Big 12 Expansion: How do the latest Conference Realignment rumors affect Utah Football?

all this talk about the Big 12 moving East with ACC schools are we already neglecting the guys that we just added out west this is locked on Big 12 you are locked on UT your daily podcast on the Utah Utes part of the locked on podcast Network your team every day happy college football week everybody I'm Drake toll from locked on big well that's JT wher Sil locked on Utes thank you for making locked on Big 12 and locked on Utes your first listen every single day this is the number one big 12 podcast in the country the number one Utah Utes podcast in the nation as well today we talk Big 12 neglecting its new Westward Expansion squads to move out east we'll also get into Utah having the easiest football schedule literally possibly ever known to man in the power four definitely the power four because it's brand new and Pack 12 was soft yeah Utah won the Pack 12 a couple times last three years but was that conference actually as soft as so many people across the country say it is if you hit subscribe by the way uh we get to keep our jobs and that would be very cool JT big topic of conversation since Utah got here or since at least the newsbroke a year ago has been okay what what does the Big 12 do next what what else is there does it feel like Utah Arizona I'm gonna let you speak for that entire qu even BYU I'll let you speak for them which is shocking I know do it feel like those teams out west are being overlooked already for shinier newer pieces out east I don't think so I think they're incred I I feel like look in the today's world of college football from a big 12 perspective right if you're the conference it's about what else can we add how else can we grow how else can we expand so I don't feel like the the Big 12 is is neglecting those teams to because the truth is the gap between the Big 10 the SEC and then the Big 12 is is massive so you have to continue to try to look and see okay who can you add who can you bring in because adding a team like a Utah a Colorado to me Arizona all those are still those are Big Brand boosters to your conference because what are those teams teams that I know I said Colorado too but Colorado carries a lot of excitement but like Utah and Arizona right like they should carry high ranking numbers with them all season long in terms of I think Utah's a top 15 team I actually even think top 10 Arizona I think is a chance to be a top 20 for should be a top 25 team for most of the year so I think that adds a lot of value but it's still not enough to match what the big dogs are doing in the Big 10 the SEC I'm not saying all the schools they could add like a Clemson and a Florida state would be enough to obviously compete exactly with them but it's a step in the right direction I think it's just the world we live in a college football if you're not trying to stay relevant grow and expand that's that that's what it's about in today's world and I got no issue with the big 12 continuing to try to add and up their power in in terms of the amount of powerful Brands they can bring in because when the Big 12 gets better Utah gets better because iron sharpens iron those best schools would sharpen a Utah team that's been inside the top 15 the last few years so I like that the Big 12 is staying aggressive to expand and I'm just excited for this season like you said Drake I mean we are a week away get football back and if anything else we're a week and a half away from Utah getting out there so I'm fired up my friend I am uh I'm very excited to get to the point where hey you know we've kind of wrapped up the the offseason expansion long-term talk we get into the actual football talk I'm so so excited to talk real actual football very soon uh but but also tying up a bow on what all has happened this offseason from Clemson and Florida State the five lawsuits with them and the ACC Florida attorney general which has actually dropped their lawsuit now and the chaos there which has turned most of our attention out east and made me think you know if you're a Utah if you're a BYU in Arizona you're a Colorado Arizona state do you want this conference to try to pick up a Washington state an Oregon State a Boise State a UNLV anybody out west before you look at uh NC State I mean personally I'd rather have NC State I just think they're a better football program right now now Oregon state was up there Washington state was up there but they took a step back because they were left behind already look maybe one of Oregon State or Washington state will be that group of five team that ends up getting in this year but they're not going to make any major noise or do anything crazy in the playoff right so I I just think at the end of the day I'd much rather have an state who's a consistent top 25 team like that too and I'm not saying if you saw if the Big 12 added Oregon State and Washington State we've talked about this before I would be happy for those Brands I just don't think that moves the national needle much in terms of man the Big 12 is really leveling up their play they really closed the Gap because to me when you add a Clemson a Florida State like those are Next Level Brands NC State I think is the next caliber below that and because Oregon State and Washington have now taken a step back I just don't I just don't think they bring the same level of excitement so I don't like that for their fan bases I wish that never happened to them and there's intriguing Brands like they could eventually rise up and be quality Brands I'm not saying that but I'd rather have the team that's already there and that's NC State to me they're already a strong team they should be good in the ACC once again