PETE: Iowa State can be what, heading to West Virginia?

Let’s reset.

Let’s put 16 paper scraps into a large hat. Let’s shake the dickens out of it. Let’s find someone to, one by one, be the picker. And no, I’m not doing this as a tie-breaker for anything. We could see plenty of that at college football’s end.

This exercise of pinch and blindly grab pieces of paper is about re-visiting Big 12 Conference predictions, now that non-conference schedules are finished or finishing up on Saturday. Iowa State’s home game against Arkansas State comes to mind.

First, however, let’s look back at the media’s and Si.com’s pre-season selections. No mocking intended, just recalling them to refresh everyone what alleged experts were thinking long before fall camp started:

SI.com: Utah, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Kansas, Arizona, West Virginia, Iowa State, TCU, Texas Tech, UCF, Colorado, Baylor, BYU, Cincinnati, Arizona State, Houston.

Media: Utah, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Kansas, Arizona, Iowa State, West Virginia, UCF, Texas Tech, TCU, Colorado, Baylor, BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, Arizona State.

And now, my revised picks – since we know a lot more now about the Big 12, than we knew last July.

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THE TOP FOUR

Kansas State:Chris Klieman’s team gets a break by not facing Utah. Last Friday’s victory at home against Arizona was impressive. Quarterback Avery Johnson is the real deal.

Iowa State: Win at West Virginia on Oct. 12 in Morgantown, and Matt Campbell’s team could be unbeaten, maybe 8-0, when starting a late-season gauntlet that includes Kansas (at Arrowhead), and at home against Kansas State.

Utah: If talented QB Cam Rising returns from an injury, as expected, then the Utes will be a major factor. Games at Oklahoma State and at Arizona State are on the schedule. They miss Kansas State, which also is significant.

Oklahoma State: Find a defense to support offensive stars QB Alan Bowman, running back Ollie Gordon, and receiver De’Zhaun Stribling, and Mike Gundy’s team is a legit Big 12 title-game contender.

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THE SECOND FOUR

West Virginia can be a sleeper among this group, however I feel the Mountaineers lack consistency to be a Big 12 Top Four factor. Colorado could be the buy of this group. The Buffs’ two-way Travis Hunter is a legit Heisman Trophy candidate. Arizona QB Noah Fifita hasn’t exactly been impressive during three games. The Cats, however, have a favorable Big 12 schedule that does not include Iowa State, neither Kansas team, or Oklahoma State.I thought Kansas was over-picked to start the season. That thought hasn’t changed, especially after Friday’s home loss against UNLV.

Kansas, West Virginia, Colorado, and Arizona

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THE FINAL EIGHT

These teams have zero chance of reaching the Top Four. If someone was to emerge, it’d most likely be among such conference legacy teams TCU, Baylor, or Texas Tech. That’d be a reach, though. A long reach.After Arizona State went 3-9 in 2023 and 2022, its current 3-0 looks decent – but not decent enough to push the Sun Devils into the upper division.

TCU, BYU, Baylor, UCF, Arizona State, Texas Tech, Cincinnati, and Houston

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FROM THE RED ZONE

** First-down: Iowa State moving up a spot, to 20th in the AP poll, is significant, in this day of the 12-team College Football Playoffs. Somehow maneuver to the Top 15 or so, and we’re really talkin’.

** Second down: The Cyclones’ Saturday opponent, that’d be Arkansas State, dropped to 2-1 after last Saturday’s 28-18 loss at Michigan. The Red Wolves’ Butch Jones coached Tennessee between 2013-17. Don’t sleep on this opponent.

** Third down: I hear more Iowa fans complaining about Troy scoring 21 points last Saturday, than about the Hawkeyes’ offense ironically picking up the slack for off-days by the defense and special teams. Really?

** Fourth down: Former Iowa State QB Hunter Dekkers, banned by the NCAA for betting on Cyclone games, is having a great first season at Iowa Western Community College. In three games, the former West Sioux of Hawarden star leads national JC quarterbacks with 1,086 passing yards, and with a 362.0-yard per game average. His 10 touchdown passes are second nationally.

(Randy Peterson can be reached at randypete4846@gmail.com or at any Okoboji-area beverage/food establishment between the hours of open and close)