Big 12 week 1 predictions: West Virginia with a tough road matchup vs. Penn State
There aren’t a lot of big-time matchups in the Big 12 in week one, but there are a few intriguing contests. West Virginia goes on the road to take on Penn State. Texas Tech is the only other Big 12 team playing away from home this week, but take on Wyoming in what could be an interesting contest.
Houston hosts UTSA, a team that’s started to gain national recognition among Group of Five teams.
UCF got the Big 12 started off right with a huge win over Kent State on Thursday night. John Rhys Plumlee had 371 combined passing and rushing yards and four total touchdowns in their 56-6 win over Kent State.
Can the conference keep things going starting Friday night with Kansas hosting Missouri State?
There will be some big-time performances this week. Here are our Big 12 predictions for week one.
Kansas Jayhawks vs. Missouri State Bears - 7 p.m. CT on ESPN+
The Kansas Jayhawks have one of the best quarterbacks in the conference, if not the country. On a contending team, Jalon Daniels would be receiving Heisman buzz. He might thrust himself into the conversation if he can turn the Jayhawks into a Big 12 contender.
The Jayhawks open with Missouri State on Friday night and will absolutely throttle the Bears.
Kansas 56, Missouri State 13
No. 16 TCU Horned Frogs vs. Colorado Buffaloes - 11 a.m. CT on Fox
The magic started last year with a week one win over the Colorado Buffaloes despite losing starting quarterback Chandler Morris to injury. Morris is back at the helm for the Horned Frogs who are hoping for more magic in 2023.
Deion Sanders is working through an overhaul of the Buffaloes roster and hopes that Shaddeur Sanders and Travis Hunter can be the building blocks to a resurgent Colorado team.
Though TCU is more than a 20-point favorite, this game feels a lot closer than the spread. Give me TCU but in a close one.
TCU 31, Colorado 24
Iowa State Cyclones vs. Northern Iowa - 1 p.m. CT on ESPN+
Every year there’s an FCS school or two that takes a step up in competition to knock off an FBS school. Two years ago, Iowa State and Northern Iowa played a tight ball game that was 10-10 before last second field goal made it a three point game at halftime.
The Cyclones went on to win 16-10. That was with Brock Purdy, Breece Hall, Charlie Kolar, Xavier Hutchinson, and Will McDonald. The bottom fell out after Purdy, Hall, and Kolar went to the NFL after the 2022 season, and now they’re without Hutchinson and McDonald (NFL) and presumed starting quarterback Hunter Dekkers amid gambling allegations.
This game is ripe for an upset, and we’re going to go with Northern Iowa in a close one.
Northern Iowa 16, Iowa State 13
No. 12 Texas Longhorns vs. Rice Owls - 2:30 p.m. on Fox
New year, same expectations for the Texas Longhorns. They’re a talented team that has the makings of a potential playoff team if they can live up to the hype.
Year two as a starting quarterback for Quinn Ewers should help him take a step, especially considering the plethora of weapons at his disposal.
Rice is not a very good football program and Texas should take advantage, even if they aren’t as good in the long run as many think they should be.
Texas 48, Rice 7
Cincinnati Bearcats vs. Eastern Kentucky - 2:30 p.m. on ESPN+
Scott Satterfield’s debut for the Cincinnati Bearcats welcomes FCS playoff team Eastern Kentucky to Nippert Stadium.
The Bearcats boast one of the best defensive lines in college football, which will be a problem for the Colonels.
Quarterback Emory Jones won’t light up a defense through the air, but his athleticism will help Cincinnati move the chains and put up some points.
Eastern Kentucky’s Parker McKinney is an experienced passer with 1,300 attempts at the collegiate level. If the Bearcats can make him uncomfortable, it will be a long day for the Colonels’ high-powered offense.
Cincinnati 34, Eastern Kentucky 17
No. 17 Kansas State Wildcats vs. Southeast Missouri - 6 p.m. CT on ESPN+
Will Howard is one of the best quarterbacks in the Big 12, and Kansas State has one of the best coaches in college football in Chris Klieman. There’s no concern here for the Wildcats. They’ll put up big numbers en route to a blowout win to start their 2023 campaign.
