It’s the longest weekend of the college football season as the Big 12 gears up for Week 1 of the 2025 season.
It’s the longest because it starts on Thursday and goes all the way through Monday. That last game is TCU’s trip to North Carolina and it’s the only game on the entire schedule, giving the Big 12 a significant national game as the Tar Heels debut their new head coach, Bill Belichick. He’s never been a college head coach, but it sounds like he did some good things in the NFL.
The other 15 Big 12 teams are also in action. Aside from Kansas, Kansas State and Iowa State, the other 13 are making their season debuts. Unlike last weekend, there are no conference games.
Here are five things to watch this week in the Big 12.
Most Important Game
Auburn at Baylor, Friday, 7 p.m. CT, Fox
Well, so long as YouTube TV and Fox work out their differences before Friday the country will get to see the game (yes, I know there are other networks. But there are those of us with YouTube TV that would like to watch this game). But it’s a big opportunity for Baylor, even though it’s a non-conference showdown and has no bearing on the Big 12 standings. It’s a chance for the Bears to make a statement in front of a national television audience — and to the rest of the Big 12 that it’s not just a “if everything goes right” kind of title contender.
Least Important Game
UAPB at No. 23 Texas Tech, Saturday, 6:30 p.m. CT, ESPN+
So … this will not be fun for the Golden Lions. UAPB went 3-9 last year and won two games in SWAC action. But in the Golden Lions’ “money game” last year they lost to Arkansas, 70-0. That’s the sort of win the Red Raiders could end up with in this game. This game won’t prove that the NIL money and the revenue-sharing is going to win the Big 12 title. The Red Raiders aren’t going to gauge success by the score, but rather by what they see on tape afterward.
Upset to Watch
Stephen F. Austin at Houston, Thursday, 7 p.m. CT, ESPN+
The Lumberjacks are ranked in the preseason FCS Top 25 and have one of the best quarterbacks in that division in Sam Vidlak. Houston is breaking in a new quarterback in Conner Weigman and has plenty of new transfers to work with. The Cougars could be a bowl team this year and there’s promise all over the roster. But will the Cougars take the Lumberjacks seriously or come out flat?
Debut to Watch
BYU QB Bear Bachmeier
Portland State at BYU, Saturday, 7 p.m. CT, ESPN+
First, love the name. Second, the departure of Jake Retzlaff in the summer opened the quarterback job at BYU. Few would have predicted that the true freshman would have won the job for the season opener. But here we are. How long he holds onto the job remains to be seen, but it likely won’t hinge as much on the final score of the game than it will based on what the coaching staff sees on film. So, if you watch this game for Bachmeier, watch the little things.
Big 12 After Dark
Hawaii at Arizona, Saturday, 9:30 p.m. CT, TNT/HBO Max
While it’s isn’t the latest game on the schedule (Utah-UCLA starts a half-hour later), it marks the first Big 12 football game on TNT as part of its ESPN sub-license package. So, everyone gets a chance to see just how the network will cover the Big 12, as it will have its own pre-game, halftime and post-game show, along with its own game announcers. Meanwhile, Arizona gets a Hawaii team riding high after beating Stanford in the opener.
