Rant Season Is Here

We’re still just over three weeks away from kickoff, but Big 12 head coaches are already in midseason form.

Rich Rodriguez and Kenny Dillingham delivered some A+ rants today (more on those below), and they’re well worth your time.

I’m becoming increasingly intrigued by what West Virginia might look like under Rodriguez. I still think the roster churn limits their ceiling to a bowl game this season, but the more I see and hear, the more open I am to the idea that he could eventually turn the Mountaineers into contenders again.

As for today’s anonymous player survey result, it’s a fascinating one, and a complete reversal from what players told me last year.

Anonymous Player Survey: Big 12 Coach You’d Most Like to Play For

I asked Big 12 players which coach they’d most want to play for (outside of their own), and while nearly half declined to answer, which I can respect, one coach stood out clearly among the rest.

And the coach that players in the Big 12 would most like to play for is…Coach Prime at Colorado!

Coach Prime – 6
Dave Aranda – 2
Kyle Whittingham – 2
Rich Rodriguez – 1
Sonny Dykes – 1
Kalani Sitake – 1 
Willie Fritz – 1
Brent Brennan – 1

This is an interesting result, considering last year I directly asked players if they would want to play for Coach Prime, and only four said yes. 

Here’s what the players said this year:

“Colorado. Just because Coach Prime is there.”

“Playing for Deion for sure. Being a corner and being able to learn from him would be amazing.” 

“I'd probably go slide out to Deion out there in Colorado.”

“I’ve always wanted to live in Colorado. Colorado would be cool.”

“I love Whittingham. Yeah, I love Whittingham.”

“I'd probably go right down the street. TCU. It’s close to home.” 

“I really like Baylor’s coaches…they're good people over there.” 

“Willie Fritz at Houston. I want the big, big city life.”

What You Need to Know

• Which Big 12 team has the toughest schedule this year? I think there’s a clear top two, but I was surprised who CBS Sports picked at number one. I’m not sure you’ll find a front half and back half of a schedule so drastically different anywhere in the country. 

• President Trump appointed Texas Tech multi-billionaire megabooster Cody Campbell to the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition.

• There’s a big development in the starting quarterback battle at BYU, according to BYU Sports Nation’s Jarom Jordan. 

• West Virginia head coach Rich Rodriguez lit up his team after two days of practice. He threatened to find replacement players in the transfer portal and added a nice societal rant about the current psyche of players. 

• Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham didn’t mince words either when describing the way his team has been practicing. 

• Kansas head coach Lance Leipold has a great idea on how the Jayhawks can team up with in-state rival K-State.

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