SEMO has a good offense, but they won’t be able to do enough against the Wildcats.
Kansas State 56, Southeast Missouri 17
Baylor Bears vs. Texas State - 6 p.m. on ESPN+
The move to the Football Bowl Subdivision hasn’t been kind to Texas State, however they have a new direction under G.J. Kinne. Kinne was a productive passer at Tulsa under Gus Malzahn and later served as Malzahn’s offensive coordinator at UCF. Kinne helped Incarnate Word to a 12-2 record and FCS playoff berth in 2022 before taking the job at Texas State. Kinne’s a good coach that will have Texas State playing better ball in the years to come.
Baylor has had a roller coaster run under Dave Aranda but is still a solid team. If they can get an improved passing game out of Blake Shapen, the Bears will be a threat. They have a strong running game and the defense is solid.
Baylor should win this game, but it may be closer than one might think.
Baylor 31, Texas State 17
Houston Cougars vs. UTSA - 6 p.m. CT on FS1
The Donovan Smith era begins in Houston as Dana Holgorsen ushers the Cougars into the Big 12. Smith was a productive quarterback at Texas Tech before ceding his job to Tyler Shough. Smith’s athleticism and intangibles will give Houston a chance to make some noise if they can get everything else to come together.
UTSA has been a team on the rise for some time. They’ve won 23 games over the last two years and continue to climb the ranks. This could be a really fun game.
Houston 34, UTSA 24
Oklahoma State Cowboys vs. Central Arkansas - 6 p.m. CT on ESPN+
Alan Bowman returns to the Big 12 to take the reins of the Oklahoma State Cowboys. He’s a productive player when healthy, with a 67.1% completion rate. The problem is he’s never played more than eight games in a season.
Against Central Arkansas, Bowman and the Cowboys have a chance to get off to a strong start. Oklahoma State gets out to a big lead and establishes their rushing attack.
Oklahoma State 48, Central Arkansas 10
No. 7 Penn State Nittany Lions vs. West Virginia Mountaineers - 6:30 p.m. CT on NBC
This is easily the game of the week in the Big 12 as the West Virginia Mountaineers go on the road to face the No. 7 ranked Penn State Nittany Lions.
It will be a fantastic battle in the trenches. Neal Brown’s West Virginia crew is usually good on the defensive line and James Franklin and Penn State have one of the best offensive lines in the country.
It’ll be a battle, but the Nittany Lions come out on top at home.
Penn State 31, West Virginia 17
No. 24 Texas Tech Red Raiders vs. Wyoming - 6:30 p.m. CT on CBS
Texas Tech is just one of two Big 12 teams playing on the road to open the season. They’ll face a Wyoming team that’s had just one losing season in the last seven under Craig Bohl.
Joey McGuire’s Red Raiders crew is one of the more intriguing teams in the conference heading into 2023. They had an eight win season a year ago and beat Oklahoma and Texas along the way.
Going into this year, there are higher expectations for Tech. They’ll meet those expectations in week one with an explosive offensive performance.
Texas Tech 44, Wyoming 20
BYU Cougars vs. Sam Houston State - 9:15 p.m. CT - FS1
The BYU Cougars open the season as a Big 12 team against Sam Houston State at home. It should be a big win for the Cougars who hope to make a statement in their first season in a Power Five conference.
Kedon Slovis will lead the offensive attack after transferring over from Pitt.
The Cougars have only had one losing season under Kalani Sitake, and they’ve lost just one season opener in his tenure.
BYU 45, Sam Houston State 10
No. 19 Oklahoma Sooners vs. Arkansas State - 11 a.m. CT on ESPN
The Oklahoma Sooners take on the Arkansas State Red Wolves on ESPN at 11 a.m. CT and here’s where you can find our Sooners Wire Staff Predictions.
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