How Arizona football compares in ESPN power rankings to national polls

The Arizona football team is 21st in the "ESPN College Football Preseason Power Rankings." Arizona slots in the ESPN College Football Preseason Power Rankings is identical to the Wildcats standing in the Associated Press Top 25 and USA Today Coaches polls for the preseason.

Arizona enters the 2024 season with a lot of change. Head coach Jedd Fisch left for Washington and the Pac 12 collapsed. Brent Brennan comes to Arizona from San Jose State to replace Fisch and the Wildcats will play their inaugural season in the Big XII. Big XII media picked Arizona fifth in the conference in 2024.

Arizona has a very favorable schedule Big XII schedule in 2024. Utah who is picked to win the Big XII is the only team picked in the top six Arizona plays in a 2024 conference game. Arizona is at Kansas State in week three. The pair of Wildcats scheduled their non-conference game before Arizona joined the Big 12 and it will remain that way.

Arizona plays eight teams picked in the bottom 10 in the Big XII in 2024. Oklahoma State, Iowa State and Kansas who are picked third, fourth and sixth are not on the 2024 Arizona regular season schedule. Texas Tech, Colorado, Houston and Arizona State come to Tucson in 2024.

"No. 21 Arizona Wildcats
After finishing the season on a seven-game winning streak and with considerable star power returning on both sides of the ball, Arizona moves to the Big 12 with a conference title on its mind. Consider this: The only game the Wildcats lost in regulation last year was a one-score game to Washington -- the national title runner-up -- and quarterback Noah Fifita and receiver Tetairoa McMillan might be the best duo in college football. Their two best defensive players -- cornerback Tacario Davis and linebacker Jacob Manu -- are also back. The most unknown variable -- and it's a big one -- is how the team will look under first-year coach Brent Brennan, who was hired from San José State after Jedd Fisch left for Washington. Had Fisch remained, the Wildcats would have likely been a more popular pick to win the Big 12 because the talent to do so is there. "

- Kyle Bonagura, ESPN

Arizona will play Big XII games at Utah, BYU, Central Florida and TCU in 2024. The close losses last season should motivate and prepare Arizona for the move to the Big XII. Big XII venues will not be intimidating to Arizona after playing in the Pac 12. The Pac-12 was the second-highest-ranked conference in 2023 behind the SEC.

The returns of Davis, Fifita, Manu and McMillan are significant for Arizona. Davis, Manu, McMillan and Arizona offensive lineman Jonah Savaiinaea were named first-team preseason All-Big XII. Arizona has the foundation for 2024 to exceed its 2023 success and where they are picked in the Big XII.

Davis, Fifita, McMillan and Savaiinaea are in the ESPN Top 100 players for 2024. McMillan is the highest rated of the Arizona players at 13th and was also named an ESPN first-team preseason All-American. McMillan is projected in the top 15 picks of the 2025 NFL Draft.

The Wildcats can be a serious contender to win a Big XII title their first year in the league and compete for a College Football Playoff berth. The last time Arizona entered a new conference it was 5-6 overall in 3-4 in the Pac 12 in 1978. College football has changed significantly since then.

Arizona's only Pac-12 title came in 1993 when the Wildcats finished 10-2 overall and shared the conference championship with UCLA and USC with 6-2 record. A blowout loss at UCLA in October and a blown 20-point lead to California in November cost Arizona the outright 1993 Pac-12 title and a trip to the Rose Bowl.

Arizona has come close in multiple other seasons but fell short. If Arizona had beaten USC or Washington last season they would have appeared in the 2023 Pac-12 title game. Now Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington are off to the Big 10, while Arizona State, Colorado and Utah move with Arizona to the Big XII.

Arizona and Utah project as Big XII title contenders with Colorado and Arizona State expected to be among the worst teams in the conference in 2024. Utah hosts Arizona on September 28. Arizona hosts Colorado on October 19 and Arizona State on November 30. The Wildcats will be big favorites versus the Buffaloes and Sun Devils.

Arizona projects to have a very successful inaugural season in the Big XII. The roster has a good foundation for success in 2024. Most of the corps returns for Arizona this season. Brennan should be able to build on the foundation set by Fisch in the last three seasons.