The Best Big 12 Games to Watch Each Week This College Football Season

College football finally returns for the 2022 season at the start of September. Here's a week-by-week lineup of the best Big 12 games to watch this fall.

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Week 1: West Virginia at Pittsburgh

Sept. 1 at 7 p.m., ESPN

The Backyard Brawl is back for the first time in more than a decade, and College GameDay is making a visit. The Mountaineers have won seven of the last 10 matchups, including a 21–20 victory back in 2011. But a lot has changed since then, and West Virginia shouldn’t feel too comfortable against Pat Narduzzi and a surging Panthers squad that went 11–3 and claimed its first ACC title last season. The Panthers are notably without Heisman finalist Kenny Pickett, however, and are hoping USC transfer Kedon Slovis can have a similar impact. He threw for 2,153 yards and 11 touchdowns with the Trojans last year.

Week 2: Baylor at BYU

Sept. 10 at 10:15 p.m., ESPN

Fans should start their Week 2 Saturday watching the top-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide take on the Texas Longhorns, but this matchup also shouldn’t be missed. (East Coast fans: You’re going to want to stay up for this.) This is BYU’s last season as an independent program (it’s joining the Big 12 in 2024), and the Cougars are looking to secure another 10-win season before making the transition. With playmakers—including starting quarterback Jaren Hall—returning, the Cougars have a good chance of achieving that goal. Standing in their way will be the Bears, who cracked the top 10 in the AP’s preseason rankings. Baylor topped BYU 38–24 last season, led by three touchdowns from running back Abram Smith. With Smith gone to the NFL and the Cougars playing at home, the result between these soon-to-be conference opponents could flip this season.

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Week 3: Oklahoma at Nebraska

Sept. 17 at noon, Fox

At first glance, this doesn’t look like a great matchup: The Sooners are coming off an 11-win season (including a 23–16 victory over the Huskers), while Nebraska finished 3–9 (landing at the bottom of the Big Ten West). However, with last year’s match decided by just seven points, this season’s game could come down to what both teams have lost—and gained—since then. Nebraska’s added former Texas quarterback Casey Thompson, who threw for a whopping 388 yards and five touchdowns in the Longhorns’ 55–48 loss to Oklahoma last season. Conversely, the Sooners lost quarterback Caleb Williams, who’s being replaced with UCF transfer Dillon Gabriel. With both a new coach (Brent Venables) and new quarterback, this isn’t necessarily an easy win for Oklahoma. (Also worth mentioning here: The Huskers got one lone vote in the preseason AP Top 25—and with a win over Oklahoma, they could make the argument that they deserved a lot more.)

Week 4: Texas at Texas Tech

Sept. 24, TBD

Can first-year coach Joey McGuire lead the Red Raiders to their first win over the Longhorns since 2017? Last year Texas doubled the output of its in-state opponent, winning 70–35. But six of those touchdowns—five passing, one rushing—came from Thompson, who’s off to the Big Ten. Luckily, Longhorns running back Bijan Robinson—who racked up 1,127 yards last season—is returning. Texas Tech signal-caller Tyler Shough, who suffered a season-ending injury in last year’s contest, is returning this season. Prior to his Week 4 injury, he led the Red Raiders to three wins, throwing for 872 yards and six touchdowns. If Shough stays healthy this time around, this is a solid revenge opportunity for Texas Tech at home.

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Week 5: Oklahoma State at Baylor

Oct. 1, TBD

The Cowboys and Bears met twice last season, including in a conference title matchup. Oklahoma State beat Baylor 24–14 in the first regular-season meeting but later fell 21–16 in the Big 12 Championship. With both those games decided by a combined 15 points, this season’s rematch in Waco is not to be missed. The Cowboys and Bears are both coming off bowl game wins (the Fiesta Bowl and Sugar Bowl, respectively) and will surely be duking it out to top the Big 12 this season. In the Big 12 Championship, Baylor held returning Oklahoma State quarterback Spencer Sanders to 257 yards (no touchdowns, four interceptions). With key defensive starters returning, coach Mike Gundy and the Cowboys will either have to adjust their passing game or rely more heavily on running back Dominic Richardson, who scored Oklahoma State’s lone touchdown in last season’s championship matchup.

Week 6: Texas vs. Oklahoma

Oct. 8 at TBD, ABC

Oklahoma is “home” on the schedule, but Texas gets to remain in-state for the Red River Showdown. That “home field advantage” hasn’t done much for the Longhorns, though—they’ve lost seven of their last 10 meetings (nine in Dallas, one in Arlington) to the Sooners. That includes last year’s 55–48 loss, which was the highest-scoring game ever recorded in the rivalry’s history. This year, both squads are relying on transfer quarterbacks to lead. Gabriel, who is coming off an injury, could be a threat. He threw for 7,223 yards and 59 touchdowns in his first two seasons with the UCF Knights (his third season was cut short). Less is known about the new Longhorns leader, Texas native Quinn Ewers, who took just two snaps during his time with the Ohio State Buckeyes. That being said, Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian said he feels comfortable that Ewers can “make all the throws.”

