Let’s face it – Week 1 of the Big 12 football schedule was a bit of a snoozer. West Virginia and Penn State were supposed to provide some real star power in the opening weekend of action, but the Nittany Lions ended up rolling the Mountaineers, 34-12.
TCU-Stanford ended up being an entertaining matchup in Palo Alto — the Horned Frogs closed out the game in the fourth quarter — but aside from those two games, the rest of the slate was chock-full of FCS opponents.
Sure, North Dakota State and Abilene Christian made things interesting, while UNLV embarrassed Houston in Willie Fritz’s debut, but for the most part, the Big 12’s first weekend of games was forgettable.
That is far from the case in Week 2, though, as the Big 12 has 10 of its 16 games featuring Power Four opponents, and another matchup (K-State vs. Tulane) featuring a Big 12 contender against what many consider the best G5 program in the country.
There are so many good games out there, it’s hard to choose which ones you should prioritize over the others. So, we did it for you.
Here’s how we rank all 16 games from the Week 2 slate in the Big 12.
15. Long Island at TCU | 7:00 p.m. CT | ESPN+
What is there to even say about this one? TCU could win by 80 points if they wanted, and we’re not even sure how good the Horned Frogs are yet. *Yawn*
14. UAlbany at West Virginia | 5:00 p.m. CT | ESPN+
Unless you are a Mountaineer fan who’s eager to wash down the Penn State loss with a cupcake feasting, there are much better ways to spend your Saturday afternoon. Perhaps pulling weeds or painting the spare bedroom?
13. Northern Arizona at Arizona (-35.5) | 9:00 p.m. CT | ESPN+
Like the two games before this one, there’s not much of an appeal for this one from a matchup perspective. But, at least they share a state and Tetairoa McMillan will be on the field (for a quarter or two).
12. Sam Houston at UCF (-21.5) | 5:30 p.m. CT | ESPN+
If you haven’t caught on by this point, ESPN+ is just about the only way you’re going to catch the cupcake splatterings this week. Luckily, UCF-Sam Houston is the last game on the list exclusively available on that platform.
11. Houston at Oklahoma (-28) | 6:45 p.m. CT | SEC Network
This game had a chance for some intrigue — then Houston went to Las Vegas and got blown out by UNLV. Oklahoma is wearing some sick throwback uniforms, but you can see those just scrolling on Twitter. Plus, this one’s on the SEC Network…
Editor’s Note: The gap between 11 and 10 is probably as wide as the gap between 10 and 1 on this list. This weekend is going to be incredible for Big 12 fans.
10. Baylor at Utah (-14.5) | 2:30 p.m. CT | FOX
Dequan Finn was better than advertised in Week 1, but playing at Utah is going to be a much tougher test. If Baylor makes this interesting, the second-half of this game becomes must-see TV.
9. BYU at SMU (-12.5) | 6:00 p.m. CT (Fri) | ESPN2
There’s not a ton of confidence in BYU heading into this game, but the Cougars could prove a lot of doubters wrong on Friday night. This game gets the nod over the last couple of games thanks to it falling into the Friday night window.
8. Kansas (-4.5) at Illinois | 6:00 p.m. CT | FS1
This feels like a basketball game that fits into the primetime window of any college hoops fan, but the matchup on the football field doesn’t quite have the same “oomph” that it would on the hardwood. Still, Jalon Daniels is healthy and its Big 12 vs. Big Ten. Sign me up.
7. Mississippi State at Arizona State (-5.5) | 9:30 p.m. CT | ESPN
Before both teams impressed in Week 1, this game was probably somewhere around the 11 or 12 spot. Then Arizona State thumped Wyoming and is favored against an SEC opponent. You’ll have to stay up late for this one, but it should be worth the wait.
6. Pitt at Cincinnati (-2) | 11:00 a.m. CT | ESPN2
The River City Rivalry isn’t well-known to Big 12 fans yet, but if last year’s game was any indication, this one should be fun. Cincy won on the road last year and Pat Narduzzi is already talking mess about Nippert Stadium. Buckle up.
5. Kansas State (-8.5) at Tulane | 11:00 a.m. CT | ESPN
On paper, this doesn’t look like much to the casual fan, but ask Kansas State how tricky the Green Wave can be to navigate. K-State lost this head-to-head matchup in 2022 and is heading to New Orleans for the rematch. This one could be lots of fun.
4. Texas Tech at Washington State (-2) | 9:00 p.m. CT | FOX
If you like offense, this is going to be a game you’ll want to wait up for. Texas Tech needed all 52 of its points to outlast Abilene Christian last week, and Washington State scored 70 but gave up 30 to Portland State last week. The total of 66.5 still feels too low in this one, and I’m getting Pac-12 (R.I.P) After Dark vibes.
3. Iowa State at Iowa (-3) | 2:30 p.m. CT | CBS
Now, if you like defense, this is the game for you. The total is set at 35.5 and both of these teams are perennial juggernauts on the defensive side of the ball. If you’ve never sat through a CyHawk Game, do yourself a favor and tune in. The low-scoring nature of this game might tune some people out, but for me, every possession has so much pressure packed into it.
2. Arkansas at Oklahoma State (-10) | 11:00 a.m. CT | ABC
Arkansas and Oklahoma State played 68 times between 1912 and 1980 and in all but one season between 1960 and 1980. The Razorbacks dominated the series near the end, winning 16 of the last 20 meetings and each of the last five in the series. However, a lot has changed in the 44 years that have passed since their last meeting Arkansas won its first game 70-0, but Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Oklahoma State are two totally different animals. Here’s to hoping we get a renewed geographical rivalry out of this one.
1. Colorado at Nebraska (-6.5) | 6:30 p.m. CT | NBC
Colorado’s season-opener against North Dakota State was the best Thursday night game, from a viewership standpoint, that ESPN had seen since 2017. This week’s numbers will blow that out of the water. Nebraska is feeling very good about its prospects heading into the 2024 season, and Dylan Raiola has the Huskers feeling like it’s the late 90s and early 2000s again. This old-school Big 12 rivalry is certain to have all the storylines you could ever want heading into it, and after Colorado thumped the Cornhuskers in Boulder (CO) last year, Lincoln (NE) should be rocking. The Travis Hunter/Shedeur Sanders show on the road in front of the most loyal fan base in college football — and it’s two members of my favorite childhood conference? I know where I’ll be tuned in at 6:30 on Saturday night.
