Every Big 12 team sees action in this busy Week One lineup, but many of these matchups matter little the Mountaineers who will not face Texas, Iowa State, Kansas State, or Kansas on our regular season schedule. Maybe we face them in the Big 12 Championship this year, right? While some of these schools are off to the races against opponents that are vastly outgunned, some of these competitions might be worth watching with the conference schedule mere weeks away.
You can skip out on Oklahoma hosting Arkansas State, Baylor hosting Texas State, BYU hosting Sam Houston State, and Central Arkansas at Oklahoma State. These games are fodder for the schedule and barring something electric, should go exactly as predicted.
Here are the Big 12 matchups you need to track this weekend:
Colorado @ TCU – 12:00 PM on FOX
This matchup is interesting in that it is part of a home and away series that is wrapping up this year before Colorado becomes a conference opponent next season. Last year, TCU and their storied run to the National Championship began in Colorado, facing the Buffaloes and resulting in a 38-13 win for the Horned Frogs. Colorado went 1-11 last year, but after some overhauling in the offseason could be poised for an upset in a very highly hyped year before joining the Big 12 competitors in 2024.
Eastern Kentucky @ Cincinnati – 3:30 PM on ESPN+
You might look at this and go – really? Yeah. EKU finished 7-5 last year in their conference, and while certainly nowhere near the competition and parity of the Big 12, they might have the talent to keep this one closer than it seems. Cincinnati was left in a complete rebuild mode when Luke Fickell made the move into the Big Ten as the Head Coach of Wisconsin. They are projected, not unlike the Mountaineers, to be in the bottom portion of the final conference standings, which might make this one an exciting game to preview what’s to come for the Bearcats.
UTSA @ Houston – 7:00 PM on FS1
Dana Holgorsen and company went 8-5 overall last year, but UTSA made for a shaky start. While the Cougars came away with the win in overtime, Houston fans were alarmed at how UTSA went the distance. The betting line for this game currently has UTSA favored by 1.5 points, which has given Houston a chip on their shoulder as the UTSA Roadrunners hit the road on a mission for revenge. Keep an eye on this one, it may very well be the kind of dogfight WVU expects in mid-October on the road.
Texas Tech @ Wyoming – 7:30 PM on CBS
Texas Tech shocked a lot of teams last year, including the Mountaineers with their fast-paced and unrelenting form of offense. Hitting the road in Week 1 is a trial, even if you are favored by more than two touchdowns. Any given Saturday, and the Red Raiders are looking to get Tyler Shough out there with his third chance to lead the offense, with both of the prior seasons ended early by injuries. This is a coin flip because while lopsided on paper, Wyoming boasts double digit returning talent on the defensive side of the ball that could make the game less of a gimme for the boys from Lubbock, TX.
Either before the matchup of Week 1 with the WVU Mountaineers heading into Happy Valley to face (7) Penn State or when you can tear your eyes away from the screen, be sure to follow some of these developing storylines.
(photo by CBS Sports)
