We’re in store for another exciting week of Big 12 action, and I thought it would be fun to rank the games based on my interest each week. Between big-time matchups, total duds, and everything in between, here are my best-to-worst games for the weekend.
#1: Arizona State at #10 Texas A&M
As I always say, anytime the Big 12 has an opportunity to get a win over a ranked SEC team is huge. And for Arizona State, they travel to College Station, which is one of the toughest places to play in all of college football. Even though they are two-touchdown underdogs, this is a chance for the conference to potentially pull off a massive upset and gain some national respect.
#2: #6 Oregon at Oklahoma State
We have another top-ten opponent in a Big 12 game as Oklahoma State will host Oregon. Much like the Sun Devils, the Cowboys are huge underdogs at home this weekend. After their disappointing performance against Tulsa, it’s important that the Cowboys show some life in this one even if they end up losing. The last thing Oklahoma State needs is to get blown out.
#3: #23 Missouri at Kansas
Not only do we have an old-school rivalry game on Friday night, but it’s once again an opportunity for the Big 12 to get a win over a top-25 SEC team. This used to be one of the best rivalries in the old Big 12 before Missouri jumped ship to the SEC. The Border War is back, and I couldn’t be more excited.
#4: Arizona at #15 BYU
One could argue that this game should be higher on the list, but being in the top five of this loaded slate is still respectable. This is the first conference game of the season, and it’s only week two, which feels odd to say the least. However, BYU is one of the favorites to get back to Jerry World, and Arizona is potentially a dark horse Big 12 title contender. And after last week, I think we are going to learn a lot about these two teams after this game.
#5: Arkansas at #20 Utah
This is the third and final matchup against the SEC, which almost makes it feel like a Big 12/SEC weekend during basketball season. But this is football, where the conference we all love gets little respect nationally. Out of all the Big 12/SEC matchups this weekend, this is the only game in which the Big 12 team is favored, which is why it’s important for Utah to get the job done.
#6: Iowa State at #21 Iowa
It feels odd to put this game at six, but from a Big 12 perspective, this isn’t one that is going to make or break the conference. Almost everyone picked Iowa State to finish in the bottom three, so not many people are expecting much from the Cyclones this weekend. However, in rivalry games, crazy things can happen but it’s going to be tough to beat the Hawkeyes in Iowa City with this Iowa State team.
#7: UCF at Pittsburgh
If this game happened in week one, it would be higher on the list, but with so many great matchups, it slid down a bit. While neither UCF nor Pitt is expected to finish in the top half of their respective conferences, it’s always nice if the Big 12 can beat an ACC team on their turf. Plus, I am very interested to see how UCF looks against a decent team in year two under Scott Frost.
#8: Washington State at Kansas State
Even though this isn’t a true power conference matchup, I still think this is a good test for Kansas State early in the season. Washington State put up a decent fight against Washington last weekend, and this will provide us with an opportunity to see just how far Avery Johnson has come under Collin Klein.
#9: #13 Texas Tech at Oregon State
Traveling west can be tricky sometimes and after a bit of a lackluster performance against Abilene Christian, I think it’s important for Texas Tech to show us a little bit more in week two. Oregon State gave Houston their best shot and will likely do the same against the Red Raiders. This needs to be the game where Tech flexes its muscles and shows everyone it’s the best the Big 12 has to offer.
#10: Western Carolina at Cincinnati
This is where things start to drop off a bit as the next few games on the list are nothing but FCS matchups. The only thing I would like to see from this guy is the arm of JC French for the Bearcats. After completing just five passes last week, I want to see if he can throw the football.
#11: Southern at #22 Houston
Houston will win by a ton, but I’ll focus on the defense. Last weekend against Oregon State, I felt like the Cougars gave up too much through the air. This is the game to help work out some of those miscues on the back end.
#12 Weber State at Colorado
This is one of four games without a point spread because of the matchup. Colorado is coming off a big win against Georgia Tech, and I am intrigued to see how they respond and if their offense can be a little more consistent this weekend.
#13: UT Martin at West Virginia
The focus of this game will be on Michael Hawkins Jr., the quarterback for the Mountaineers. We know Cam Cook will be great, but this offense needs good quarterback play, and this will be a game to get some reps in.
#14: Grambling at TCU
To be honest, we aren’t going to learn anything about TCU in this game outside of seeing some backups get some playing time. Even the Grambling coach is admitting why they’re really in Fort Worth. Other than that, TCU could use a win after a bad opener in Ireland.
#15: Prairie View A&M at Baylor
Much like TCU, there’s nothing we are going to learn about Baylor here. There is not really any reason to keep an eye on this from a Big 12 perspective.