this year versus we just don't know with Oregon State and Washington State how that's going to go and yes Oregon State's already restarting with a new coach I know Washington State still has their guy but I how long is he even going to be there right and we saw last year yeah they started out the season really hot and then the wheels completely fell off so how even if they got there just how would they be it's the unknown commodity and just when you're trying to become more popular raise the level of your conference how you do that is you add proven Brands and NC State is obviously a more proven brand right now than Oregon State and Washington State are so that's just how I feel on that I'd be happy if the Big 12 added them Oregon State and Washington state but I don't get the sense that many people would care and this maybe goes into that pack 12 bias we can talk about in a little bit here but expansion can be a good thing sometimes but if you're expanding just for the sake of expanding I don't know if that's necessarily always the best thing but NC State to me I I would be excited about that not just because I'm in North Carolina now coming up uh the Big 12 did a really bad thing this is locked on Big 12 part of the locked on podcast Network your team every day Today's Show is 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code locked on MLB iata today JT Wester still have locked on Utes let's start here there has been a terrible awful disservice that the Big 12 commissioner has brought down on every single School in the conference not named Utah and that disservice is the 2024 Utah football schedule we talked about this as soon as it came out you're were the first host I I talked to about this because it was so blatantly insane and today it feels maybe even more insane than it did then just the the ease of what Utah gets and before we even dive deeply into every matchup or some of these matchups what is your reaction not not the reaction when it came out four or five months ago but your reaction as of late August going into football season with the shake that Utah got from Brett ymark and comp I'm incredibly excited because I think Utah has a schedule that sets them up very nicely to make a run not just at the Big 12 title but OB if you win the conference then you get to go on and compete for a national championship in the college football playoff which Utah has never gotten to make the playoff before this schedule absolutely sets up for Utah to do it they're not the only one in this conference with an easy schedule I will say I think Kansas and Kansas State when you look at when the schedule's all came out 247 Sports put out a list of the top five easiest schedules Utah Kansas and Kansas State were all listed on there big reason for that they don't have like Utah doesn't see Kansas Kansas State and vice versa Kansas and Kansas State don't have to play against Utah too so yes this schedule is is very kind to youah I think there's no way around it right I mean their toughest Road game is by far at Oklahoma State their second toughest Road game in my opinion right now is probably at UCF but they're still there's a lot of new parts with the Knights right like I like KJ Jefferson he's not coming off the greatest season like how's How's that gonna go transfer quarterbacks don't always work out as much as we all get fired up about our addition and what they were able to do like so we'll see there and there's a lot of new pieces on that defense as well so how is that going to gel like there's but to me there's just not really a outside of the game in Still Water there's not a super tough road game on Utah schedule so they get a massive favor there they also catch a lot of the teams in the conference that I'm not trying to dump on BYU BYU is not projected to be great this year like so that's Houston is not projected to be great this year too right Utah gets Baylor at home this year even though I guess that's a non-conference game so my bad for bringing that one up but it's still weird to think that's a nonconference game um but there's just a number of games on this schedule where you're look and you're like okay like Utah gets to Arizona State this year right the toughest stretch of their season by far to me is when they play Oklahoma State early then the very next week you play Arizona I think faid is a top 10 quarterback he has he has a chance to be in New York for the Heisman for me so that's not going to be an easy game too but most of the toughest games on Utah schedule and Iowa State right Iowa state is that's I don't I wouldn't want to go up and have to take on the Cyclones but they're coming to us and I that's it's very hard to win inside Ryle stadium so that's another game where favors Utah this schedule was a nice gift for Utah from the pig 12 I'm not sure how it worked out like all the things that factored into it but it definitely is a schedule that sets Utah up for success and it reminds me a lot of a schedule they've had in the past in which they nearly made the college football playoff you know we talk a lot about parody in the Big 12 and how week in and week out you're gonna get a matchup that could sneak up on you and usually it's because you go from playing Oklahoma State one week to Cincinnati the next and then right back to a road game against Kansas State you think well well shoot you know this every other week we get a real Gauntlet of G but Utah has a stretch here against schools that not only missed a bowl game last year but frankly weren't very good at all Arizona State TCU Houston BYU Colorado in consecutive weeks that's the easiest stretch in the Big 12 no doubt and you have the stretch against Southern Utah home game against Baylor at Utah