College football rankings: Big 12 preseason media poll released
Media members have released the annual Big 12 preseason poll and judging by their predictions, we can expect Texas to return to the top of the conference power rankings in 2023 as the Longhorns are earned 41 first-place votes, well more than the 14 received by reigning Big 12 football champion Kansas State.
That's something of an historic occasion as it marks the first time since 2009 that Texas topped the preseason media rankings and emerged as the Big 12 favorite.
This is the final season that Texas will play football as a member of the Big 12 Conference, as it and rival Oklahoma announced they will both leave for the SEC in time for the 2024 college football season.
Related: How Texas, Oklahoma would have voted in SEC football schedule debate
Four new schools enter the Big 12 this season as members after the conference underwent expansion to counter losing the Longhorns and Sooners, as BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF all moved over to the league, effective July 1.
Big 12 football preseason media rankings
- Texas (886 votes, 41 first-place votes)
- Kansas State (858, 14)
- Oklahoma (758, 4)
- Texas Tech (729, 4)
- TCU (727, 3)
- Baylor (572)
- Oklahoma State (470, 1)
- UCF (463)
- Kansas (461)
- Iowa State (334)
- BYU (318)
- Houston (215)
- Cincinnati (202)
- West Virginia (129)
This year's Big 12 Championship Game will take place on Dec. 2 in Arlington, Texas, and will put the league's two best teams on the field, according to conference records.
Kansas State surprised the world last season by winning the Big 12 championship over favored TCU, defeating the then-unbeaten Horned Frogs, 31-28, to win the school's first outright league crown since 2003.
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