Just when it seemed like we might actually get to the season without another round of realignment chatter, Maryland’s athletic director cracked the door open again.

In a recent radio interview, Jim Smith said the Big Ten would expand by two teams by 2030. That prompted On3’s Brett McMurphy and Andy Staples to toss out two Big 12 schools as potential candidates.

A McMurphy source mentioned Utah, pointing to a growing market where the Big Ten doesn’t yet have a presence. The Utes also meet the academic requirements as AAU members, which are table stakes for Big Ten entry.

On the field, Utah’s case is strong. They’ve been one of the most consistently successful programs in the country over the past two decades, with nine double-digit win seasons and four New Year’s Six–equivalent bowl trips. 

Love them or hate them, it makes sense: Salt Lake City is expanding, Utah has a proven brand, and the Big Ten loves touting its academic chops.

I’d view the Utes as more realistic candidates in a potential 24-team Big Ten rather than the 20-team league Smith floated, but crazier things have happened. Either way, it puts added pressure on the looming transition from Kyle Whittingham to head-coach-in-waiting Morgan Scalley to go smoothly.

Staples raised Kansas as another option, citing the powerhouse basketball program, an improving football program, AAU status, and that eye-popping $300 million gift from alum David Booth. Basketball is gaining weight in realignment discussions, and the Jayhawks are now positioned to spend with just about anyone in the league.

Even if it remains a long shot for KU to break into the Power Two, athletic director Travis Goff has done everything possible to put Kansas in the best position if the opportunity presents itself.

For now, I still think it’s unlikely either Utah or Kansas gets the invite. But it’s one more storyline worth keeping an eye on as realignment continues to swirl.

For a more detailed breakdown of KU and Utah’s chances, check out my latest YouTube livestream.

Week One Primer

I’ll be previewing games every week based on a scale of one to five Yormarks. Five Yormarks is the most entertaining and enticing game possible, while one Yormark is a snooze-fest. 

Here’s your week six primer! All times listed are Central Time (CST)

5 Yormarks

Auburn (0-0) at Baylor (0-0) – 7:00 Friday on Fox
Line: Auburn -2.5

This is the Big 12’s biggest week one game. The league doesn’t get many shots at the SEC, especially at home. 

Baylor gets to host a big-name SEC brand that is very beatable and is breaking in a new quarterback. The Bears need to take advantage. 

While Auburn hasn’t won more than six games in a season since before the pandemic, it still has one of the 15 most talented rosters in college football, according to the 247 talent composite. 

The Tigers have a stout offensive line and revamped an already solid receiving corps with highly-touted transfers Eric Singleton Jr. (Georgia Tech) and Horatio Fields (Wake Forest). Their defense returns plenty from the front and back end of a unit that was top 30 in points allowed in 2024. 

The Bears have the potential to be one of the nation’s best offenses and should have a sizeable edge at quarterback with Sawyer Robertson. If the defense can claw its way to average, Baylor will contend for a Big 12 title. 

The question in this one becomes: Is homefield advantage and an electric offense enough for Baylor to overcome an overall talent disadvantage? Ultimately, I don’t trust that former Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold will have his issues fixed in time to pull this one out on the road for the Tigers.

4 Yormarks

Georgia Tech (0-0) at Colorado (0-0) – 7:00 Friday ESPN
Line: Georgia Tech -4.5

Deion Sanders is still the coach, but in many ways, it’s a new era in Boulder. 

Stars Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter are gone, and it’s time for Coach Prime to prove that his program is more than just two phenoms. 

Liberty transfer Kaidon Salter will get the first crack at replacing Shedeur Sanders at quarterback for the Buffs. He piled up big numbers with the Flames and led them to a Fiesta Bowl in 2023. 

"The kid has a ton of experience, dual threat, can throw the heck out of the ball as well," Deion Sanders told ESPN. "He's the guy. He's the guy at this point."

The Buffaloes have once again rebuilt the offensive line that has been a sore spot during Sanders’ two seasons in Boulder, and the defense took major strides last year under defensive coordinator Robert Livingston. There are more former five-star players (3) on this roster than any in the Big 12. 

This won’t be an easy first test. Georgia Tech is an ascending program that received multiple first-place votes in this year’s preseason ACC poll. Head coach Brent Key turned heads with a 7-5 regular season, capped by a wild eight-overtime loss at Georgia. 

Utah at UCLA – 10:00 PM Saturday Fox
Line: Utah -5.5

It’s time for Utah to reclaim its status as one of the most reliable programs in college football. 

The Utes won 9+ games seven times in the ten years before a pair of disappointing, injury-plagued seasons in 2023 and 2024. Does head coach Kyle Whittingham have one last push of excellence before he hands the reins of the program over to head-coach-in-waiting Morgan Scalley? 

All eyes are on New Mexico transfer quarterback Devon Dampier, who has injected new life into the Utes' offense. Whittingham brought both Dampier and his offensive coordinator, Jason Beck, to Salt Lake City to repair a broken unit. 

The quarterback on the other sideline has prompted plenty of discussion as well. Tennessee transfer Nico Iamaleava will lead the Bruins' offense, which has added a ton of portal help at receiver and on the offensive line. There have also been wholesale staff changes at UCLA entering year two of the DeShaun Foster era. 

The Big 12 really needs Utah to get it done against its former Pac-12 conference rival to score a head-to-head win against the Big Ten. 

Nebraska (0-0) v. Cincinnati (0-0) – 8:00 PM Thursday ESPN
Line: Nebraska -6.5

Look at almost any hot seat list for college football coaches in 2025, and you’ll find Cincinnati head coach Scott Satterfield. 