State those three games should all be automatic wins for Utah and again you mentioned the the other the outliers the games that might be tightly contested where I'll start when it comes to those those tight games the arizonas the Iowa States we mentioned does Utah ever lose at home is there any way Utah loses at home this season there's a way because if you look at what happened last year who' they lose to at home they lost to bonix as Oregon Oregon obviously superior team last year's Oregon team the one I expect this year's Arizona team to do but when Utah also almost lost at home back in 2022 it was with an unreal performance from Caleb Williams no faita is not Caleb Williams but he is one of the best quarterbacks in college football he is capable of going off that to me is the most likely Utah home loss I think Roco Beck's a good quarterback too so you look at that one late in the season another one where I see a chance at it but I mean just to answer the question like no this is a Utah team that has not has only lost one true home game since 2018 that was the one I mentioned to last year's Oregon team in a game in which I I think it's fair to mention cam Rising didn't play it so they also didn't have their starting quarterback against a top five team in the country at the time because that team I think that was before they' lost to Washington but either way a really good team so I Utah should not lose at home they have a great home field advantage it's tough to play in that altitude you see teams will jump out on a lead on Utah and then they'll often fall behind because it's just tough to keep up that same level of consistency when you get fatigued you make mistakes I mean look at the way the last year's Florida team and I know the swamp is a is a much different environment but that first game for Florida I mean it was it was brutal out there so udah is very good at home they don't have a tough home schedule I would be surprised if they lost a home game this far would you say the tougher stretch is the Oklahoma State and Arizona two you know those two games back toback or Iowa State and then on the road against UCF keeping in mind that one of those is pretty early in the season and the other are the last two games yeah you're ABS yeah that's where it's it's nice that you don't have you mentioned earlier that stretch where you like some teams will play Kansas State Oklahoma State and someone else which do you think they're tough which one's tougher based on where they f at least which of those stretches is and I say stretch I mean it's two games is it tougher to go Oklahoma State Arizona back toback or is it tougher to go Iowa State UCF back to back to me it's Oklahoma State and Arizona because I just think those are better teams I just don't look like by the end of the season could Iowa State and UCF surprise us for sure I I don't know if I see both of them surprising us this year because that's this is just the nature of the Big 12 right we like one team's gonna have a good year not every team can can be have a good year so I think one of those two teams will click one of them will be very disappointing in that stretch to so I just think earlier in the season those Oklahoma State and Arizona both ranked inside the top 25 Iowa State UCF were not and I think for a reason too so I do think that Oklahoma State and that Arizona game are the toughest stretch there too I will give a little bit of I just want to say this for the end of the season stretch I do think you can rope in that Colorado game I know most people would look and be like there's no way that's crazy but I'm a big fan of matchups and I think this Utah secondary should be good this year but I think shador Sanders is maybe the best quarterback in the country so if he's having himself a game if that offensive line is even improved that game is in Boulder I could see that being coach Prime's big win this year with chador Sanders going off and when Utah's lost games on the cam Rising era it's been a great quarterbacks you look at what an or really I said really good quarterbacks right mentioned bonick Anthony Richardson's gotten his number two Dorian Thompson Robinson at UCLA that was another really good college quarterback so these are guys like it usually this Utah team doesn't go on the road and just lose to complete no names unless it's like at Oregon State but that was another where place where they just don't lose at home very often to me too so I think that Colorado game is another sneaky one but even with that game roped in there I just expect this Utah team to be rolling and there's so many better they're better in all the other phases that that quarterback if if shador is having a game in the secondary I think for Utah's still playing well shouldn't be a massive issue to me but definitely want to keep your eye on but answer your original question again to me Oklahoma State and Arizona are the two best teams Utah plays on their schedule they are in back to back weeks that is this that is the stretch that little two game stand that has me most concerned coming up the Pack 12 sucked right this lockon big 12 part of the lockdown podcast Network your team every day Today's Show is brought to you by FanDuel sometimes by a miracle it's far above my control the Texas Rangers will win a baseball game and it makes me happy when that happens I don't if you're listening from Utah what do you who do you root for you don't to be a Rockies fan you know up with californ teams out there you got the bees in Salt Lake City might as well root for the Rangers and sometimes they win right now at FanDuel they have something a little different for you through September 22nd all FanDuel customers can bet $5 and get a three- week