their projected win total and return to the postseason.”
Buffalo from Colorado
“Colorado’s commitment to the transfer portal has inspired varying degrees of confidence in the Buffaloes in the second year of the Deion Sanders era,” Bahns said. “While some view this program as a Big 12 championship contender, others point out that the rug could potentially be pulled out from under a team with a unique culture. 247Sports and CBS Sports both project the Buffaloes will miss a bowl game for the second time in as many years under Coach Prime, but it could be a much closer call in 2024 than last season with the reported improvements to the offensive and defensive lines.”
Arizona State, BYU, Cincinnati and Houston were the final four teams not eligible for bowl games, but the group did not receive a written statement justifying their selection. Five of the seven teams expected to not play in a bowl game, including Colorado, Arizona State, BYU and Houston, joined the league in the last two seasons.
Iowa State and Baylor were the two members outside the bracket that were not expected to be bowl eligible. While Baylor still has plenty of work to do in the fall, Iowa State has been building some buzz as a contender for the Big 12 title.
Regardless, every team on the list will have an opportunity to prove the national media wrong when the 2024 college football season begins in less than two weeks.
