Cheaper and more relaxed

“Authentic, off the beaten path”

The mindset of missing out

The Big 12 has embraced its place because the Power Four conference with essentially the most depth, with the difference between No. 1 and No. 16 small and the potential for very competitive games each week high.

The Hotline generally agrees with this narrative. There are not any top-tier programs with top-tier talent within the Big 12. There are not any Ohio State or Georgia equivalents. No clear and obvious national title contenders.

However, a differentiated approach should be taken when evaluating the conference race between the 16 teams.

There is a transparent difference in the standard of teams between the highest and bottom tiers. A handful of teams could win the conference, and a handful could finish last. But the difference is critical. Not every game will probably be close. Not every week will probably be crammed with upsets.

The hotline had little trouble identifying the teams as contenders, pretenders and underdogs. The difficulty was differentiating the teams inside each group.

We don't vote for ties. We hate voting for ties. But there will probably be ties.

Oh yes, there will probably be a draw.

1.Utah: The Hotline has been asked repeatedly how the Utes will adjust to life within the Big 12. We think the query needs to be reversed: How will the Big 12 adjust to the Utes? They are the team to beat because of the mixture of coaching skill, top-notch quarterback (Cam Rising) and powerful offensive and defensive lines. Assuming the injury rate returns to normal after a hellish barrage last season, Utah is the very best bet to represent the conference within the CFP.

2. State of Oklahoma: We considered picking the Cowboys to win the Big 12, and wouldn't be surprised in the event that they were the last team standing. Coach Mike Gundy has a veteran quarterback (Alan Bowman) and returning starters at every position. But every evaluation from the Hotline supercomputer spat out the identical conclusion: Utah's offensive line will dominate the head-to-head matchups in Stillwater and the conference championship.

3. State of Kansas: The Wildcats deserve numerous respect after winning 19 games over the past two seasons — don't be surprised in the event that they find yourself playing for the conference title. Chris Klieman may have to revamp his offense, with second-year quarterback Avery Johnson starring, but KSU's defense needs to be among the finest within the Big 12. (The secondary is stellar.) And not for nothing: The road schedule is completely doable.

4.Arizona: After first-year coach Brent Brennan secured the core of his roster—only just a few players followed Jedd Fisch to Seattle—the Wildcats catapulted into the highest tier of contenders. There's lots to love, starting with the elite aerial duo of quarterback Noah Fifita and receiver Tetairoa McMillan. But could unprecedented expectations (each internal and external) change the dynamic and create unexpected potholes?

5. Kansas: The Jayhawks were picked fourth within the Big 12's preseason media poll, which probably pleased coach Lance Leipold. (Let other teams handle the pressure and take the highlight.) Assuming quarterback Jalon Daniels' back holds up, KU has more to love than not on the second line. But we wonder the way it looks with the front seven, which can face a few of the very best offensive lines within the conference.

6. State of Iowa: After a regression in 2022, coach Matt Campbell revamped his program last season when the Cyclones went 6-3 in league play. Will that proceed or stagnate? They are deep in most of the key position groups, from quarterback to the lines of scrimmage to the defensive backfield. But the November opponent lineup is brutal. We expect a quick start and a slow finish in Ames.

7.Texas-Tech: The Hotline has a rather more bullish assessment of the Red Raiders than other prognosticators, an assessment based partly on a schedule that doesn't include Utah, Kansas or Kansas State. That may not seem to be much, but a further win could possibly be the difference between seventh and tenth, or eighth and twelfth. Plus, TTU has among the finest pass-catching groups within the conference.

8.West Virginia: The Mountaineers won five of their last six games last season, have starting quarterback Garrett Greene back and have a wonderful offensive line. So why this modest forecast? Their non-conference schedule is demanding and will take its toll within the early stages of league play as they face Kansas, Oklahoma State, Iowa State, Kansas State and Arizona in succession. The situation is not going to be resolved until November.

9.UCF: The Knights' first season within the Big 12 began poorly but ended with three wins within the last month. There's good reason to consider the momentum continues for coach Gus Malzahn, who has been on the job for 4 years. If quarterback KJ Jefferson plays to his potential after transferring from Arkansas, UCF could enter the competition.

10. TCU: Sonny Dykes has been a head coach on the Power Five level for six years, 4 at Cal and two at TCU, and he's coming off one successful season: the improbable, magical run to the 2022 national championship game. So forgive us for not being willing to provide the Horned Frogs, who had one in all the hardest conference schedules within the Big 12, a leap of religion. This is a pivotal 12 months for the Dykes regime.

11. Baylor: Coach Dave Aranda has arguably the most well liked job within the conference after two disappointing seasons. It's hard to see a big change within the Bears' trajectory with all of his core players at his disposal. Once momentum is lost and dark clouds gather, negativity tends to linger.

