The release of the preseason Associated Press Top 25 poll has once again laid bare the national media’s persistent bias against the Big 12, treating one of the country's most competitive conferences like an afterthought. While the SEC and Big Ten continue to hoard national spotlight and inflated rankings, the Big 12 finds itself drastically underrepresented, dismissed, and chronically undervalued by voters who rely more on brand-name recognition than actual on-field parity. Look no further than the distribution of spots. The SEC and Big Ten flood the poll, securing nearly two-thirds of the entire top 25, while a deep, punishing Big 12 conference is handed a meager four spots. Texas Tech breaks into the top 15 at No. 12 following a historic stretch, and BYU sits right behind at No. 14, yet both programs are continually forced to jump through hoops just to earn national respect. Meanwhile, perennial favorites from traditional power conferences coast on historical momentum, receiving the benefit of every single doubt despite unproven rosters or underwhelming recent finishes. Worse still is the blatant disrespect found lingering in the "others receiving votes" section. Programs like Arizona, TCU, and Oklahoma State—teams capable of beating anyone on any given Saturday in a conference defined by chaos and elite depth—are shoved out of the top 25 entirely. This systemic oversight ignores the brutal week-to-week gauntlet that Big 12 teams navigate, where physical play and razor-thin margins routinely cannibalize records, preventing the kind of unblemished façades that SEC and Big Ten darlings use to manipulate voters. Until the AP panel starts evaluating programs based on competitive reality rather than lazy regional bias, the Big 12 will remain college football’s ultimate cash-cow underdog: expected to beat everyone, yet denied the respect they've earned until deep into November. Everydayer ClubIf you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans. Click here to learn more and join your team’s community: https://lockedonpodcasts.com/everydayerclub Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! KALSHI For a limited time, Download the Kalshi app and use code [LOCKEDON] to get $10 when you trade $10. . The Game Don't miss this chance to celebrate 40 years of The Game with 40% off your entire order. Visit https://TheGameCaps.com and use promo code LOCKEDONat checkout. 5-Hour ENERGY Bring on the sweetness with Cotton Candy 5-hour ENERGY®️ shots—available online now at https:/5hourENERGY.com or on Amazon. Gametime Today's episode is brought to you by Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONfor $20 off your first purchase. Terms and conditions apply. FanDuel Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Join all the action at https://FANDUEL.COMto play Daily Dingers and make your free pick on who’s hitting a homer this MLB season. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