free- trial of an NFL Sunday Ticket from YouTube and YouTube TV that's right with a YouTube TV Bas plan you'll be able to watch every regular season Sunday afternoon at a market game all you need is a Google account in a current form of payment and you can cancel any time you've heard us talk a lot about FanDuel America's number one sports book and right now you get that kind of offer at fanduel.com lockon to download America's number one Sportsbook fanduel.com locked on visit it today JT whester Sil locked on Utes we talk a lot about how Utah has won two pack 12 championships in the last three years we also talk a lot about whether or not the Pack 12 was good at football they're National pundits and Big 12 homers that would say the Pack 12 just wasn't as good as the ACC the Big 12 the Big 10 the SEC if the statement is Utah will not win the Big 12 because it's a step up in football how do Utah fans react I think it's a ridiculous statement frankly because when you look at what this Utah team has done they've beaten some of the best teams in the country with Cam rising at quarterback because look we can talk about Pack 12 Big 12 whatever it is all I know is when Utah beat Oregon back in 2021 where was that ducks team ranked inside the top and then when they beat him the first time they tumbled back to 10 or in the top 10 Utah beat him there it was the same thing when they played USC back in 2022 both those times Utah beat the Trojans they were ranked inside the top 10 if Oregon breaks through that first year and they win the Pack 12 I don't think people are talking about uh the pack 12's down because who had just won Oregon one of the biggest brands if USC had beaten Utah the second time when they played in 22 and they win the Pack 12 well then it's like well that's Caleb Williams this this is USC football back under Lincoln Riley's had a lot of success then I don't think we're we're saying the same thing too and I'll also add this because everyone talks about oh the Pack 12 soft all the things of that why was Utah able to be successful versus those finesse teams not Oregon as much but more so USC because they played a physical brand of football I mean this is a Utah team where what's the ultimate Mark of like physicality too and like how it's going to translate is how are these guys project to the NFL right like are you just taking advantage of weaker competition and your guys aren't as good or do NFL teams see the value in them well just last year Utah had a defensive end drafted in the third round and they had an offensive lineman drafted in the fourth round year before that same thing with an offensive lineman too right so this is a Utah team and there's tons of Utah talent in the NFL like all around on this team too so this isn't just a oh Utah is just beating up on weak competition and then their guys don't go on to do anything Utah has constantly guys that are going on to the NFL producing at the next level and also Utah had a top five run defense last year so they are physical they've been able to take advantage and do a good job week in and week out because they just been better than who they've been playing and yes the Big 12 might be there maybe a couple better like rushing offenses sure this Utah defensive line is incredibly deep these are linebackers we're going to be playing in the NFL Utah's ready for the challenge and the Pack 12 was still a physical conference to if you want to say it was maybe a little less physical because of the quarterback play sure but this a Utah team with their run defense with the way their offensive line their identity is a established they are not soft they are not a finessed team they're ready for the challenge in this league and obviously a lot of people think so too because pretty much every ranking I see in the preseason thinks this Utah team is going to win the Big 12 so therefore I'm not the only one who thinks they're more than up to the task physically Roco Beck Garrett green uh KJ Jefferson are good quarterbacks good they are not shadur Sanders they are not in the caliber of a Jaylen Daniels they're not at the at a Noah faf level and and that's that's the depth of the Big 12 of the quarterback position this year there are eight guys nine guys like dcoin Finn M Player of the Year who plays for Baylor now could be a game-changing guy that wins them five six games and sneaks up on a couple of teams is youah ready for that level of depth at the quarterback position that the Big 12 is going to offer you and granted a couple of those names are guys that are coming over from the Pack 12 ABS they're are definitely ready I mean just last year Utah had to take on Caleb Williams shador Sanders you already mentioned B Nicks and Michael penck so and especially Nicks pennx like literally all those guys like where did Nicks go 12th or whatever like all top 15 picks the three guys I mentioned and then shador will be one this year too I think shador is the best and faf is the other one right and yeah faf ended up and he beat Utah like credit to him like that too but Utah's used to facing guys like that in Utah they had so many injuries and they game even particular like they had injuries last year and then look at the Arizona game you literally see their three best defenders were outout Arizona still probably beats Utah that game if those Defenders play but like to act like Utah can't hang with and they won't be fine and also like the difference in being home in a way we see it every year in college football where Utah gets that Arizona team at home and that Arizona team what are they going to do take a step back because they don't have all the talent that they had last year with a lot of those guys either leaving for the NFL and then