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Big 12 newcomer Utah picked to win conference’s football title

AP photo by David Becker / Utah football coach Kyle Whittingham looks on from the sideline before the Utes face Northwestern in the Las Vegas Bowl on Dec. 23, 2023.
AP photo by David Becker / Utah football coach Kyle Whittingham looks on from the sideline before the Utes face Northwestern in the Las Vegas Bowl on Dec. 23, 2023. AP photo by David Becker / Utah football coach Kyle Whittingham looks on from the sideline before the Utes face Northwestern in the Las Vegas Bowl on Dec. 23, 2023.

By The Associated Press 2 min read

IRVING, Texas — Big 12 newcomer Utah has been picked to finish first in the expanded 16-team football conference this fall in a preseason poll of media who cover the league.

The Utes got 20 of 61 first-place votes in the poll released Tuesday, a week before the start of the league’s football media days in Las Vegas. Kansas State got 19 first-place votes and was picked second, ahead of last year’s Big 12 runner-up Oklahoma State, which was first on 14 ballots. Kansas (five first-place votes) and Arizona (three) rounded out the top five.

Former Pac-12 teams Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah officially became Big 12 members this week at the same time that reigning Big 12 champion Texas and Oklahoma joined the Southeastern Conference.

Colorado was picked 11th in the preseason poll, with Arizona State picked 16th.

Utah won the Pac-12 title in 2021 and 2022 but is coming off an 8-5 season with a 5-4 record in conference play. Kyle Whittingham is entering his 20th season as head coach of the Utes.