Mussatto: Which Big 12 football championship game we'd most like to see
Determining which two teams will play in the Big 12 Championship Game is like thumbing through a choose-your-own adventure book.
In this week’s edition of Big 12 tiers, I’m going to do just that. These are the Big 12 title games I’d most like to see:
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Tier 1: Bedlam
OU vs. OSU
When we called OSU’s 27-24 win against OU the last Bedlam for the foreseeable future, we didn’t foresee a Bedlam rematch in the Big 12 Championship Game. What a wild twist that would be.
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Tier 2: Red River wars
OU vs. Texas
OU-Texas wouldn’t be as compelling as OU-OSU. For one, we’ve already seen the Sooners and Longhorns play a Big 12 Championship Game (2018) in Arlington. And two, unlike Bedlam, the Red River Rivalry is going to continue on an annual basis. That being said, seeing the Sooners and Longhorns lace it up again, after an epic game in the Cotton Bowl, would be pretty cool.
OSU vs. Texas
Since 2010, OSU has won nine of its 13 meetings with Texas, including the last two. The Cowboys and Longhorns didn’t play each other this season, which would make a Big 12 title matchup all the more intriguing.
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Tier 3: Purple reign
OU vs. Kansas State
How about an old school Big 12 North vs. South matchup? Twenty years ago, at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, the Wildcats walloped the Sooners 35-7 in the Big 12 Championship Game. Kansas State, the defending conference champs, have beaten OU in three of the last four meetings. The Sooners and Wildcats didn’t meet this season.
Kansas State vs. Texas
We just saw this game, but I’m willing to watch it again. Kansas State rallied in the fourth quarter to force overtime, but the Longhorns denied K-State’s aggressive fourth-down attempt to end the game with a touchdown rather than kicking a game-tying field goal to extend the game.
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Tier 4: At least a state school made it
OSU vs. Kansas State
OSU’s 29-21 win in Stillwater against Kansas State marked the beginning of the Cowboys’ remarkable turnaround.
OSU vs. Iowa State
When these teams played two months ago in Ames, a 34-27 Iowa State win, we thought it was a battle of cellar dwellers. Joke’s on us. It was a preview of a potential Big 12 title game.
OU vs. Iowa State
The Sooners crushed the Cyclones 50-20 in Norman. This would be a rematch of the 2020 title game, but both of those teams were better than their current versions. Pass.
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Tier 5: Wait, what happened?
Texas vs. Iowa State
Texas and Iowa State play each other Saturday in Ames. Huge game in the Big 12 race. Strange as it may sound, there’s a scenario in which the Longhorns and Cyclones meet again in Arlington.
Iowa State vs. Kansas State
The Big 12 title game pitted the north champion vs. the south champion from 1996-2010. No conference title game was played between 2010-16. When the game was renewed in 2017, the Big 12 was a different, division-less conference. In the six years since, a team from the traditional south division has been represented in every game. We’ve even had south vs. south. But never north vs. north. It could happen!
Joe Mussatto is a sports columnist for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Joe? Email him at jmussatto@oklahoman.com. Support Joe's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Bedlam rematch for Big 12 football title would be the best scenario