the rest of them ended up transferring out too so this is a h team that's used to facing off against some of the best quarterbacks in college football they are ready for the challenge that comes in the Big 12 and as I mentioned too the only game I look at where I'm like o this is going to be tough for Utah in terms of that quarterback matchup to me is the shador Sanders one because I think he's the best quarterback they're going to play on their schedule that's a road game too obviously Oklahoma state is good I don't Alan Bowman isn't anywhere near the caliber of the quarterbacks that we've discussed so far in my opinion so yes Roco Beck solid KJ Jefferson too but in Beck's case Utah gets him at home and in Jefferson's case I I think this Utah team is ready to take on a quarterback of his talents because simply but they've just played better quarterbacks several times these guys and I didn't mention Anthony Richardson this defense took on Anthony Richardson a few years ago too now he beat up on him but also that was I think a lot had to do with the Florida climate and Utah not being ready for that because that was Utah's worst tackling performance I've ever seen so it's the worst tackling performance I'd ever seen that makes it an outlier what's the common trait in that well it was in Florida and those guys are not used to playing in Florida just like last year's Florida team comes out to Salt Lake City and they look abysmal when Utah travels out to Florida this year that will be all the way in late November where the humidity like that will not be as much of a factor and no offense KJ Jefferson he's not Anthony Richardson so I think Utah's more than ready for the quarterbacks they're going to be facing off against this fall if someone points last year at the Northwestern game and says huh yeah we're all picking Utah number one of the conference they lost to Northwestern in a bowl game who went through just a wild college football season themselves and Utah put up seven points what's the rebuttal to that bu I just don't care about bull games that's the thing I'm not about like me my perspective I'm talking about when we are talking about a successful brand in the sport right now I think bu success does not matter at all because of who opts out because of who leaves because of everything that happened Utah's top wide receiver didn't play in that game Utah had two offensive lineman if I'm correct not playing that game too they had both of their NFL safeties who were drafted inside the top five rounds to part for the draft so literally Utah for having good players being good defensively finishing the regular season 8 and four despite all those injuries had several guys missed the bll game too even in an already injury riddled season I just don't think you can look at a bll game as an indicator for Success because also if we look at that bowl game like like we're doing right now Utah's gonna have a new quarterback in Utah will have I mean their top three pass catchers will probably be entirely different and they're also proven Commodities right Damen Alford averaged 19 yards a catch last year over 600 yards at Syracuse Dorian singer over a, yard receiver Brant keithy said two separate seasons over 600 yards receiving as well so all those guys completely different Makai Bernard came back in the blll game that was his first game back coming off an injury that he' missed pretty much the entire season so now he's going to be back in fresh for this year you also look at that offensive line that will be revamped instead of having makeshift guys who haven't started all season than getting thrown out there because you have a couple other dudes who opted out and you're trying to patch it together too and the Utah defense same thing where you had a lot of those guys getting their first opportunity and start we're not talking about is this Utah defense the very first game going to look better than Northwestern I mean I think they'll look pretty good because they're going against Southern Utah but this is a group that is settled in Utah has two pack 12 championships in the last few seasons Utah even last year in injury riddled season went eight and4 because that is the version of Utah that we've seen when their guys are playing in the regular season I just don't think we can take bowl game success into consideration too much especially for a team like Utah because it's not the same team that was there in the regular season when you look at the losses that are there I'm not saying that bull games don't completely matter but I think when you're projecting Utah's success like and being like well they lost in the Bull game well if you look at how different the roster is going to be that to me is just not a good indicator and once again Utah's picked to win the Big 12 so that bull lost to Northwestern and Las Vegas obviously it obviously doesn't haunt them too much JT wher so lucked on Utes well done always fun appreciate anybody who's wondering that out there about the bowl game they're not wondering anymore you told you you you ate no crumbs as the kid say some demons to exercise so I appreciate you let me get those get those out late tonight if you are a locked on Big 12 listener follow JT wiers Hill on social media and follow And subscribe to lockon Utes and thank you for making these two shows your first Liston every single day come back tomorrow even more football in the Big 12 preview is out as well as we bring you the around the conference Around the Horn JT you weren't there but I represented Utah and I represented them well Around the Horn across the Big 12 preview for 2024 this has been it always will be locked on thanks for making it first listen every single day Utes and do Grande