12.Cincinnati: The halcyon days of Luke Fickell, Desmond Ridder and top-25 rankings seem a decade ago for the Bearcats, who recorded a conference win last 12 months during their first Big 12 season. Will 2024 be higher? Yes, but only marginally. UC isn't able to fight for a top-half spot, let alone transform right into a true contender.

13. Colorado: The Buffaloes didn't have the appropriate personnel on the lines of scrimmage to compete within the Pac-12 last 12 months. Those issues have been addressed by coach Deion Sanders, which should lead to higher performances each week. But the schedule is amazingly difficult. CU plays all the top teams within the Big 12 and has a grueling slate of non-conference opponents ahead of it. Five wins overall and three in conference feels about right.

14. State of Arizona: No team within the Big 12 has more uncertainty on the quarterback position than the Sun Devils. No team enters the season with more questions on the skill positions. And no team has a tougher conference schedule. Add all of it up, and Kenny Dillingham faces challenges that make 2024 seem to be the primary 12 months of an enormous rebuild, not the second. If a coach with just three wins under his belt ever deserved a raise, it's Dillingham.

15.Brigham Young: The second 12 months within the Big 12 will resemble the Cougars' inaugural season within the conference, once they won just two games and were often beaten savagely. Kalani Sitake's spot is heating up quickly, and the roster doesn't have enough playmakers to chill the temperature. Plus, the schedule is hard: If the Cougars don't beat Baylor on Sept. 28, they may not get their first conference win until November.

16. Houston: The Cougars hired Willie Fritz from Tulane to switch Dana Holgorsen, but don't have enough to get out of the underside division. They could well lose ground to the competition while Fritz tackles his renovation project. If the Cougars finish in last place, nevertheless, they'll likely have company.

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Originally published: August 18, 2024 at 7:48 am

Since the Nineteen Forties there was a widespread move away from public transport within the US, and repair has declined in lots of cities, including latest York, Boston, Denver, Orlando and St. LouisLooking back on the last national public transport boom helps to grasp the challenges facing modern transport operators.

Beginning within the nineteenth century, transit firms worked closely with real estate developers to develop “streetcar suburbs” to serve a growing population. Thanks to corporate consolidation, government regulation, and frugal management, the businesses were capable of keep fares low.

During World War II, the production of weapons and supplies for troops fighting overseas became the country's top priority. Gasoline, tires and cars were strictly rationed, so most commuters had little alternative but to make use of public transportation to get to work.

In Baltimore, for instance, people could travel anywhere in the town by streetcar, 1943 for 10 centsWith manufacturing booming throughout the war, the town's Baltimore Transit Company crammed its customers onto every streetcar and bus it could find.

Here and in other racially divided cities within the North and on the border, public transit was an integrated space that was fundamental to social mobility. Tens of 1000’s of black employees, a part of the Great Migration from the South to the Northhad a relatively good city-wide network of trams, buses and electric trolleybuses.

After the war, consumer demand and public policy swung in the opposite direction. Many white commuters used the GI Bill, government-subsidized mortgagesa Expansion of the motorway network and low cost cars to flee public transit – and the neighborhoods it serves.

Black Americans, however, were largely excluded from Access to those servicesMany remained trapped in decaying city centers.

In the Nineteen Sixties, most white drivers lived within the urban periphery and were politically against the expansion of public transport and public property of transport networks. In response, politicians focused on improving roads and highways, including by removing tram tracks and streetcars to hurry up automobile traffic.

For example, Maryland didn’t take over the financially troubled, privately owned Baltimore Transit Company. until 1970 – Neglecting the transport needs of an increasingly poor and black population.

In 1968, a bus ride cost 30 cents and the service quality was significantly worse. Trams had disappearedthe buses were old or rapidly aging, and so they ran infrequently, and there have been few easy connections to jobs within the suburbs.

Even after Maryland took over the transportation system, the state didn’t provide enough funding to offset a long time of disinvestment. In 2020, a study estimated that commuters within the Baltimore metropolitan area needed to spend an hour or more by bus or train to 91.5% of regional jobs.

This decline also occurred in other cities akin to Chicago and Atlanta, resulting in an extra decline in ridership. By 2019, only 5% of U.S. commuters typically used public transportDue to the COVID-19 pandemic, this share fell to three.1% in 2022.

Public transport firms in some cities, including Washington And Los Angelesare working to reverse this trend, helped by high regional subsidies, terrible traffic and the development of housing complexes near stops. harmful effects of automobile dependency on public health and the environment have gotten increasingly clear, but reasonably priced and reliable public transit can still encourage passengers to get back on buses and trains.

Ann Danielson expects a gradual stream of tourists to her alpaca ranch southeast of Longmont this summer. The ranch is certainly one of about 120 small businesses in Colorado that open their property overnight to RV campers and get slightly business in return.

