Pulling names out of a hat. Blindly pointing at the logos. Use a random number generator. Ranking teams by color scheme, mascot or fight song.

Perhaps we should have used one of these strategies when developing the Big 12 preseason poll. Because ranking teams based on where we thought they would finish was clearly a bad decision.

THE 2024 Big 12 football season It was humbling for those of us who thought we had a good handle on the conference. We didn’t know anything. That, my friends, is why they play these games.

OSU, picked to finish third in the preseason poll, had 14 first-place votes. That’s 14 more first-place votes than the Cowboys have won in conference play.

Utah was picked to win the conference. The Utes went 2-7 in league play.

Arizona State was picked to finish last. The Sun Devils play in the Big 12 championship game on Saturday.

Colorado and BYU were picked to finish 11th and 13th. They are tied for first with Arizona State and Iowa State – all 7-2 in the Big 12.

Anarchy. It was the first year of this new-look Big 12.

Here are the best and worst of a wacky 2024 Big 12 football season:

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Best coaching job: Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State

From 3-9 in their last Pac-12 season to 10-2 in their first Big 12 season. The turnaround in two years under Dillingham has been remarkable.

Dillingham, an Arizona State alumnus, inherited the mess left by Herm Edwards. Now, in short order, Dillingham has the Sun Devils playing for the Big 12 title and a possible College Football Playoff berth.

Honorable mentions: Deion Sanders, Colorado; Kalani Sitake, BYU

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Worst coaching job: Mike Gundy, OSU

This one is easy.

How the Cowboys went from the Big 12 championship game to going winless in the Big 12 with virtually the same roster is mind-boggling.

Offensive coordinator Kasey Dunn and defensive coordinator Bryan Nardo were both fired Wednesday.

Honorable mentions: Kyle Whittingham, Utah; Gus Malzahn, UCF; Brent Brennan, Arizona

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Best Surprise: Kansas vs. BYU

BYU was only a 2.5-point home favorite, but the Cougars entered 9-0, ranking sixth in the nation. Kansas was 3-6.

The Jayhawks left Provo, Utah, with a 17-13 victory.

The beginning of the end for BYU’s playoff chase. It was still a fantastic season for the Cougars.

Honorable Mentions: Houston vs. TCU, Texas Tech vs. Iowa State

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Best matchup: Colorado 38, Baylor 31 (OT)

Shedeur Sanders uncorked a 43-yard Hail Mary that LaJohntay Wester dove for in the end zone for a tying touchdown as time expired.

In overtime, Travis Hunter (who else?) made the winning play. Hunter forced a fumble at the goal line. The ball came out of the back of the end zone, giving Colorado a victory in its first Big 12 game.

Honorable mentions: UCF 35, TCU 34; West Virginia 32, Kansas 28; Arizona State 35, Kansas 31; BYU 38, OSU 35; Iowa State 38, UCF 35; Texas Tech 23, Iowa State 22

Best win: Arizona State 28, BYU 23

It took 15 minutes to clear the field after Arizona State first stormed the field. After surviving BYU’s last-chance Hail Mary, Sun Devils fans once again rushed the field.

No one would have guessed it before the season, but Arizona State’s win over BYU was one of the most consequential Big 12 games of the season.

Honorable mentions: Iowa State 29, Kansas State 21; Colorado 41, Texas Tech 27; BYU 38, Kansas State 9

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Worst loss: OSU vs. Colorado

No one thought OSU was going to win at Colorado, but ending a winless Big 12 season with a 52-0 loss — the worst ever under Gundy — was embarrassing for the Cowboys.

Colorado outshot OSU 471-147.

Honorable Mention: West Virginia at Texas Tech; Kansas State at Houston

Best midseason turnaround: Baylor

The Bears fell to 2-4 (0-3 Big 12) after an early October loss at Iowa State. Baylor coach Dave Aranda was all but gone.

Then the Bears reeled off six straight wins to end the season. All but one were in double digits.

Baylor finished 8-4 (6-3 Big 12) – the second-best season of Aranda’s tenure, and certainly good enough to save his job.

Honorable mentions: TCU; Kansas

Worst late-season collapse: Kansas State

Kansas State was sitting pretty at 8-1, its only loss to then-undefeated BYU.

Then came three losses – to Houston, to Arizona State, to Iowa State – in the Wildcats’ last four games.

It was a disappointing finish for a Kansas State team picked second in the conference.

Honorable Mention: Cincinnati

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Best Quarterback: Shedeur Sanders, Colorado

Here’s where Sanders ranked among Big 12 quarterbacks…

Completion percentage: 74.2% (first)

Passing yards: 3,926 (first)

Passing touchdowns 35 (first)

Sanders was by far the best quarterback in the Big 12. He had the fifth-highest grade of any quarterback in the country, by Pro Football Focus.

Honorable mentions: Sawyer Robertson, Baylor; Sam Leavitt, Arizona State

Best Offensive Player: RB Cam Skattebo, Arizona State

Skattebo averaged a Big 12 best 170 all-purpose yards per game. He rushed for 1,400 yards and had nearly 500 yards receiving.

He was PFF’s highest rated Big 12 running back.

Skattebo was a five-time Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week.

Honorable mentions: UCF RB RJ Harvey; Texas Tech running back Tahj Brooks; Arizona WR Tetairoa McMillan; Jayden Higgins, Iowa State WR; Colorado WR Travis Hunter; Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State WR

Best Defensive Player: CB Travis Hunter, Colorado

The best defensive player in the Big 12, one of the best offensive players in the Big 12 and the best versatile player in college football.

Hunter’s two-way brilliance is well deserving of the Heisman Trophy.

Hunter’s four interceptions are tied for third in the Big 12. He was the highest-rated cornerback in the league, according to PFFand the third-highest rated cornerback in the country.

Honorable mentions: DE Brendan Mott of Kansas State; LB Austin Romaine of Kansas State; TCU S Bud Clark

Joe Mussatto is a sports columnist for The Oklahoman. Do you have a story idea for Joe? Email him at [email protected]. Support Joe’s work and that of other Oklahoma journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at Subscribe.oklahoman.com.

This article was originally published on Oklahoman: The 12 best and worst superlatives in football for the 2024 season