Advertisement
football Edit

Friday Five: Best Big 12 non-conference games of 2023

On Wednesday the Big 12 and its TV partners announced start times for (almost) all non-conference games, plus certain conference games. K-State's three non-con games are set to kickoff at 6:00 PM against SEMO, and a pair of 11:00 AM kicks against Troy and Missouri. The Big 12 has some significant non-con games in 2023, here are my top five picks.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Advertisement
Kobe Savage tackles Missouri QB Brady Cook in Manhattan during 2022's game
Kobe Savage tackles Missouri QB Brady Cook in Manhattan during 2022's game (Associated Press)

Not every game marquee non-con game can fit on this list and while some games that are left off might be significant or important for one reason or another, they just don't have enough juice.

In week one, West Virginia gets to help start a new era of college football on TV when they hit the road to face Penn State on NBC. This is going to tell us a lot about the Mountaineers, they are either who we think they are, a team coached by a lame-duck head coach that is destined for the bottom of the Big 12. Or possibly a team with more talent and intrigue than expected in the preseason.

Most of the marquee action in the Big 12 is going to come in week two. Six teams wil play a Power 5 opponent in the second week of the season, including the Battle for the CyHawk Trophy between Iowa State and Iowa, as well as Oklahoma State on the road to face the Sun Devils of Arizona State.

Iowa/Iowa State will be a disgustingly low-scoring game and I have zero interest in seeing any of those teams play each other. Meanwhile, the Cowboys are heading toward their worst season in the Mike Gundy era and playing in a road environment that is reenergized with the hiring of Kenny Dillingham.

Week three's notable non-con games feature K-State's return to Faurot Field to face Missouri after walloping the Tigers in Manhattan a year ago. Newcomer BYU heads to SEC-foe Arkansas as well. Important games for the fan bases and individual teams, but not enough excitement on both side in either game.

5. UTAH at BAYLOR - WEEK TWO 11:00 AM ESPN

A common theme in some of these early non-conference games is going to be determining the direction of programs and their coaches. Dave Aranda at Baylor is the perfect showcase of this.

In year one at Baylor, Aranda took over a bad team, but a year later had them as Big 12 champions. Last season the Bears took a step back after being picked to be preseason champs. Joey McGuire was a key cog in the staff at Baylor and is now firing things up at Texas Tech for season number two. Utah has made back-to-back trips to the Rose Bowl as Pac-12 champs and doesn't seem to be slowing down. This is a good measuring stick game for the Bears and could provide an early scare to a dark horse playoff contender.

4. ILLINOIS at KANSAS - WEEK TWO (FRIDAY OR SATURDAY)

Both Illinois and Kansas had their best seasons in a long time in 2022 and will look to build off of it in 2023. Kansas returns a good number of the talent that helped them last season, like quarterback Jalon Daniels and running back Devin Neal. The Illini lost significant players to the NFL Draft, but Bret Bielema's squad is still playing off a good amount of excitement.

I really am intrigued by this game and will be excited to watch it, even if it is because of the elevated interest of K-State's in-state rival taking on our man Alec's alma mater.

3. COLORADO at TCU - WEEK ONE 11:00 AM FOX

Chandler Morris started last season in Boulder before his injury gave way to Max Duggan
Chandler Morris started last season in Boulder before his injury gave way to Max Duggan (Associated Press)

Big Noon Kickoff treatment for the reigning national champions as they host the Deion Sanders hype train.

This is the kind of game that Colorado has nothing to lose, but TCU will feel like they dropped a gettable one. If the Horned Frogs were to lose, it may signal a significant drop-off after losing a lot of talent from their national championship runner-up squad.

I am well-documented as a Colorado/Sanders hater, I don't think it works in the long term. So despite my growing displeasure with TCU after experiences last season, I will be pulling for the Big 12's squad to beat the snot out of "Coach Prime" and the Buffaloes.

2. OREGON at TEXAS TECH - WEEK TWO 6:00 PM FOX

I don't know how clear I have made it, but I am very high on Texas Tech going into 2023 and have the Red Raiders as a dark horse to play in Arlington on December 2nd. Joey McGuire appears to be the real deal and Texas Tech finished last season with a lot of momentum.

This is a major chance for the Red Raiders to announce their arrival to the rest of college football by hosting one of the game's premier programs of the last 20 years.

1. TEXAS at ALABAMA - WEEK TWO 6:00 PM ESPN

Alabama hit a kick in the waning moments to take down Texas in Austin during 2022
Alabama hit a kick in the waning moments to take down Texas in Austin during 2022 (Associated Press)

It is the easy answer, but it really is the marquee non-con game for the Big 12. Unfortunately, it serves as an SEC preview for 2024 and beyond, but for this season it gives the Big 12 a chance for some street cred and also Texas trying to prove they are a real threat for the first time since 2009.

My assumption is this is actually a competitive game as Texas plays off the big game juice and hype of the early season, while Alabama continues to struggle with their quarterback position to start the season. The Longhorns will ultimately lose this game and I still think they woefully underperform (cause that is just what they do), but this will be a very compelling early season game in the Big 12 nonetheless.

Advertisement