This will probably be the third summer that Danielson, co-owner of Annie's Alpaca Ranchparticipated in this system by Harvesters, a Colorado-based company that partners with businesses across the country and lists greater than 5,000 locations as possible stops. Campers pay Harvest Hosts an annual membership fee and pledge to buy something or contribute in some solution to the wineries, breweries, farms, roadside attractions and other places that accommodate travelers.

Danielson sells alpaca fiber products in a small shop next to her house on the ranch.

“My freshman year, I didn't have that many people. Last year, I had a lot, and this year, I'm going to have a lot again,” Danielson said. “If I wanted to, I could probably have someone almost every day.”

Danielson uses an app to let people know when she's ready to just accept campers and to be in contact with guests about their arrival time, the sort of vehicle they're driving and data about themselves.

Harvest Hosts has grown as more people travel. RV travel has turn into increasingly popular through the COVID-19 pandemic, when many avoided air travel and hotel stays. More than 11 million households own RVs, up 62% from 2001, in response to the RV Industry Association Website.

After the pandemic higher rates of interest have slowed the industry, Sales have dropped significantly since 2021 but are still above pre-pandemic levels, Reuters reported. According to the RV Industry Association, the typical age of a first-time buyer has dropped from 41 in 2020 to 32 in 2022.

Harvest Hosts owner Joel Holland is certainly one of the younger generation to embrace RV living. The 39-year-old left the Washington, DC area together with his wife when he was 30 and traveled the country in an RV for 2 years.

“I had built a video engineering company and was completely burned out. I was fed up with office work, concrete jungles and the constant traffic on the way to work,” Holland said. “My wife and I didn't have any kids yet. We spontaneously bought an RV and just hit the road. The idea was, 'Let's just do the great American road trip until we get tired of it.'”

The couple loved the “proverbial wind in your hair, the freedom of the open road,” but didn't all the time just like the campgrounds. “You park five feet away from another RV. The campgrounds are nothing special,” Holland said.

Other campers told Holland about Harvest Hosts, then a small family-owned business in Arizona. After settling in Vail, Holland offered to purchase the corporate. He invested heavily in technology to expand the network of locations from around 600 to several thousand. The majority of his 20 employees work in Colorado.

Annual memberships for campers range from $84 to $143. The higher tiers offer access to more locations. Hosts pay nothing. The company said it conducts background checks on hosts.

Campers will not be charged any fees, but are encouraged to go to hosts' shops, restaurants or wineries. Holland says the overnight guests usher in a median of $13,000 in additional revenue for the companies every year.

Treat it like your grandmother's property

One of Harvest Hosts' codes of conduct is to treat the web sites “as if they were your grandmother's property,” Holland said.

“And second, support the business you're visiting,” Holland said. “These places let you stay for free. Otherwise, you'd be paying quite a bit of money.”

Harvest Hosts checks in with businesses to see how things are going. Valley View Christian Church in Douglas County has had a positive experience, said Pastor Phillip Holland.

“Harvest Hosts approached us a few years ago looking for a site. It looked like it could benefit our community and travelers,” Holland said. “It's not easy to reserve sites for RVs and trailers, and it's incredibly expensive.”

Residents of the property, which lies south of Highlands Ranch, continuously donate to the church, and in the event that they are there on a Sunday morning, they sometimes attend services.

“We're very fortunate to have the land and facility that we have available,” Holland said. “It doesn't benefit us financially, but it increases awareness of our ministry and that's a great thing to me.”

Campers will need to have self-sufficient vehicles. Hosts don’t provide hookups or other services. Stays are for overnight stays only.

A blog by Cruise America, The company, which rents and sells RVs, said a membership with Harvest Hosts can quickly pay for itself, considering campgrounds typically charge $30 and up per night. There are quite a lot of locations “away from the hustle and bustle of traditional campgrounds.”

However, the blog points out that campers cannot show up at a Harvest Hosts site unannounced. And campground surfaces can vary: from concrete to asphalt to gravel, dirt or grass.

The grounds of Annie's Alpaca Ranch are a combination of gravel and grass near Danielson's house and the animals' enclosures. She lets people know that her driveway isn't large enough for a number of the larger trucks.

Many of Danielson's guests enjoy mingling with the alpacas. Some feed the animals grain pellets that she lays out. The alpacas know that when a van or RV drives by, it means they get treats.

Danielson grew up on a cattle ranch north of Ames, Iowa. She moved to the Denver area to work for an accounting firm that closed in 2000. After visiting an alpaca farm and learning more about them, Danielson said she became “fascinated by the animals.”

Danielson bought her first alpaca, which is smaller than a llama, in the summertime of 2004 and purchased the property near Longmont in December of that 12 months. The herd has grown to 21 alpacas and two llamas, which fend off predators. She sells a number of the fiber to a small Utah mill and to non-public individuals and takes a number of the animals to shows while still working in accounting.

Based on her experience, Danielson said she would recommend the hosting job to individuals who enjoy networking. “I like talking to people and hearing their stories about where they've come from and where they're going.”