Texas Tech snagged a whopping 14 first-place votes, blowing past the competition with 254 total points to claim the top spot in the Big 12 writers' preseason poll. Yeah, you heard that right, 14 votes for the Red Raiders to repeat their championship run. This is coming out of Big 12 media days in Frisco, Texas, where the league itself stopped doing official preseason polls in 2025 because 2024's predictions were so off.
The Writers Have Spoken: Red Raiders on Top, BYU Close Behind
This poll, sparked by longtime scribe Berry Tramel from the Tulsa World, brought together 16 dedicated beat writers, one from each school in the 16-team Big 12. Locally, the BYU beat writer and Jason Batacao repping Utah participated. Points were simple: a first-place vote was worth 16 points, second place got 15, and so on. Despite some chatter among writers that BYU might jump Texas Tech, especially with the Brendan Sorsby situation leaving the Red Raiders a bit uncertain at quarterback, the majority stuck with Texas Tech. They still got those 14 first-place votes and 254 points, making them the clear choice to repeat. BYU, who actually has a more settled quarterback position, grabbed the other two first-place votes and 239 points, landing them solidly in second. Arizona and Houston tied for third with 207 points each, with Arizona set to clash with BYU in a huge Week 2 Big 12 opener in Provo. Our friends at Utah rounded out the top five with 198 points.Coach Sitake Is Not Here for Your Predictions
If you think BYU coach Kalani Sitake is losing sleep over these poll results, you'd be dead wrong. He used every single opportunity at media days to remind reporters that these prognostications are, and I quote, "wrong every time." Sitake said it himself: "They are wrong every time, so they stopped making predictions as a league. They don’t do it anymore." His message to his squad, and frankly to anyone listening, is clear: "We just got to go do our job and play our best and see what happens." And honestly, he's got history on his side. Think back to 2024, when the league's official predictions were way off. BYU was picked 13th, Arizona State 16th, Iowa State sixth, and Colorado 11th. What happened? Those four teams ended up tying for the regular-season conference championship! Meanwhile, the preseason favorite, Utah, who started at No. 1, ended up tying for 13th. That's a brutal reality check for anyone trusting these early lists. So, as we gear up for the Big 12 season, will the writers be right this time around? Or will Sitake's "do your job" mentality prove everyone wrong again? Keep an eye on that Week 2 showdown between BYU and Arizona in Provo. That game is shaping up to be absolutely massive and could set the tone for a wild season where anything can happen.This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.