Which Big 12 football matchup ranks No. 1 among new-look conference's 105 games in 2023?
More than half a century ago, Paul McCartney foretold the Big 12 of the last two years.
You say yes, I say no. You say stop, I say go, go, go … you say goodbye, and I say hello.
And now we reach the 2023 football season, most definitely a year of goodbyes and a year of hellos.
Goodbye to OU and Texas, off to the Southeastern Conference in 11½ months. Hello to Brigham Young, Cincinnati, Houston and Central Florida, newcomers who change this once-staid conference in every way, from geography to fan bases to added parity.
It promises to be a wild year for what has been a wild conference in the last three seasons, when three schools have won the Big 12 title, six schools have played for the conference championship and five schools have finished in The Associated Press top 10.
Heck, even Kansas emerged off the mat to be a relevant Big 12 team.
Add the newcomers — BYU, Cincinnati and Houston all finished in the AP top 20 as recently as 2021, and none are considered as potent as Central Florida entering the league — and we could be looking at another hard-to-gauge season.
My annual ranking of Big 12 games has mushroomed, to 105 games, and it’s harder than ever to put them in order.
Will BYU at OSU on Thanksgiving Saturday mean much? Will UCF at Kansas in early October? Will the pollsters who picked Texas, Kansas State and OU to finish 1-2-3 be close to correct, or will they be like the voters of the previous two seasons and have both eventual Big 12 title game participants projected below third?
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Who knows? But here’s my best guess for the importance and quality of the games, in this remarkable season of hellos and goodbyes.
1. Kansas State at Texas, Nov. 4: Let's not overcomplicate it. These are the teams picked at the top of the conference, and if that proves true, this could be a game of national significance.
2. Texas at Alabama, Sept. 9: Big showdown, but a no-win situation for the Big 12. If Bama wins, it’s because of SEC dominance. If UT pulls the upset, it’s still an SEC win.
3. OU at OSU, Nov. 4: The longest uninterrupted in-state rivalry in America takes a final bow. The emotions will run deep in Stillwater.
4. TCU at Kansas State, Oct. 21: The defending national runnerup vs. the defending Big 12 champion. How could it not be big?
5. OU vs. Texas in Dallas, Oct. 7: The Big 12 would like nothing better than for neither of these teams to make it to Arlington, and after this game, we'll know more about the feasibility of that dream.
6. Central Florida at Kansas State, Sept. 23: OK, Knights. Let’s see what you’ve got in a Big 12 opener that could stamp UCF as a conference contender.
7. Oregon at Texas Tech, Sept. 9: Are the Red Raiders for real as Big 12 contenders? We'll learn a lot when the vaunted Ducks come to Lubbock.
8. Texas at Baylor, Sept. 23: Bedlam is not the only in-state rivalry about to die. The Longhorns and Bears have played 112 times, starting in 1901.
9. TCU at OU, Nov. 24: It’s easy to picture this Thanksgiving Friday game as a Big 12 semifinal.
10. Texas Tech at Baylor, Oct. 7: If the Red Raiders knock off Oregon, they likely will be unbeaten going into Waco.
11. Texas at TCU, Nov. 11: An underrated rivalry that also is about to die. The Horned Frogs are 8-3 vs. the Longhorns since joining the Big 12.
12. Utah at Baylor, Sept. 9: The Bears could make a statement about the state of the Big 12 — and the reeling Pac-12 — while also courting the Utes to join the conference.
13. Texas Tech at BYU, Oct. 21: The Cougars' first conference home game is against Cincinnati, which won't feel exactly like a Big 12 showdown. But this one will.
14. Baylor at Central Florida, Sept. 30: UCF’s first Big 12 home game should make the Bounce House shake in Orlando.
15. Texas Tech at Texas, Nov. 24: Perhaps with high stakes, a rather raucous rivalry comes to an end, though the athletic directors at least have discussed a future series.
16. OU at Cincinnati, Sept. 23: The biggest-named opponent ever to venture into Nippert Stadium also is the Bearcats' Big 12 debut.
17. Kansas State at OSU, Oct. 6: K-State has won just once in Stillwater this century; this Friday night showdown could determine the Wildcats’ title hopes.
