In this week's Big 12 roundtable, we delve into the 2017 conference schedule, which was released this week:
What jumped out to you?
Max Olson: I guess the thing I was most interested in seeing with the 2017 schedule was what efforts the league would make to optimize its slate, not only for its Big 12 title game but also for its College Football Playoff hopes. The month of November looks like it could have some great matchups starting with Bedlam on Nov. 4, and the Nov. 25 schedule seems about as well-planned as can be. I also like the challenge posed by the fact nobody gets a Saturday off in the final seven weeks of the schedule.
Mitch Sherman: My eyes jumped to Nov. 25, knowing, of course, that the Big 12 would work to avoid a rematch from one week prior in the reinstated championship game. So the Week 13 schedule, effectively, serves as an early, league-issued guess at the top of the 2017 standings. It all looks safe, with the exception of West Virginia at Oklahoma. I can picture the chip already forming on the Mountaineers' collective shoulder: What, the league didn’t view us as a serious-enough title contender, after a 10-win regular season, to steer us clear of the Sooners in the final week of the season?
Jake Trotter: Bedlam being moved to Nov. 4 was what jumped out to me. I know the Oklahoma-Oklahoma State game has decided the Big 12 in four of the past six seasons, but I don’t know that you can really schedule around avoiding a back-to-back rematch. It's going to inevitably happen. Who knows, it could happen next year, with Oklahoma and West Virginia now being matched up the week before.
Who has a noticeably tough slate?
Olson: Texas Tech might have the toughest schedule overall when you factor in the Red Raiders' non-conference slate, but each of the Texas schools ended up with brutal stretches. Baylor gets Oklahoma, at Kansas State and at Oklahoma State to start league play. Texas gets no rest for Red River with Kansas State before and Oklahoma State right after. And the November schedule that TCU drew -- Texas, at Oklahoma, at Texas Tech, Baylor -- promises to be a challenging final month.
Sherman: You mentioned Baylor’s opening three games (Oklahoma, at Kansas State, at Oklahoma State), Max. I’ll extend it to the first five in league play for the Bears, which include October home games against West Virginia and Texas. That’s quite an indoctrination to the Big 12 for the new Baylor coaching staff, getting the top four finishers from 2016 -- plus the Longhorns -- all before Halloween. And if Mason Rudolph returns at Oklahoma State, four of those opponents might feature experienced quarterbacks in addition to hyped transfer Will Grier at West Virginia. Baylor enters 2017 on a six-game league losing streak. It might reach double figures.
Trotter: I can't get over how difficult Tech's overall schedule is in what essentially is going to be a defining season for Kliff Kingsbury. Eastern Washington beat Washington State this season, Arizona State is a Power 5 opponent and we know how talented Houston is. Then Tech has to travel to Morgantown, Norman and Austin over a conference stretch in which the Red Raiders don't have an open week.
What will be the best weekend of the season?
Olson: I know this day won’t ultimately decide the Big 12 title, but Oct. 14 is worth circling on the calendar. In addition to the Red River Rivalry and the Bob Stoops vs. Tom Herman rematch, there’s three more intriguing matchups with TCU-Kansas State, Baylor-Oklahoma State and Texas Tech-West Virginia that will help establish who the Big 12’s contenders are early on. And who doesn’t love a good Kansas-Iowa State game? I’m not sure it’s the very best week of the Big 12 season, but it well us a lot about how good these teams are.
Sherman: I’ll go with Oct. 28, primarily because it features rematches of two of the most intriguing games from 2016 -- Texas Tech-Oklahoma, which infamously produced 1,708 yards of offense, and Texas-Baylor. It’s the first Tom Herman-Matt Rhule meeting (in a rematch of the 2015 AAC title game) as Big 12 rivals and the last chance for Baker Mayfield to face his former team. Throw in the Sunflower Showdown and Oklahoma State-West Virginia. That’s a nice little Saturday.
Trotter: How about Dec. 2? The conference championship game is finally back. We've debated the merits of its implementation. But now that it's in stone, it should be a fun weekend.