The Bearcats have only won eight combined games the last two seasons after winning 9+ every season the previous five years. This is a proud program that expects more. 

Quarterback Brendan Sorsby and defensive tackle Dante Corleone are a nice start to the roster, but Cincinnati had to replace its top three receivers, top running back, and almost the entire secondary. 

Optimism is sky-high for a Nebraska program that finally broke the nation’s longest power four bowl-less streak last season. Five-star quarterback Dylan Raiola is back for a second season, and it’s year three of the Matt Rhule era. 

Rhule broke through with 10+ win seasons in year three of his stints at Baylor and Temple, and the Huskers are banking on the same thing in Lincoln. 

Nebraska has even been a somewhat trendy College Football Playoff darkhorse pick. 

With 90% of the Arrowhead Stadium crowd expected to be Nebraska fans, this is a de facto road game to start the season for the Bearcats. It certainly won’t be easy. 

TCU (0-0) at North Carolina (0-0) – 7:00 Monday ESPN
Line: TCU -3.5

Two seasons ago, TCU lost at home to Colorado in Deion Sanders’ debut with the Buffs. Can they flip the script on another novel head coach making his college football debut in Bill Belichick at North Carolina?

The Tar Heels are relying heavily on newcomers across the board, including South Alabama transfer quarterback Gio Lopez. It’s hard to know exactly what to make of a roster with only six returning starters and an NFL legend acclimating to the college game. 

This could be a perfect launching pad for a return to the spotlight season for the Horned Frogs. Quarterback Josh Hoover put up gaudy numbers last season while leading TCU to wins in six of its last seven games in 2024, but this year’s squad has to avoid the sluggish start that plagued them a year ago. 

It’s the first time the Horned Frogs will get to play in front of an audience this big since losing back-to-back games to Georgia and Colorado in the 2022 and 2023 seasons. It’s a chance to help restore their reputation after what happened then.

3 Yormarks

South Dakota (0-0) at Iowa State (0-0) – 2:30 Saturday Fox
Line: Iowa State -15.5

Just eyeballing the names involved here might make you think this belongs in a lesser category, but in the words of retiring legend Lee Corso, “not so fast, my friend.” 

South Dakota is one of the best FCS teams in the country. The Coyotes won the Missouri Valley in 2024, a powerhouse FCS conference, and are the fourth-best FCS team in the country, according to ESPN’s SP+ metric. 

Iowa State has to shake off jet lag after coming back from a six-hour time difference in Dublin. This has all the makings of a trap game with a rivalry showdown against Iowa looming next week for the Cyclones. 

Matt Campbell and company should be fine, but this is one to keep an eye on during the 2:30 window on Saturday. 

Hawaii (1-0) at Arizona (0-0) – 9:30 Saturday TNT/HBO Max
Line: Arizona -17.5

This game became more interesting after Hawaii’s last-second win over Stanford last week, thanks to a game-winning field goal from their YouTube kicker. 

Rainbow Warriors quarterback Micah Alejado is dealing with an ankle injury, but is expected to play. 

Arizona should have the horses to win this one. It will be the first opportunity for much-maligned head coach Brent Brennan to show off his new offensive and defensive coordinators. 

This is a game Brennan desperately needs to win.

2 Yormarks

Portland State (0-0) at BYU (0-0) – 7:00 Saturday ESPN+
Line: N/A

Jacksonville State (0-0) at UCF (0-0) – 6:00 Thursday ESPN+ Line: N/A

UT Martin (0-0) at Oklahoma State (0-0) – 6:30 Thursday ESPN+
Line: N/A

Robert Morris (0-0) at West Virginia (0-0 – 1:00 Saturday ESPN+
Line: N/A

Stephen F. Austin (0-0) at Houston (0-0) – 7:00 Thursday ESPN+
Line: N/A

The only thing pulling these games above the one-Yormark designation is the fact that all five teams are debuting new starting quarterbacks. It will be fascinating to watch BYU’s Bear Bachmeier, UCF’s Cam Fancher, Oklahoma State’s Hauss Henjy, Houston’s Conner Weigman, and whoever Rich Rod decides to start at West Virginia.

1 Yormark

Wagner (0-0) at Kansas (1-0) – 6:30 Friday ESPN+
Line: N/A

North Dakota (0-0) at K-State (0-0) – 6:00 Saturday ESPN+
Line: N/A

Arkansas Pine-Bluff (0-0) at Texas Tech (0-0) – 6:30 Saturday ESPN+
Line: N/A

Northern Arizona (0-0) at Arizona State (0-0) – 9:00 Saturday ESPN+
Line: N/A

There shouldn’t be much intrigue here. Kansas gets one more tune-up before a monster game at Missouri next week. For K-State, it’s all about regaining confidence after a heartbreaking loss to Iowa State and a drama-filled week afterwards. 

Texas Tech gets a chance to show off its shiny new roster, and Arizona State begins its defense of the 2024 Big 12 title.

What You Need to Know

• K-State will be without star running back Dylan Edwards for at least another week. ESPN’s Pete Thamel has the latest report on Edwards’ availability for the North Dakota and Army games after an ankle injury suffered in Ireland last week. 

• The 247 talent composite is out, which lists the most talented rosters in the country by recruiting star rating. Nobody in the Big 12 cracked the top 25, and the number one team in the conference won’t surprise you if you’ve paid attention to the transfer portal this offseason. 

• West Virginia and Alabama have agreed to cancel their upcoming home-and-home football series scheduled for 2026 and 2027.

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