18. Texas at Houston, Oct. 21: A housewarming gift for the Cougars, who have a simmering feud with the hated Longhorns and aren't likely to lure UT back into TDECU Stadium.
19. Iowa at Iowa State, Sept. 9: The Cyclones’ annual attempt to strike a blow for Big 12 pride against the Big Ten.
20. Kansas State at Kansas, Nov. 18: Not since 2008 have the Jayhawks won the Sunflower Showdown. But Lance Leopold’s rebuild is impressive.
21. Pittsburgh at West Virginia, Sept. 16: A victory in the Backyard Brawl could help WVU coach Neal Brown's job security.
22. TCU at Houston, Sept. 16: The Cougars’ first Big 12 game is against its mentor/model program.
23. Central Florida at OU, Oct. 21: The Knights figure to be the best of the newcomers, so this game could have major ramifications.
24. Colorado at TCU, Sept. 2: Deion Sanders' Colorado debut comes in Fort Worth, with the nation watching.
25. Kansas State at Texas Tech, Oct. 14: If the Red Raiders are as good as advertised, they will play a bunch of marquee games.
26. BYU at Arkansas, Sept. 16: You want to thank the Big 12 for the invitation, Cougars? Beat an SEC team.
27. TCU at Texas Tech, Nov. 2: Some believe Tech could be this year’s TCU. But what if TCU is this year’s TCU?
28. OU at BYU, Nov. 18: The Sooners already are concerned about a possible night game in Provo, which this likely will be if both teams have a pulse.
29. Central Florida at Texas Tech, Nov. 18: UCF has played plenty of potentially bad-weather opponents, but still, welcome to Lubbock in late November.
30. OSU at Iowa State, Sept. 23: An early-season test for both. The loser exits the race for the Big 12’s surprise team.
31. OU at Kansas, Oct. 28: Another ancient series dies. The Sooners and Jayhawks have played every year since 1903, other than when the Big 12 used divisional play 1996-2010.
32. Cincinnati at West Virginia, Nov. 18: Doesn’t figure to mean much in the Big 12 standings, but this game should relaunch an old rivalry for the league’s east wing.
33. BYU at Kansas, Sept. 23: The Cougars’ Big 12 opener comes in Lawrence, which forever was a football ghost town but now won’t be easy.
34. OSU at Houston, Nov. 18: Big game for future reasons — can Cowboy fans take over TDECU Stadium and stake a claim that they own a piece of the Houston recruiting ground?
35. BYU at Texas, Oct. 28: Trap game for Texas; the Longhorns are 1-4 all-time vs. the Cougars, and Texas’ only win was 17-16 in 2011.
36. Baylor at Kansas State, Nov. 11: One or both of these programs have gone at least 7-2 in conference play seven times in the last 12 years.
37. Kansas at Texas, Sept. 30: You remember what happened the last time the Jayhawks played in Austin? KU won 57-56 in overtime, signaling a new era for the Jayhawks.
38. Cincinnati at Pittsburgh, Sept. 9: The Big 12’s only game against an Atlantic Coast Conference opponent. Come on, Bearcats. Do the Big 12 proud.
39. Texas at Iowa State, Nov. 11: The Cyclones have won three of the last four in the series. The Longhorns have won just once in Ames since 2013.
40. West Virginia at Penn State, Sept. 2: Looks like a mismatch, but at least it’s a resumption of a grand old Eastern-independent rivalry.
41. Baylor at TCU, Nov. 18: Rivalry isn’t the same without Art Briles and Gary Patterson, but the quality of the programs remains high.
42. Kansas State at Missouri, Sept. 16: The Wildcats rolled at home last season in the renewal of an old Big Eight rivalry.
43. Cincinnati at BYU, Sept. 29: Friday night ESPN game matching two of the new members. A quality game would showcase the league.
44. OSU at Central Florida, Nov. 11: Programs expected to be major players in the Big 12 going forward. Who gets the early jump?
45. Iowa State at OU, Sept. 30: The Sooners begin their farewell tour of old Big 12 haunts. How will they be received?
46. Illinois at Kansas, Sept. 8: Time was, the Big 12 winced when KU played a Power Five Conference foe. Not anymore.
47. West Virginia at Houston, Oct. 12: Thursday night game is a reunion of UH coach Dana Holgorsen and the Mountaineers, whom he coached from 2011-18.
