Nonconference play? It's all relative.
The Big 12 learned that difficult lesson last season when the College Football Playoff squeezed out Cincinnati.
This wasn't a league-wide issue when Oklahoma annually scheduled premier games out of conference and dominated the rest of the Big 12 in October and November.
It is now.
When Baylor punts on playing anyone spicier than a tablespoon of vanilla pudding in nonconference play, it relies on the rest of the Big 12 establish the worth of a league trophy.
TCU has future games scheduled with Ohio State, Minnesota, Stephen F. Austin and SMU won't impress many of the committee's 13 members.
"If the Big 12's best nonconference win is only Minnesota, how much weight should a league title ultimately carry?"
Baylor heard it last season and might just hear it again if it it once again sweating out a playoff spot.
Both the Bears and the Frogs will open the season in or near the top five, and with no big-time nonconference games looming for either, both will be reliant on the rest of the Big 12 to bolster their CFP resumes. So how does the Big 12's nonconference schedule look?
A closer look:
Five games we can't wait to see:
1. Texas at Longhorns will be a clear underdog, but Week 1 is always a little tricky, especially for favorites.
2. Oklahoma at Sooners' early season test will l provide some indication about whether or not Oklahoma can be a factor in the Big 12 race and also happens to give Bob Stoops another opportunity to log a win in his favorite conference's backyard.
3. TCU at Minnesota, Sept. 3: The Frogs will have a huge national stage on the season's first Thursday night, debuting on the road against a Big Ten opponent and one of Gary Patterson's best friends in the Golden Gophers and Jerry Kill. TCU suffocated Minnesota's offense in a 30-7 win a year ago, and with a top-five team and Heisman candidate in Trevone Boykin at QB, only a convincing win will earn TCU respect from the college football world at large.
4. Texas Tech at Arkansas, Sept. 19: Arkansas threw two second-half passes and punted just once in a 49-28 beatdown of Tech in Lubbock last year. Both teams should be improved this year and both need this win badly with difficult league schedules looming. Also, renewing old Southwest Conference rivalries is always fun.
5. Mountaineers and a win in this year's game might do the same. The Mountaineers need to find a quarterback to win it.
Big 12 nonconference schedules, from the best to worst
1. Texas - at Notre Dame, California
Opponents' cumulative 2014 record: 21-17 (.553)
The Longhorns trip to Notre Dame will likely be one of just 2-3 Big 12 nonconference games against top 25 teams. Year 2 under Charlie Strong won't get any easier outside of conference play, and this will be one of Texas' most difficult openers in recent history. Add in a strong Rice program coming off an eight-win season and a Cal team that returns 17 starters from a 5-7 team a year ago and Texas has zero competition in the Big 12 for the toughest nonconference slate. The timing isn't great for Charlie Strong as he tries to install the building blocks of his program, but you've got to respect the philosophy and ambition. The Longhorns and Sooners are the only Big 12 teams who won't play FCS teams this season.
2. Oklahoma - Akron, at Tennessee, Tulsa
Opponents' cumulative 2014 record: 14-23 (.378)
Don't let Oklahoma's opponents' record fool you. The Sooners will travel to one of college football's best venues--Neyland Stadium-- to face an upstart Tennessee that's building under Butch Jones and returns 18 starters from last year's team. Tulsa also returns 17 starters after a rough two-year stretch following a run of seven bowls in eight years.
3. Rutgers
Opponents' cumulative 2014 record: 27-13 (.675)
No, I don't know why KU is doing this, either. The Georgia Tech in recent seasons, too.
4. West Virginia - Georgia Southern, Liberty, Maryland
Opponents' cumulative 2014 record: 25-14 (.641)
Georgia Southern was one of the best stories in college football last season, going undefeated in the Sun Belt to win the league title in the program's first season as an FBS member and in Willie Fritz's first season. The Mountaineers will continue a great rivalry with Maryland that's a perfect nonconference game for both teams. It's a fantastic win for either team and nobody holds it against either team if it loses. Turner Gill will return to Big 12 country after winning three consecutive league titles at Liberty since Kansas fired him after two forgettable seasons.
