Big 12 Football: Ranking the Top 2015 Must-Watch Games
Well, look at that. It's almost August, which means it's almost time for preseason camp. Football, even if in practice form, is almost here.
Still, we know the summer offseason is a tough time for everyone. Be real: How often do you scope out team schedules to find the top games you're looking forward to this year? It's OK to be honest; you're among friends.
Anyway, that was the inspiration for this little list: the must-watch Big 12 games of 2015. Preseason media polls, projected playoff contenders and interesting out-of-conference games with big storylines were used here.
So take a look and let us know if we missed anything.
10. West Virginia at TCU
1 of 10
When: Oct. 29
It might be nothing. Yeah, it's probably nothing.
But...
TCU and West Virginia have fielded some awfully close games during their three years in the Big 12 together. In fact, all three games have been decided by three points or less. Two have gone into overtime, and the third was decided by a game-winning field goal.
Oh, yeah, and the winner of all three games has been the road team.
(Raises hands up defensively.)
That's all I'm saying.
Look, the Frogs are overwhelming favorites to win the Big 12 for a reason. So much firepower is coming back on that offense. It's just that, well, it's hard to go undefeated even though the general belief is that TCU and Baylor will be unbeaten when they meet on Nov. 27. If anything smells like a trap game for TCU, it's this. Either way, it'll be on a Thursday night for all of the world to see.
9. Oklahoma vs. Texas
2 of 10
When: Oct. 10
Did you ever think that the Red River Shootout Rivalry Showdown between Oklahoma and Texas would be ranked this low on a list of must-watch games? That says a lot about the state of both programs, as well as the focus in the Big 12 at the moment.
Still, it is Oklahoma-Texas. That counts for something, and it could very well be a season-defining game for both sides in mid-October.
For the Longhorns, the recent string of suffering would be tempered a lot by beating the Sooners, regardless of the record in 2015. For Oklahoma, how bad would it be if losing to Texas was the difference between being a Big 12 dark horse and actually winning the conference?
The Cotton Bowl will still be packed, and the stakes will still be high. Even in the down years, this game matters.
8. Baylor at Oklahoma State
3 of 10
When: Nov. 21
Two years ago, Baylor walked into Boone Pickens Stadium undefeated with its eye on a BCS championship appearance. Instead, the Bears got handed a 49-17 beatdown at the hands of the Cowboys, ending pretty much any hope of that happening.
Baylor hasn't gone anywhere since then, having won back-to-back Big 12 titles. Baylor also got revenge on Oklahoma State last year in a 49-28 win. However, Stillwater has been a nightmare zone for Baylor, which hasn't won on the road there in the past 11 tries, dating back to 1939, according to Greg Tepper of Dave Campbell's Texas Football.
Yikes.
Can Baylor break the curse? Know this: The game takes place one week before the huge showdown at TCU, which is on a Friday, meaning it's a short week for the Bears between the two games. Point being: Art Briles' team has to be on top of everything to 1) beat the Cowboys and 2) avoid any sort of hangover, win or lose.
7. Texas Tech at Arkansas
4 of 10
When: Sept. 19
A year ago, this looked like one of the more fascinating nonconference games for a Big 12 team because of the sheer contrast of offensive styles. But as we all saw, one of those styles dominated.
In a 49-28 loss to the Hogs, the Red Raiders gave up 438 yards—at 6.4 yards per rush—and seven touchdowns. Razorbacks quarterback Brandon Allen attempted only 12 passes all game, completing six.
It was an embarrassing low point for Tech and head coach Kliff Kingsbury. With a new defensive coordinator this season, can the Red Raiders minimize some of the damage that's coming their way?
"It would be a huge boost [for us]," Kingsbury said at Big 12 media days. "That's a great football team. We found that out last year. I don't think our team mentally was ready for the type of physical team that came in there and got after us."
Texas Tech is projected to finish eighth in the Big 12, according to the media poll. A win over an Arkansas team that finished hot last year would do wonders for a program that's been on a slide over the last season and a half.
6. Oklahoma at Oklahoma State
5 of 10
When: Nov. 28
Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops summarized the Sooners' disappointing 2014 season appropriately at Big 12 media days.
"We look at it also in some of those games we're one play away," Stoops said. "If you don't give up one play on defense or you don't have a turnover for a touchdown, you don't miss a field goal, you don't punt the ball one more time if you have a poor decision by a coach."
That last example was a reference to last year's Bedlam game against Oklahoma State in which the Sooners gave up a game-tying 92-yard punt return to Tyreek Hill. It was a play that theoretically could have been prevented since Oklahoma State was penalized for running into the kicker on the play before.
