Big 12 football schedule: The byes of Texas are upon Oklahoma State

Here’s some quick thoughts about the Big 12 football schedule, which was released (finally) on Tuesday:

The byes of Texas upon OSU: The Cowboys have a bye before and after their Sept. 29 Big 12 opener at home against Texas. In fact, considering their Sept. 15 game vs. Lousiana and the Oct. 13 game at Kansas, Oklahoma State fans could experience one Saturday of interesting football in five weeks. Not that Mike Gundy and his staff care much. No Big 12 coaching staff has a more favorable preparation opportunity to the start of league play.

Toughest closing stretch: Initially I thought that belonged to the Sooners (at West Virginia Nov. 17, home vs. OSU on Nov. 24 , at TCU on Dec. 1) and I may stick with that. But TCU closes at Texas and at home versus the Sooners. If the Longhorns are still searching for a decent quarterback come Thanksgiving, it’s not terribly troubling. If they’ve found one, the Horned Frogs could come limping home.

Iowa State, Kansas and TCU are the only teams facing OU and Texas in consecutive weeks.

SEC-Ya: Texas found a new Thanksgiving weekend date: the TCU Horned Frogs. The old rival, Texas A&M, gets Missouri in College Station on Nov. 24. Advantage Longhorns.

The Morgantown baptism: Baylor gets to go first, making the Big 12′s first trip to Morgantown, W.Va., to face the Mountaineers.

New kids on the block: Big 12 schedule makers were definitely kinder to West Virginia than TCU. The Horned Frogs go to Kansas Feb. 15 for the Big 12′s first league game, but the rest of the Horned Frogs road schedule is far more difficult (at Baylor Oct. 13, at Oklahoma State Oct. 27, at West Virginia Nov. 3, at Texas Nov. 24) than WVU, which has to go to Oklahoma State Nov. 10 but should be favored in its other three conference road games.

 

 

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