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Analyst sends intriguing message on Colorado football program's conference switch to Big 12

One analyst sent quite the intriguing message on the Colorado football program's conference switch to the Big 12.

By Andrew Hughes

Dec 2, 2023; Arlington, TX, USA; A view of the WWE wrestling logo on a touchdown pylon before the
Dec 2, 2023; Arlington, TX, USA; A view of the WWE wrestling logo on a touchdown pylon before the / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
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Marca's Andreas Vou believes the Big 12 is a more competitive landscape for the Colorado football program to navigate than the Pac-12 was.

"Colorado's move back to the Big 12 presents both challenges and opportunities," Vou prefaced before saying, "As the Buffs return to their roots, they must adapt to a more competitive landscape. Sanders' unique approach and connections will be vital in navigating this transition, defining Colorado's identity in the new conference.

"The Buffs won't be sneaking up on any of their future Big 12 opponents. The move demands strategic planning to compete in a more competitive environment, and Sanders' ability to leverage his network and coaching acumen will be critical."

Is the Big 12 going to be more competitive for Colorado football than the Pac-12 was?

Vou raised an interesting question for Colorado fans: is the Big 12 going to be a more difficult conference to navigate than the Pac-12 was?

The answer is no. Or at least it should be.

The Pac-12 had high-spending, big-market schools like USC, UCLA, and Washington that typically found itself at the top of the conference in the Buffs' Pac-12 era alongside Oregon and Utah, the latter of which is coming to the Big 12 -- along with Arizona and ASU -- along with Colorado. The biggest spenders (Texas, Oklahoma) are off to the SEC, and the biggest market (Austin, Texas) went along with them.

In the Big 12, there are a few big-spenders, but the likes of Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas Tech, UCF, BYU, and West Virginia have yet to spend significantly enough over the years to consistently find themselves at the top of the rankings.

The Big 12 has the potential to be a ruler-less yearly mosh pit of teams close together in record and talent, fighting for the lower spots in the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff. But it feels like it'll be years away from having two teams ranked in the post-championship week top eight.

Colorado could well be positioned to be a ruler of the Big 12 given their transfer portal/high school recruiting victories the past two offseasons; the latter of which has focused on CU's biggest problem, the offensive line.

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