By Dane Miller, SuperWest Sports
The Big 12 is not respected as a football conference.
Entering every year facing doubt from the national media, its teams are left to control what they can control.
This season, BYU and Texas Tech are once again the favorites. Utah is on the radar, too, along with Houston.
And no matter how bad the national media tries to trash the league, at the end of the day, at least one team from the Big 12 will make the Playoff.
So forget the outside noise.
Here are the storylines heading into Week One.
Featured Team of the Week: Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State at Tulsa
Saturday, September 5
12:45 PM PT, ESPNU
The Big 12 has lost credibility on the national stage. At the exact same time, Oklahoma State has become a shell of itself. Those two circumstances are directly related.
The Big 12 needs Ok State to be the powerhouse it once was.
That’s right, “once was.”
It’s a new era in the world of conference realignment. Just because you hire a hotshot coach out of the Group of 6 doesn’t mean it will translate.
The whole season is riding on the quarterback. Sound familiar? It’s the same old story in Stillwater.
Is this year all hype and no substance? Show us in Week One why so many are high on the Pokes. There’s no way y’all struggle to beat Tulsa on the road.
Right?
Game to Watch
Oregon State at No. 23 Houston
Saturday, September 5
9:00 AM PT, ESPN
The Beavers head to Houston for a true road game to open the year.
The Cougars are expected to be one of the top teams in the Big 12 this season. The final score of this game will be informative.
The spread is currently set at -20.5 in favor of Houston. That’s a fairly large margin that tells you Vegas is either high on UH or low on Oregon State.
Maybe it’s a combination of both. Either way, we will all find out on Saturday.
Regional Program Previews
Colorado at Georgia Tech
Thursday, September 3
5:00 PM PT, ESPN
The decision to hire offensive coordinator Brennan Marion over the offseason could pay dividends immediately. Marion is the former head coach of Sacramento State, and before that the offensive coordinator at UNLV.
He runs a unique offensive system. It’s effective and should maximize the talents of quarterback Julian Lewis.
The line on this game is only -6.5 in favor of Georgia Tech. That should tell you something.
There’s a reason Marion has been so successful.
Idaho at No. 21 Utah
Thursday, September 3
6:00 PM PT, ESPNU
Just stay healthy. That’s all that matters against Idaho.
Everyone knows what Devon Dampier is capable of. This is a throwaway game to give the depth pieces live reps.
It’s fair to go into the game with two expectations: (1) Utah scores on its opening drive; and (2) Idaho punts on its opening drive.
Run the score up on them. But do it using the two’s, three’s, and four’s. Not the starters.
Utah Tech at No. 14 BYU
Saturday, September 5
5:00 PM PT, ESPN+
Don’t put too much on film. And yank the starters at halftime.
The spread in this game is outrageous. It’s the widest margin in the Big 12 this week.
The other way to look at the game is as a “stat night”. But that’s not the culture at BYU.
The best news out of Provo this weekend would be no news at all. Just handle business and don’t get anyone hurt.
Northern Arizona at Arizona
Saturday, September 5
6:30 PM PT, ESPN+
Northern Arizona should not score a touchdown on the Wildcats this Saturday. That’s the expectation that should be set for Arizona’s defense.
Forget the key contributors lost from the secondary. This is Danny Gonzales’s team. That means physical football.
Big hits, forced turnovers, and disguised pressure on the quarterback.
The Lumberjacks should not score a single touchdown.
Morgan State at Arizona State
Saturday, September 5
7:00 PM PT, ESPN+
All eyes are on quarterback Cutter Boley. The rest of the Arizona State’s roster is expected to be good enough to compete in every Big 12 game this season.
But if Boley isn’t it, the team probably won’t go very far.
On the flip side, if Boley is more than capable of leading the offense, the Sun Devils become a legitimate dark horse in the Conference race.
A blowout win over Morgan State is expected. Anything less would be questionable.
Other Noteworthy Games
Baylor v. Auburn (Atlanta)
Saturday, September 5
12:30 PM PT, ABC
This feels like an obligatory mention because of the brand power of each school.
But neither program is expected to compete for a championship in its respective conference.
This may draw the television ratings the TV executives want. But don’t expect it to be that high quality of football.
The main storyline to monitor is how Florida transfer quarterback DJ Lagway does for Baylor. He could spark them on a run with a win against Auburn.
Coastal Carolina at West Virginia
Saturday, September 5
9:00 AM PT, TNT
Rich Rodriguez enters his second season back in Morgantown.
Coastal Carolina is not the program it was a few years ago. But West Virginia can’t overlook this game.
It’s a Noon Eastern Time kickoff, too. Let’s hope the WVU football players don’t go out partying the night before.
This game is on upset alert.
Boston College at Cincinnati
Saturday, September 5
12:30 PM PT, FOX
This matchup isn’t even a blip on the national radar.
But in the context of the Big 12 versus the ACC, this game is pivotal.
Cincinnati can’t lose at home to Boston College. If that happens, there just aren’t many legs left for the Conference to stand on. Especially if Georgia Tech beats Colorado.
But, really, the Big 12’s reputation has been in the gutter lately. A loss to BC would be the chef’s kiss goodbye to the little remaining respect the Conference has.
Straight-Up Staff Picks for Selected Games
Miller covers College Basketball and College Football as well as Formula 1 racing as a Senior Writer and Assistant Editor for SuperWest Sports.
