Big 12 Football: 4 programs that would benefit by joining the conference

2. Colorado Buffaloes (PAC-12)

Now we turn the attention to the Power Five conferences for those programs who would really benefit from a change of scenery and joining up with the Big 12. The next up on the list is also a former member of the Big 12, the Colorado Buffaloes football program. Colorado had a lot of potential joining the PAC-12 with the likes of the Utah Utes, but it hasn’t worked out well at all as of yet.

There was really only one season where the Colorado football program found any significant level of success since joining prior to the start of the 2011 season. The Buffs did make it to the PAC-12 Championship Game during the 2016 season, but they were still knocked out in the Alamo Bowl by the Oklahoma State Cowboys out of the Big 12.

Colorado was one of four programs that bolted from the Big 12 in the early 2010’s. The other three included the Nebraska Cornhuskers (Big Ten), Mizzou Tigers (SEC), and Texas A&M (SEC). While the moves for Nebraska to the Big Ten and Mizzou and Texas A&M to the SEC worked out with varying degrees of decent success since leaving the Big 12, Colorado is the worst off.

Heading into the 2020 season, Colorado will be trying their hand with their fourth head coach since joining the PAC-12 less than 10 years ago. Former NFL assistant coach Karl Dorrell will be the next Colorado head coach in what has been a revolving door of a position in the last 15 years. Dorrell will have the tough task of competing in a very tight PAC-12 South in a limited conference schedule again this fall.