With OU in Cowboy territory, it wouldn't have been the worst move to try to at least get some yards, forcing, in a worst-case scenario, Oklahoma State's offense to move the ball on its own.
All of this is to say that Oklahoma will be looking for revenge in 2015. On top of that, for as much as we talk about TCU and Baylor, it's entirely possible the Sooners and/or Cowboys are in the Big 12 title hunt by late November. Certainly, a rivalry game would add to the tension of such a situation.
5. Oklahoma at Baylor
6 of 10
When: Nov. 14
Oklahoma has several games on this list, and a big reason for that is the Sooners are in uncharted territory for 2015. For the first time basically ever under Bob Stoops, Oklahoma enters the season as an underdog of sorts.
If OU wants to get out of that label quickly, it will have plenty of opportunities to do so. One comes in an early-season game against Tennessee (more on that later), but a majority of OU's biggest games comes in the month of November. None may be bigger than the road game at Baylor.
To put it bluntly, no Big 12 team has thoroughly outclassed the Sooners over the past two seasons like the Bears have. Baylor has won the previous two meetings by an average score of 45-13. Oklahoma hasn't been as dominant the past few years as it once was, and no opponent has epitomized that slide like Baylor.
Winning in Waco would do huge things for Oklahoma.
4. TCU at Oklahoma
7 of 10
When: Nov. 21
TCU's road slate is actually pretty tough. The Frogs take trips to Minnesota, Texas Tech, Kansas State, Iowa State and Oklahoma State (Lubbock and Ames have been known to be especially tricky). However, the most difficult road game for TCU may be saved for last on Nov. 21 at Oklahoma.
The Sooners haven't been quite as dominant at home over the past few years as they have been historically under head coach Bob Stoops, but that doesn't mean Norman has suddenly become a cake walk. Additionally, there's a lot of chatter about Oklahoma actually living up to expectations this year—one year after it became the trendy playoff pick.
It's one week before TCU's home showdown with Baylor. That's not to suggest the Frogs will be looking ahead, but it does come at an interesting time.
3. Texas at Notre Dame
8 of 10
When: Sept. 5
As far as season openers go, Texas at Notre Dame is certainly one of the most intriguing, regardless of expectations.
The Irish once again have their eyes on a possible playoff spot and will be breaking in a new quarterback, Malik Zaire. Texas, too, has a quarterback storyline with the ongoing battle between Tyrone Swoopes and Jerrod Heard.
Regardless of who starts, you can bet there will be a ton of eyeballs on him. If Swoopes does get the start, he will be on a short leash in the court of public opinion and perhaps with head coach Charlie Strong as well. (Strong has mentioned that both quarterbacks will play.)
Keep in mind, too, that Texas is breaking in a largely new defense with some fresh faces. Freshman linebacker Malik Jefferson will be a focal point.
If Texas can win, though, the outlook on Strong's program in year two would change dramatically and quickly.
2. Oklahoma at Tennessee
9 of 10
When: Sept. 12
At this point, you might be feeling some Oklahoma fatigue. Sorry about that, but the Sooners are a focal point for many high-profile games. None of them, though—not even the conference games—stand up to the early-season out-of-conference game at Tennessee.
There's potentially a lot riding on this one. First of all, it's a huge litmus test for Oklahoma. Unless it's a stunning loss, a Week 1 game against Akron probably won't tell us much about this team. There's also a lot of hype around Tennessee this year as possible SEC East favorites. The Vols need a statement win just as much as Oklahoma does.
Since it's nonconference, this game won't decide championships, but it could set the tone and bar for each team going forward.
1. Baylor at TCU
10 of 10
When: Nov. 27
Duh, right?
There is no game on paper in the Big 12, and very few nationally, that has the type of anticipation as Baylor's trip to TCU has on Nov. 27. In fact, Mike Huguenin of NFL.com named Baylor-TCU the top game for 2015.
This could be for the Big 12 championship. It could also be for so much more. A playoff spot could be on the line for two teams that many people project will be undefeated come late November.
On top of all that, as if you needed any more reasons, Baylor-TCU has turned into the Big 12's best rivalry game. With two high-powered offenses, there's plenty of room for fireworks in Fort Worth.
It's the right game at the right time—the Friday evening slot after Thanksgiving means all eyes will be in Texas—with the right teams in the right high-pressure scenario. There is no other Big 12 game at the moment that comes close to matching the intrigue on a national level like this one.
Ben Kercheval is a lead writer for college football. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
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