48. Kansas at OSU, Oct. 14: The Cowboys’ 12-game series win streak ended last season. It’s fairly vital that OSU starts another in 2023.
49. TCU at Iowa State, Oct. 7: If you believe that the Cyclones will stay down, as they were in 2022, then this isn’t much of a game. But otherwise...
50. Central Florida at Boise State, Sept. 9: I still say Boise State wouldn’t be a bad fallback plan for Big 12 expansion, if odd-numbered Pac-12 schools wanted to jump.
51. Baylor at Cincinnati, Oct. 21: The Bearcats will be down from their recent lofty heights but likely will upset someone in Nippert Stadium.
52. Texas Tech at Kansas, Nov. 11: Trips to Lawrence aren’t weekend getaways anymore.
53. Central Florida at Cincinnati, Nov. 4: Will this become a rivalry from American Conference days? I guess we start finding out.
54. BYU at OSU, Nov. 25: Rematch of the 1974 Fiesta Bowl and 1976 Tangerine Bowl, an era when LaVell Edwards was just getting the Cougars off the ground.
55. Central Florida at Kansas, Oct. 7: This will be a much better football rivalry than basketball.
56. Texas Tech at West Virginia, Sept. 23: Lubbock to Morgantown no longer is the longest road trip in the Big 12. Take a bow, Orlando to Provo.
57. BYU at TCU, Oct. 14: The Cougars were picked 11th in the preseason poll. Seems a little low, but if so, this game could be one-sided.
58. OSU at Arizona State, Sept. 9: Most years, a non-conference matchup like this would rank much higher, but the Cowboys appear down and the Sun Devils even downer.
59. Kansas at Iowa State, Nov. 4: Do you realize that the conference soon will be down to just three schools left from Big Seven days? These two and K-State.
60. Iowa State at Cincinnati, Oct. 14: Will the Cyclones and Bearcats develop a rivalry? They are 600 miles apart, about the same as from Ames to Norman.
61. Kansas at Cincinnati, Nov. 25: This game could be a for bowl berth for either or both teams.
62. Iowa State at Baylor, Oct. 28: In Matt Campbell’s seven seasons as coach, the Cyclones have a better conference record than does Baylor.
63. Cincinnati at OSU, Oct. 28: Strange schedule for the Cowboys. No Big 12 newcomers until this game kicks off a stretch of four in five weeks.
64. BYU at West Virginia, Nov. 4: From the Wasatch Mountains (Rockies) to the Alleghenys (Appalachians). What a conference.
65. Houston at Baylor, Nov. 4: Maybe the Texas schools still feel like they’re in a regionally-compact league. Houston has seven games against Texas schools.
66. OSU at West Virginia, Oct. 21: The Cowboys’ road schedule is manageable. In the Big 12, they play at Ames, Morgantown, Orlando and Houston.
67. Iowa State at Kansas State, Nov. 25: Farmageddon no longer is a derisive term. It’s a compliment.
68. Southern Methodist at TCU, Sept. 23: The Iron Skillet Game retains some intrigue. We’re only 19 months removed from Sonny Dykes leaving SMU for TCU.
69. Iowa State at BYU, Nov. 11: The Cougars will have a November homefield advantage against most Big 12 foes due to weather, but not against the Cyclones.
70. West Virginia at Baylor, Nov. 25: WVU doesn’t figure to have much to play for by Thanksgiving. How about Baylor?
71. Houston at Texas Tech, Sept. 30: Old Southwest Conference foes who know each other well — they've met four times in the previous six years. The Red Raiders won them all.
72. West Virginia at Central Florida, Oct. 28: The series is two games old, with WVU wins in 2003 and 2004.
74. Cincinnati at Houston, Nov. 11: The Bearcats and Cougars were in the Missouri Valley Conference together from 1957-59.
75. West Virginia at TCU, Sept. 30: Wow. What a September for the Mountaineers. They play Penn State, Pitt, Texas Tech and TCU in four of their first five games.
