Week one was certainly an interesting week for the Big 12 Conference. We had several big-time matchups last weekend, but unfortunately, not all of them went as planned.
Cincinnati lost a close one to Nebraska in a tough environment at Arrowhead despite being a home game for the Bearcats. Then on Friday, Baylor gave up over 300 rushing yards to Auburn and lost by double digits at home.
Of course, it’s hard to forget about Colorado, which displayed some of the worst clock management I have ever witnessed in a college football game in their loss to Georgia Tech at home.
I understand that all three Big 12 teams were underdogs, but just winning one of those games would have been huge for the Big 12. And don’t even get me started on Kansas State squeaking by North Dakota, either. Yikes.
Luckily for the conference, Utah and TCU stepped up to try to salvage the weekend. The Utes absolutely dominated UCLA in the Rose Bowl in front of dozens of fans, while TCU curb-stomped North Carolina on national TV Monday night. Those two games felt like must-wins for the conference. Well, this weekend has no shortage of big-time matchups.
Iowa State hosts Iowa for the Cy-Hawk game in Ames, which is one of the most underrated rivalries in college football. The Cyclones haven’t beaten the Hawkeyes in Ames since 2011 as they look to end that streak this weekend.
The Kansas Jayhawks will also be playing in a rivalry game when they face the Tigers for the first time since Missouri left the Big 12 after the 2011 season. The good news for Kansas is that quarterback Jalon Daniels looks like his old self, and Missouri seems to have issues at its quarterback position.
Baylor will get a chance at redemption this weekend in Dallas as it takes on a top-20 SMU team. While SMU isn’t as good as they were a season ago, Baylor needs to find a way to bounce back or else Dave Aranda may not be in Waco for much longer.
Meanwhile, Oklahoma State will go on the road and face a top-ten Oregon team without starting quarterback Hauss Henjy, who is out with a broken foot. Can Zane Flores step in and shock the world? It will be tough, but it would be a much better look for the Big 12 if the Cowboys can manage to put up somewhat of a fight in Eugene.
Last but certainly not least is Arizona State, which is heading to Starkville to take on Mississippi State. Anytime we have a team from the Big 12 taking on a team from the almighty SEC, it’s a big deal. The Sun Devils are the top-ranked team in the conference, and it’s important for them to go and get a win against one of the lesser teams in the SEC.
As nice as it would be for the Big 12 to win all of these games, I know that is likely unrealistic. However, the conference will need a strong showing this weekend against Power Four opponents from other conferences.
This conference can’t afford to go 0-5 in these games, or else the likelihood of it being a one-bid playoff league will likely come true once again. But if the Big 12 can win at least three of these five matchups, then I think the narrative surrounding the conference could swing back in our favor. Buckle up, because it’s going to be one hell of a weekend for the Big 12.
