Big 12 football power rankings after spring portal closes: Did Buffaloes get better?

Coach Prime and his family have talked a big game out all offseason in Boulder, but where do the Buffs realistically stack up in the new-look Big 12? It might not be as high as Sanders and Colorado fans hope.

Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) / Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

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. . Last Year: 9-4 Guaranteed Rate Bowl W. . Head Coach: Lance Leipold. . 6. Kansas. . 462

Key losses: Dominick Puni, Austin Booker Key additions: DeShawn Hanika, Darrell Simmons Jr.

In preseason power rankings, it’s easy to focus too heavily on the quarterback situation because that is where there is the most clarity. In reality, the fate of these conferences will come down to defenses and offensive linemen, but for Kansas, it really is all about the quarterback.

Lance Leipold has turned the Jayhawks into a relevant college football program, and when Jalon Daniels is healthy, they’re much more than that. However, Daniels just hasn’t been able to stay healthy which has left Leipold to hand the keys to Jason Bean far too often.

Now, Bean is gone and it’s all on Daniels. If he stays healthy, Kansas could win 10 games, if not, it could be a very tough season, especially because Leipold no longer has his safety blanket. His longtime offensive coordinator, Andy Kotelnicki, was poached by Penn State this offseason.

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