For one year only the Big 12 will field five teams from the Lone Star State as Houston joins the conference a year before the Texas Longhorns depart for the SEC. All five programs – Texas, TCU, Baylor, Texas Tech, and Houston – descend on Arlington this week for a crowded Big 12 media days. TCU, Texas, Houston, and Baylor are showcased on Wednesday, while the Red Raiders get the spotlight on Thursday. 

Ahead of the 48-hour event in which head coaches and star players are grilled by media members across the country, here is one major question for each of those programs for the 2023 season. 

How will the Texas Longhorns handle the pressure of being a Big 12 favorite and a dark horse to crash the College Football Playoff? 

Texas was picked to win the Big 12 by the media for the first time in over a decade – a feat the Longhorns haven’t accomplished since 2009. In fact, Texas has lost at least three Big 12 games in 11 of the last 13 seasons, including eight of the previous nine. Head coach Steve Sarkisian is 13-12 in his two previous years on the 40 Acres. And that includes several second-half collapses and a few upset losses. He’s yet to win 10 games or a conference title as a collegiate head coach. 

Still, it is hard to fault media members for picking Texas to shake off that recent history. The Longhorns return 10 starters on offense. And while sporting an NFL prospect at quarterback alongside talented outside weapons is nothing new in Austin, returning five offensive linemen with over 10 starts and a few youngsters with professional aspirations is. Texas, an always-talented-but-sometimes-bullied program, has enough large humans to bully the Big 12. 

Maturity is the only question mark, and that pertains to the roster and the head coach. Can the Longhorns handle the expectations after a few years of not having any? Will they avoid late-game mistakes? We’ll find out soon. 

Can TCU avoid a huge step backwards in Year 2 under Sonny Dykes despite major losses to the Horned Frogs’ roster? 

It is not hyperbole to claim that the Horned Frogs lost their best player at every position unit following the 2022 run to the national title game. They’re without quarterback Max Duggan, running back Kendre Miller, wide receiver Quentin Johnston, offensive lineman Steve Avila, defensive lineman Dylan Horton, linebacker Dee Ford, and defensive back Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson as they gear up for year 2 under Dykes – the 2023 summer magazine cover boy. 

TCU only needs to look at its rivals down in Waco last season to see the potential pitfalls. Baylor won 12 games, a Big 12 title, and a Sugar Bowl in 2021 before finishing 6-7 a year later. Dykes, a long-time benefactor of the transfer portal, didn’t make the same mistake as the Bears, however. Dykes dipped into the portal at nearly every position unit to replenish the ranks. 

Is Texas Tech truly ready to compete for a Big 12 crown? 

The Red Raiders might not be considered a dark horse anymore because of the growing expectations in Lubbock. Joey McGuire led the program to its first winning record in the Big 12 since Mike Leach roamed the sidelines. The successful first season for McGuire included home wins against Texas and Oklahoma. The wins, and donations, don’t appear to be stopping any time soon. The Red Raiders return a lot of production, especially on offense. If the offensive line improves and the defense finds a few playmakers, watch out. But this could be too much too soon for a program that hasn’t come close to competing for a conference title in nearly 15 years. 

Can Baylor bounce back from a subpar 2022 season with the same force as the Bears did from a two-win 2020? 

Excuse Baylor fans if they have a case of whiplash. The first three seasons under Dave Aranda were nothing short of a rollercoaster. The Bears went 2-7 in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season and 6-7 last year. They managed the best season in program history between those two seasons, finishing 12-2 with a Big 12 title and a victory in the Sugar Bowl in 2021. So, is Aranda’s Baylor more year 1 and 3 or year 2? The 2023 season – his fourth in charge – should provide us a clearer picture of Baylor’s current trajectory. Aranda can’t afford to let TCU and Texas Tech pass his Bears in perception as a new-look Big 12 begins in 2024. 

What constitutes success for the Houston Cougars as new members of the Big 12? 

The Cougars have waited for this moment for nearly three decades. They finally return to college football’s big stage as new members of the Big 12 in 2023, but the program isn’t without question marks. No Clayton Tune at quarterback or Tank Dell at wide receiver creates concerns on offense. A revolving door of new faces on defense provides uncertainty for coordinator Doug Belk. And a difficult schedule doesn’t leave head coach Dana Holgorsen with a lot of room for error. A six-win season and a bowl trip is what the brass consider the floor.