Best Big 12 2020 Non-con Games (Pick 3 Poll)

[cycophagus]

Pete Mundo ranked the best non-cons on his latest Heartland College Sports podcast:


(Assuming for the moment that there is a season this year ...) Which non-conference games do you think will define this year's edition of the Big 12 football conference?

Notes:

• Pete included 2 Oklahoma games, but no Oklahoma State game. I replaced his #10 game, OU @ Army, with Oklahoma State's season opener vs Oregon State. Maybe not a headliner, but its a Pac 12 opponent, and that way each conference team is represented in the poll.
• For TCU, I also replaced SMU with the road game at California. SMU is huge in the Metroplex, but a matchup with the Pac 12 on opening weekend is more meaningful nationally. I think they will crush SMU anyway. SMU wins one of these every 10-15 years. They won last year, and I don't care who you are, if you beat coach Patterson one year, you gonna pay for it the next year.
• Why include Iowa State at Iowa, when nearly all of us will pick that one? Well ... because the game is HUGE! The teams ought to be ranked, and this is the last monkey on Matt Campbell's back. As Pete points out, too, the Cyclones will outclass the Hawkeyes at the QB position for the first time in a long time.

 

[kcbob79clone]

First 2 were easy, third one a little tougher

 

[cycophagus]

The conference breakdown:
4 - SEC
3 - Pac 12
2 - BigTen
1 - ACC

Glad to see Baylor join in the fun this year playing somebody in the non-con. Can they keep it going having lost Matt Ruhl to the NFL?

EDIT: There are 2 BigTen games and only one ACC.

 

[cyclones500]

I’d rank it:

1. Texas at LSU (by a landslide)
2. ISU at Iowa
3. Tennessee at OU
4. West Virginia vs Florida State
5. Ole Miss at Baylor
6. TCU at Cal
7. Oregon State at Oklahoma State
8. Vandy at KSU
9. Arizona at Tech
10. BC at KU

 

[theshadow]

Only one BigTen matchup, which puts even more emphasis on CyHawk.

West Virginia also plays Maryland -- it just isn't on your list.

 

[cycophagus]

West Virginia also plays Maryland -- it just isn't on your list.

Ahh, right! Maryland is just hard wired to the ACC in my head! Big rivalry for WVU, too. Maybe we could swap Iowa for Maryland sometime? It wouldn't be any easier, but it would at least be a change of scenery.

 

[heitclone]

Probably depends on "define" the conference. The Texas game is the only one that would positively change the narrative around the big 12 from people outside of big 12 country.

 

[theshadow]

Ahh, right! Maryland is just hard wired to the ACC in my head!

Yeah, it still sounds like a Big East/ACC game, not as Big 12/Big Ten.

 

[theshadow]

The Big 12's schedules are remarkably balanced, in terms of tiers.

Baylor - 1 P5, 1 G5, 1 FCS
Iowa State - 1 P5, 1 G5, 1 FCS
Kansas - 1 P5, 1 G5, 1 FCS
Kansas State - 1 P5, 1 G5, 1 FCS
Oklahoma - 1 P5, 1 G5, 1 FCS
Oklahoma State - 1 P5, 1 G5, 1 FCS
TCU - 1 P5, 1 G5, 1 FCS
Texas - 1 P5, 2 G5, 0 FCS
Texas Tech - 1 P5, 1 G5, 1 FCS
West Virginia - 2 P5, 0 G5, 1 FCS
Total: 11 P5, 10 G5, 9 FCS

Power 5
SEC: 4 (Ole Miss, Tennessee, LSU, Vanderbilt)
Pac-12: 3 (Oregon State, Cal, Arizona)
ACC: 2 (Florida State, Boston College)
Big Ten: 2 (Iowa, Maryland)

Group of 5
American: 3 (USF, Tulsa, SMU)
Conf USA: 3 (UTEP [2x], La Tech)
MAC: 1 (Buffalo)
Mt West: 1 (UNLV)
Sun Belt: 1 (Coastal Carolina)
Independent: 1 (Army)

 

[cycophagus]

The Big 12's schedules are remarkably balanced, in terms of tiers.

Baylor - 1 P5, 1 G5, 1 FCS
Iowa State - 1 P5, 1 G5, 1 FCS
Kansas - 1 P5, 1 G5, 1 FCS
Kansas State - 1 P5, 1 G5, 1 FCS
Oklahoma - 1 P5, 1 G5, 1 FCS
Oklahoma State - 1 P5, 1 G5, 1 FCS
TCU - 1 P5, 1 G5, 1 FCS
Texas - 1 P5, 2 G5, 0 FCS
Texas Tech - 1 P5, 1 G5, 1 FCS
West Virginia - 2 P5, 0 G5, 1 FCS
Total: 11 P5, 10 G5, 9 FCS

Power 5
SEC: 4 (Ole Miss, Tennessee, LSU, Vanderbilt)
Pac-12: 3 (Oregon State, Cal, Arizona)
ACC: 2 (Florida State, Boston College)
Big Ten: 2 (Iowa, Maryland)

Group of 5
American: 3 (USF, Tulsa, SMU)
Conf USA: 3 (UTEP [2x], La Tech)
MAC: 1 (Buffalo)
Mt West: 1 (UNLV)
Sun Belt: 1 (Coastal Carolina)
Independent: 1 (Army)

Very thorough! The Shadow definitely knows!!

Texas stands alone with no FCS game scheduled. I suppose its a stature thing. Given that, it is a bit odd that OU schedules only one P5. But its tough to second guess. They have been to the CFP as often as anyone.

 

[dualthreat]

We really need Texas to beat LSU for the national perception of the Big 12.

The big 12 could go 9-1 in those games listed and the ESPN talking heads would still call the Big 12 weak if Texas loses that game.

Probably exaggerating there but not by much. Public perception is all about the top teams in the league. The rest of the teams never get any play.

 

[ForbinsAscynt]

For those that picked Iowa vs ISU, since when does a game define a conference?
WV v. FSU will be a much better barometer for the strength of the league

 

[cycophagus]

For those that picked Iowa vs ISU, since when does a game define a conference?
WV v. FSU will be a much better barometer for the strength of the league

I tend to agree. A rivalry game like CyHawk has high entertainment value, but the outcome can be discounted due to the assumed increased emphasis it has. Although, in recent years, ISU has entered this game as the consummate "level" team, while Iowa, somewhat inexplicably, has shown up as if they have something to prove.

 

[surly]

Whoever does the percentages on this poll might want to upgrade their abacus.

 

[JP4CY]

WV plays as many non con P5 games as 6 of the 7 B1G West schools....combined.

(That includes counting ND)

 

[theshadow]

Whoever does the percentages on this poll might want to upgrade their abacus.

Makes perfect sense, when you consider that each person can make up to 3 selections.

96 people have voted.
90 of them chose Texas/LSU as one of their picks.
So, 93.8% of the people chose Texas/LSU.

 

[JP4CY]

Texas LSU was a really good game last year and with LSU breaking in a new QB, it could be interesting.

 

[Stewo]

The September 12th games. Who knows how good the other Big 12 teams will be. I really tried to not pick ISU at Iowa, but none of the other games will draw as much attention.

 

[surly]

Makes perfect sense, when you consider that each person can make up to 3 selections.

96 people have voted.
90 of them chose Texas/LSU as one of their picks.
So, 93.8% of the people chose Texas/LSU.

I made one. So there goes that obtuse analytical methodology.

 

[isu81]

It sounds like the Big 10 is about to announce a new 10 game conference games only schedule. Probably means the other conferences will follow.