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Week 7: Baylor at West Virginia

Oct. 13 at 7 p.m., FS1

Baylor and West Virginia have played six times since the Mountaineers joined the Big 12 in 2012, and so far things have gone pretty predictably: West Virginia wins in Morgantown and Baylor (usually) wins in Waco. The one exception was in ’17, when the Bears lost at home in a close 38–36 matchup. Don’t expect the pattern to keep playing out this season, however: The Bears handed the Mountaineers a convincing 45–20 loss last year and are riding the momentum of both a Big 12 Championship title and Sugar Bowl win. A possible pitfall for the Mountaineers is their lack of a clear starting quarterback, though Georgia transfer JT Daniels is expected to come out on top of the depth chart. The Bears also lost Gerry Bohanon, who threw for four touchdowns in last season’s contest, after he transferred to South Florida. He’s replaced by Blake Shapen, who is also a force to be reckoned with: He threw for three touchdowns in Baylor’s Big 12 Championship win and will be looking to ride that momentum.

Week 8: Texas at Oklahoma State

Oct. 22, TBD

The Cowboys are 26–10 in their all-time matchup with the Longhorns but have won five of their last seven meetings. One of those wins: last year’s 32–24 victory on the road. On paper, this doesn’t seem like a particularly difficult game for Oklahoma State—they made it to the Big 12 Championship and ended with a 12–2 record, whereas the 5–7 Longhorns were eliminated from bowl contention. Still, the potential for Ewers to make a difference in Texas shouldn’t be overlooked—he has a lot of reason to try and show off for Sarkisian before Arch Manning lands in Austin.

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Week 9: Baylor at Texas Tech

Oct. 29, TBD

Is Baylor a much better team than Texas Tech? The preseason AP Top 25 points to a pretty clear “yes”: The Bears were voted as a top-10 team, while the Red Raiders are unranked, but overall stats paint a different picture. Baylor was ranked just 53rd in total offense last season, and Texas Tech was not far behind at 56th. Defensively there’s a bit more discrepancy, with Baylor sitting at 31st and Texas Tech at 86th. Still, if last year’s close matchup is any indication, the Bears are far from guaranteed a win this time around. McGuire, a former assistant coach with Baylor, could shock the conference by beating the defending Big 12 champions. There’s a lot to fight for here, and you can expect the results to be closer than team rankings would initially indicate.

Michael C. Johnson/USA TODAY Sports

Week 10: Baylor at Oklahoma

Nov. 5, TBD

The Bears and Sooners both enter the season ranked in the AP Top 25 (at No. 10 and No. 9, respectively). The teams were neck-and-neck last year, both going 7–2 in conference play in what was a three-way battle for the top of the Big 12. Last season, Baylor won this matchup 27–14 in Waco, snapping what had been an undefeated season for the Sooners. They were led by Bohanon, who scored twice on the ground and once through the air. Oklahoma’s touchdowns came from Williams and running back Kennedy Brooks (who’s now with the Philadelphia Eagles). With some playmakers gone from both teams, this matchup—which realistically determines at least one Big 12 Championship contender—could come down to coaching. Venables is coming in coaching a squad that lost some key members, whereas Dave Aranda should feel more comfortable coming into this matchup with a conference championship under his belt.

Week 11: TCU at Texas

Nov. 12, TBD

Does Texas Christian University have the best college football team in Texas? Hardly. But you could argue that the Horned Frogs are one of the coolest Texas mascots (tied with the UT-San Antonio Roadrunners), and for that they deserve some praise. The Longhorns are 64-27-1 all-time against the Horned Frogs, but TCU has won three of the last five matchups. Both squads were 5–7 overall last season (3–6 in conference play), firmly toward the bottom of a Big 12 conference that has some clear-cut winners. (Kansas is the only Big 12 school performing worse, but at least the Jayhawks make up for it on the hardwood.) Returning Texas running back Robinson took advantage of TCU’s weak defense last year, and this season should be more of the same. Still, there’s value in watching two average-at-best teams go to head, which is what this matchup is good for.

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Week 12: Oklahoma State at Oklahoma

Nov. 19, TBD

In what’s becoming a theme for Oklahoma, this matchup could hinge on the effectiveness of their new quarterback in Gabriel. Williams was instrumental in keeping last year’s contest competitive, throwing for 252 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions in the Sooners’ 37–33 loss. The Cowboys boasted the best defense in the Big 12 last season (fifth overall), but lost some key players to the transfer portal and the NFL. By Week 12, Gabriel, Venables and the rest of the Oklahoma squad should have their stuff sorted out enough to keep things competitive against their in-state rival. On the other hand, Big 12 runner-up Oklahoma State can prove last season was no fluke by winning back-to-back against the Sooners for the first time since 2002.

Week 13: Baylor at Texas

Nov. 25 at TBD, ABC or ESPN

Great news, football fans: You have an excuse to spend your Black Friday doing something other than shopping. Texas has historically dominated this in-state rivalry (including two sets of win streaks that spanned more than a decade), but things have been a bit more balanced in recent years. Notably, Baylor came out on top 31–24 last season despite a lackluster performance from Bohanon, who was held under 200 yards by Texas’s unassuming defense (he was intercepted twice). This will be another game that’s probably closer in practice than it is on paper, and certainly not the worst way to spend a Friday before some more interesting rivalry games Saturday.