Jake Crain Reveals Surprising Big 12 Team With Championship Potential

The 2024 college football season will usher in a new era by introducing the 12-team College Football Playoff, replacing the previous four-team format. This will also give other teams that have not yet made the field a better opportunity to do so.

A major reason for this is that it provides automatic bids to the champions of the Power Four conferences. In the past, a team that would have benefited from this system was the Utah Utes. Utah is still searching for its first appearance in the College Football Playoff despite winning the Pac-12 in 2021-22.

Now that Utah is heading to the Big 12, many people believe the Utes have the potential to contend for the conference championship immediately and possibly reach its first College Football Playoff.

Jake Crain, the host of the Crain & Company podcast, thinks Utah poses a threat in the Big 12 and has the capability to compete for the national championship.

"Utah, to me, is dangerous," Crain said. "Like sneak up, make the final four, get to the National Championship Game, dangerous."

Crain mentioned Utah's recent success, winning two of the last three Pac-12 championships. The Utes also return quarterback Cam Rising, who led them to the two Pac-12 championships before missing last season due to an injury.

He also respects Kansas State heading into the 2024 season. However, Crain mentioned that he wants to see if the new quarterback, Avery Johnson, can throw the football well enough. Until that happens, he's picking the Utes in the Big 12 and sees them as a team that could surprise people and make it to the national championship.

Related: Greg McElroy Predicts Two Big 12 Superstars To Have Rebound Seasons In 2024