With 11-time champion Oklahoma and four-time winner Texas having departed, the Big 12 might not be the best conference in America this year, but it could be the most fun. Eight teams won between seven and 10 games last year, making for an entertaining chase to reach the Big 12 championship game on Dec. 7 in Arlington, Texas. We think the intrigue starts with whether newcomers Arizona and Utah can topple an old guard led by Oklahoma State and Kansas State.

Let's delve into the first Big 12 football power rankings for 2024:

1. Oklahoma State

This week: South Dakota State

What to know: Mike Gundy's ready to coach football instead of talking to players' agents. Just get to August, and he's right in his element.

2. Arizona

This week: New Mexico

What to know: Who has more star power than the Wildcats? Do they have enough of everything else?

More: Arizona football predictions: Game-by-game picks for Wildcats in 2024 season

3. Utah

This week: Southern Utah on Thursday

What to know: Kyle Whittingham's been Mountain West coach of the year and Pac-12 coach of the year. How long before he's Big 12 coach of the year?

4. Kansas State

This week: Tennessee-Martin

What to know: We're starting the Wildcats fourth in the power rankings and won't be surprised if they end up first.

More: Kansas State's football coaches take a less-is-more approach to new helmet communication

5. Iowa State

This week: North Dakota

What to know: New OC Taylor Mouser loves using Abu Sama in EA Sports College Football 25. Wait 'til he gets to turn loose the real-life version.

More: Hines: Iowa State football game-by-game predictions for the 2024 season

6. Texas Tech

This week: Abilene Christian

What to know: Joey McGuire's under no pressure, but Texas Tech donors aren't bankrolling $242 million worth of stadium upgrades just for aesthetics.

More: What's inside Texas Tech football's new end zone building at Jones AT&T Stadium

7. Kansas

This week: Lindenwood on Saturday

What to know: Lance Leipold's taken Kansas from two wins to six wins to nine wins. Now we'll find out the Jayhawks' ceiling.

More: Once again set to start for Kansas football, Jalon Daniels’ enthusiasm is hard to miss

8. West Virginia

This week: Penn State

What to know: Knowing Neal Brown, he'll tell us his team is not going to finish eighth. Especially after they won nine games last year.

9. Central Florida

This week: New Hampshire on Thursday

What to know: Pairing former Arkansas quarterback K.J. Jefferson with former Arkansas high-school coaching legend Gus Malzahn sounds like a perfect match.

10. Colorado

This week: North Dakota State on Thursday

What to know: No one doubts what Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter can do. Improving on 4-8 is all about the supporting cast.

More: Confrontational. Defensive. Unnecessary. Deion Sanders' act is wearing thin.

11. TCU

This week: at Stanford on Friday

What to know: Horned Frogs ought to land somewhere between the 13-2 and the 5-7 of the past two years. They'd better, for Sonny Dykes' sake.

12. Baylor

This week: Tarleton State

What to know: Now or never for Dave Aranda? Bears have lost 13 of their last 16.

13. Brigham Young

This week: Southern Illinois

What to know: Kalani Sitake's name shows up on the coaching hot-seat lists. It's going to be hard to for him to move off it with a team so limited offensively.

14. Arizona State

This week: Wyoming

What to know: Five Big 12 teams start the season ranked, and the Sun Devils get to play all five.

More: Arizona State football predictions: Game-by-game picks for Sun Devils in 2024 season

15. Cincinnati

This week: Towson

What to know: Having 1,000-yard rusher Corey Kiner and an experienced line gives the Bearcats an identity. But last year's 4-8 season showed it's going to take more than that.

More: Cincinnati Bearcats coach Scott Satterfield names Brendan Sorsby starting quarterback

16. Houston

This week: Nevada-Las Vegas

What to know: Wherever Willie Fritz goes, winning usually follows. Well, probably not this year.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Big 12 football power rankings: Can Utah, UA topple legacy contenders?