On social media, the chatter right now surrounding the Big 12 Conference, among other leagues, is mainly geared toward conference realignment, with uncertainty about the future surrounding college football.
In terms of the immediate future, though, the Big 12 has one answer: who is favored to win the conference during the 2022 season.
The Big 12 released its football media preseason poll on Thursday, and it’s the defending champion Baylor Bears who will be favored in 2022.
The Bears garnered 365 total votes and 17 first-place votes, edging out second-place Oklahoma (354, 12) and Oklahoma State (342, 9).
It’s the final season before four teams — BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF — join the Big 12 in 2023. Oklahoma and Texas, which was fourth in the preseason poll, are leaving the Big 12 for the SEC, with the departure expected to happen in 2025.
BYU, which lost to Baylor last season in Waco, Texas, will host the Bears on Sept. 10 at LaVell Edwards Stadium.
The Big 12 will hold its media days event next week, on Wednesday and Thursday. Incoming commissioner Brett Yormark, who replaces Bob Bowlsby, will address the media on Wednesday at 7:30 a.m. MDT.
2022 Big 12 football media preseason poll
1. Baylor (17), 365.
2. Oklahoma (12), 354.
3. Oklahoma State (9), 342.
4. Texas (2), 289.
5. Kansas State, 261.
6. Iowa State (1), 180.
7. TCU, 149.
8. West Virginia, 147.
9. Texas Tech, 119.
10. Kansas, 48.
Note: First-place votes in parenthesis.