Welcome to the Big 12 Buzz. This is a place where you can relax, have a drink and get your Big 12 fix. And if you just happen to catch a good buzz here then there’s no need to worry, trust me, it happens.
Think of this space as a good local dive bar. The floors are sticky, the jukebox is blaring, and the ice never melts in the urinal trough. Here, the bottles stay full, the beers stay cold and everyone is somebody.
So pull up a stool, and let’s see what we have in store this week.
Thirsty Thursday
- Jacksonville State at UCF
- UT Martin at Oklahoma State
- Stephen F. Austin at Houston
- Nebraska vs Cincinnati (in Kansas City)
We have a four-game set for Thirsty Thursday, which is rare, but you should get used to more games during the week. The Scott Frost era begins (again) at UCF, and we will get our first chance at seeing two new quarterbacks with Hauss Henjy (Oklahoma State) and Connor Weigman (Houston). I wouldn’t worry about these three schools on Thursday because they should all win with ease or at least I would hope so.
Instead, shift your focus to Nebraska and Cincinnati at Arrowhead Stadium. The Huskers are favored by a touchdown and will bring back some familiar Big 12 faces on their coaching staff between head coach Matt Rhule and offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen.
The Bearcats are looking to bounce back after a disappointing 2024 season where they ended on a five-game losing streak. Brendan Sorsby returns but the Bearcats are replacing their top five receivers from a year ago. Defensively, they are going to have their hands full with the Patrick Mahomes wannabe Dylan Raiola. I don’t know about you, but I would love nothing more than to ruin Nebraska’s season in week one.
Easy Drinkers
- Wagner at Kansas
- Robert Morris at West Virginia
- South Dakota at No. 22 Iowa State
- North Dakota at No. 17 Kansas State
- UAPB at No. 23 Texas Tech
- Portland State at BYU
I call these easy drinkers because just like a delicious Ames Lager, they will go down smoothly. Jalon Daniels should tear up Wagner with little to no effort and the Rich Rod homecoming should start with an easy win over Robert Morris.
Meanwhile, the Cyclones host a top five FCS team with South Dakota (along with former Iowa State quarterback Aidan Bouman) yet are still favored by two scores. As for Texas Tech and BYU, they should have no problem crushing UAPB and Portland State. Also, shoutout to our guy Jeff Woody who will be calling the Texas Tech vs. UAPB game!
Senior Discount
- TCU at North Carolina
It’s not often you will see a senior discount in a bar, but I felt like it was necessary due to the fact that Bill Belichick is his mid-seventies and has been in the coaching world since the last time the Tar Heels won a conference championship (1980).
To be honest, I feel like we know more about Bill’s girlfriend than the actual team itself, which may be a sneaky tactic. However, the one thing I know is that TCU’s Josh Hoover is one of the best quarterbacks in the conference and that offense for the Horned Frogs is capable of lighting up the scoreboard. Is North Carolina ready for that in year one under Belichick? I say no.
Shot of the Week
- Georgia Tech at Colorado
Just like when you walk into any bar, you never know what’s going to be up on that board. And just like in this game, I am not really sure what to expect.
The Buffaloes are replacing two of the best players in school history and as usual, they went heavy on the transfer portal to fill in holes. Veteran quarterback and Liberty transfer Kaidon Salter will get the start for Colorado with freshman Julian Lewis backing him up. I expect a lot of pressure on those two due to the fact that this program has failed to run the football consistently since Deion Sanders‘ arrival in Boulder.
Georgia Tech is expected to compete for an ACC title and it’s easy to see why when you look at their returning starters. Haynes King is an underrated quarterback, and the Yellow Jackets defense is likely going to give Colorado fits. Weird things happen in Boulder and I wouldn’t be shocked if either team won this one.
Top Shelf Special
- Auburn at Baylor
A Big 12 team facing an SEC team in week one? Sign me up. Somehow, the Tigers are favored in this one despite not even being picked to finish top ten in the SEC. Auburn does have some talent on the roster including former Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold and their defense returns a ton of production from last season.
Auburn’s offense should be a great early test for Baylor’s defense and the same can be said for Baylor’s offense. Sawyer Robertson is one of the best quarterbacks in the Big 12 and the big guys up front will have their hands full against a solid defensive line for Auburn. If not for the butt kissing from ESPN and the national media, there is no reasonable explanation that Baylor is an underdog at home. This is a huge opportunity for the Big 12 to get a win against the SEC.
Last Call
- Northern Arizona at No. 11 Arizona State
- Hawaii at Arizona
- Utah at UCLA
All three kickoff times are set for 9:30 pm central time or later which is perfect for all you late night sickos out there. You can skip the Northern Arizona/Arizona State and Hawaii/Arizona games unless you like blowouts because my focus is on the Rose Bowl.
The Bruins aren’t expected to compete in the Big Ten, but I do find their quarterback Nico Iamaleava very intriguing. He comes over from Tennessee and could provide a tough challenge even for a good Utah defense.
Speaking of the Utes, all eyes will be on their new transfer quarterback Devon Dampier. Last season at New Mexico, he threw 12 touchdowns along with 12 interceptions and completed just 57% of his passes. But it’s his athleticism that has everyone talking as he ran over 1,100 yards on the ground including 19 rushing scores in 2024. Can he get Utah back into Big 12 title contention? We will find out a lot on Saturday.
