With media days in the rear view, we can now start shifting our focus to the season itself. We are less than three weeks away from kickoff in the Big 12 when TCU faces the fighting Bill Belichicks who seemingly can’t get out of their own way when it comes to off the field drama.
It seems like every week, North Carolina has someone on their way out, but don’t you go anywhere because here are some headlines that caught my attention in the Big 12 this week.
Even though we haven’t played a down of football yet, it’s hard to not like new Iowa State head coach Jimmy Rogers. Ever since he’s been hired, he’s been about as honest a coach can be. He hasn’t shied away from anything and has said what’s on his mind.
That’s why I wasn’t too surprised when he picked his team to win the Big 12. When asked about his vote, Jimmy kept it real. “What would you think if I didn’t vote on us? You’d wonder why I’m the head coach at Iowa State,” Rogers said. “I was brought in to win. Very self-aware. They didn’t hire me to come here and not be competitive. I wasn’t hired for my disposition. I was hired to create a program that competes and wins and that’s the goal. We’re not signing up for second place.
“So I know that’s a bold statement, and they’ll print it everywhere. But the reality is this: the players have to believe in what you say, and you have to act on how you believe. I believe that we can win.”
Anyone else ready to run through a brick wall? When I listen to Rogers talk, it’s refreshing. No offense to Matt Campbell, but he was never going to give you much on the mic. However, he let his work on the field do the talking.
Pretty soon, Jimmy is going to have to prove that he is just as good on the field as he is on the mic. At the end of the day, it’s great winning a press conference but it’s even better to win on the field.
If a 3-9 record wasn’t bad enough last season, it appears that people are already poking fun at Deion’s boys during fall camp. After a recent video posted by Colorado football, many are calling Colorado out saying that they are small.
shooo @JulianLewis10 x @Qfor6ix pic.twitter.com/Fncmo5P290
— Colorado Buffaloes Football (@CUBuffsFootball) August 4, 2026
I will admit that it looks more like your local high school team than it does a power four college football team. The play itself was great but at first glance, it’s hard to not think about how small some of the players in that video look. The receiver, Quinton Gibson stands 5′ 9″ and weighs just 155 pounds. He is one of 18 roster members listed at 170 pounds or less.
When asked about being called small, Colorado offensive coordinator Brennan Marion wasn’t worried about it. “I have zero reaction,” Marion said. “As the kids would say, pull up. So we’re small. We’re this. We’re that. Whatever. I mean, at some point you’ve got to spot the ball and see. So that’s my mindset.”
I am one of those people who questioned the Monster Energy deal that Brett Yormark made a few weeks ago. For a someone who calls themselves a businessman, it sure seems like one-sided deal for Monster.
For all the real estate they got, on top of putting Monster Energy before Big 12 football, it just seems like they got free advertising for pennies when we could have got a lot more money.
However, I must admit that when I saw the new Monster Energy Big 12 race car, I thought it was pretty cool.
fresh paint for this weekend @rileyherbst // @23XIRacing // @Big12Conference pic.twitter.com/HzA9HeF7lO
— Monster Energy (@MonsterEnergy) August 6, 2026
The car will be driven by Riley Herbst and will make its debut on Saturday at the HyVee Perks 250 in Newton, Iowa. I am not one to watch cars turn left for hours, and I don’t know how many new fans the conference will actually gain from this, but I don’t hate the advertising here at all.
Does this make the deal better? Not really, but the car itself it does look pretty sweet.
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