76. Houston at Central Florida, Nov. 25: The Knights lead the space-themed series 7-3.
77. West Virginia at OU, Nov. 11: The Sooners and Mountaineers usually play interesting games, but that trend will be tested in 2023.
78. Houston at Kansas State, Oct. 28: Cougars picked near the bottom of the Big 12, Wildcats picked near the top.
79. Southern Methodist at OU, Sept. 9: Will SMU be a future Pac-12 member by September?
80. Texas-San Antonio at Houston, Sept. 2: Roadrunners were potent in 2022 and now have replaced UH in the American Conference.
81. Troy at Kansas State, Sept. 9: Beware. KSU lost at home to Tulane in 2022 and Arkansas State in 2020.
82. Texas Tech at Wyoming, Sept. 2: From Lubbock to Laramie. Sounds more like Lonesome Dove than a football game.
83. OU at Tulsa, Sept. 16: Former Sooner offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson attempts to turn around the Golden Hurricane.
84. Kansas at Nevada, Sept. 16: For 15 years, this kind of game would have been a tossup for the Jayhawks. No longer.
85. Iowa State at Ohio, Sept. 16: The Cyclones put themselves at risk with these Mid-American Conference road trips.
85. South Alabama at OSU, Sept. 16: The Jaguars are a little dangerous, having gone 10-3 last season with a near-upset at UCLA.
86. Wyoming at Texas, Sept. 16: The Cowboys were a decent Mountain West Conference team in 2022.
87. Miami-Ohio at Cincinnati, Sept. 16: Historic rivalry, which began in 1888 and is the fifth-most-played series in college football.
88. Houston at Rice, Sept. 9: Nation’s easiest road trip? The Cougars play five miles from their campus, against an outmanned team.
89. Kent State at Central Florida, Aug. 31: Believe it or not, UCF and Kent State were Mid-American Conference mates in from 2002-04.
90. Arkansas State at OU, Sept. 2: Can ex-Tennessee coach Butch Jones turn around the Red Wolves after going 5-19 his first two seasons?
91. Sam Houston State at Houston, Sept. 23: Yes, the city of Houston was named after the general who produced victory in the 1836 Texas Revolution.
92. Texas State at Baylor, Sept. 2: The Bobcats have just one winning season (2014) after 12 years in Division I-A.
93. Sam Houston State at BYU, Sept. 2: This is Sam Houston’s first season in Division I-A. The Bearkats have joined Conference USA.
94. Rice at Texas, Sept. 2: Of the left-behind programs from Southwest Conference days, only Rice and SMU haven’t returned to power-conference status. And Rice won’t.
95. Eastern Kentucky at Cincinnati, Sept. 2: The Colonels at least made the Division I-AA playoffs.
96. Northern Iowa at Iowa State, Sept. 2: I-AA Northern often plays ISU or Iowa tough.
97. Southeast Missouri State at Kansas State, Sept. 2: SEMO was 9-3 last season as a Division I-AA team.
98. Tarleton State at Texas Tech, Sept. 16: As recently as 2019, the I-AA Texans were members of the Division II Lone Star Conference.
99. Southern Utah at BYU, Sept. 9: Don’t you wish the Cougars were playing Utah instead of I-AA Southern Utah?
100. Central Arkansas at OSU, Sept. 2: The I-AA Bears play on a purple-and-gray striped field. Not that the Cowboys will ever play in Conway.
101. Missouri State at Kansas, Sept. 1: The I-AA Bears no longer are coached by Bobby Petrino, who is off to Texas A&M as its offensive coordinator.
102. Villanova at Central Florida, Sept. 16: Yes, the Wildcats — SuperNova in basketball — play I-AA football.
103. Duquesne at West Virginia, Sept. 9: WVU hosts two teams from Pittsburgh this year, including the I-AA Dukes.
104. Long Island at Baylor, Sept. 16: Quite a road trip for the I-AA Sharks.
105. Nicholls at TCU, Sept. 9: The I-AA Colonels went 3-8 a year ago.
Berry Tramel can be reached at 405-760-8080 or at btramel@oklahoman.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY NETWORK: Big 12 Conference football: Ranking all 105 games for 2023 season