5. Texas Tech - Sam Houston State, UTEP, at Arkansas
Opponents' cumulative 2014 record: 25-17 (.595)
The trip to Arkansas will be one of Kliff Kingsbury's early defining moments this season. Last year's game was the biggest early piece of evidence that Year 2 in Lubbock was going to be a rough one. Tech struggled with UTEP last year, too and needed a comeback in the final minutes to secure a win at the border. Sam Houston State is an outstanding FCS program that might have a title or two if North Dakota State didn't exist.
6. Iowa State -- Northern Iowa, Iowa, at Toledo
Opponents' cumulative 2014 record: 25-15 (.625)
Northern Iowa embarrassed the ISU enjoyed the highlight of its season last year by knocking off Iowa in Iowa City. The Rockets were 9-4 in the MAC last year and are a stable program that hasn't endured a losing season since 2009.
7. TCU -- at Minnesota, Stephen F. Austin, SMU
Opponents' cumulative 2014 record: 17-21 (.447)
The Horned Frogs will open the season with a Thursday night showcase before taking on two in-state opponents at home. Stephen F. Austin was 8-5 in FCS last season and SMU should be improved, but after the trip to Minneapolis, the Frogs should coast into Big 12 play to chase their second league title.
8. Central Arkansas, Texas-San Antonio
Opponents' cumulative 2014 record: 17-20 (.459)
The Pokes get a little credit for going on the road to face a solid MAC program, but that's not much of a eyebrow-raiser when it's the best game on your nonconference slate.
9. Louisiana Tech
Opponents' cumulative 2014 record: 15-23 (.395)
The Vanderbilt are the only major conference opponents on K-State's future schedule through 2020. UTSA only returns five starters from last year's 4-8 team.
10. Baylor -- Lamar, SMU, Rice.
Opponents' cumulative 2014 record: 17-20 (.459)
The Big 12 learned that difficult lesson last season when the College Football Playoff squeezed out Cincinnati.
This wasn't a league-wide issue when Oklahoma annually scheduled premier games out of conference and dominated the rest of the Big 12 in October and November.
It is now.
When Baylor punts on playing anyone spicier than a tablespoon of vanilla pudding in nonconference play, it relies on the rest of the Big 12 establish the worth of a league trophy.
TCU has future games scheduled with Ohio State, Minnesota, Stephen F. Austin and SMU won't impress many of the committee's 13 members.
"If the Big 12's best nonconference win is only Minnesota, how much weight should a league title ultimately carry?"
Baylor heard it last season and might just hear it again if it it once again sweating out a playoff spot.
Both the Bears and the Frogs will open the season in or near the top five, and with no big-time nonconference games looming for either, both will be reliant on the rest of the Big 12 to bolster their CFP resumes. So how does the Big 12's nonconference schedule look?
A closer look:
Five games we can't wait to see:
1. Texas at Longhorns will be a clear underdog, but Week 1 is always a little tricky, especially for favorites.
2. Oklahoma at Sooners' early season test will l provide some indication about whether or not Oklahoma can be a factor in the Big 12 race and also happens to give Bob Stoops another opportunity to log a win in his favorite conference's backyard.
3. TCU at Minnesota, Sept. 3: The Frogs will have a huge national stage on the season's first Thursday night, debuting on the road against a Big Ten opponent and one of Gary Patterson's best friends in the Golden Gophers and Jerry Kill. TCU suffocated Minnesota's offense in a 30-7 win a year ago, and with a top-five team and Heisman candidate in Trevone Boykin at QB, only a convincing win will earn TCU respect from the college football world at large.
4. Texas Tech at Arkansas, Sept. 19: Arkansas threw two second-half passes and punted just once in a 49-28 beatdown of Tech in Lubbock last year. Both teams should be improved this year and both need this win badly with difficult league schedules looming. Also, renewing old Southwest Conference rivalries is always fun.
5. Mountaineers and a win in this year's game might do the same. The Mountaineers need to find a quarterback to win it.
Big 12 nonconference schedules, from the best to worst
1. Texas - at Notre Dame, California
Opponents' cumulative 2014 record: 21-17 (.553)
The Longhorns trip to Notre Dame will likely be one of just 2-3 Big 12 nonconference games against top 25 teams. Year 2 under Charlie Strong won't get any easier outside of conference play, and this will be one of Texas' most difficult openers in recent history. Add in a strong Rice program coming off an eight-win season and a Cal team that returns 17 starters from a 5-7 team a year ago and Texas has zero competition in the Big 12 for the toughest nonconference slate. The timing isn't great for Charlie Strong as he tries to install the building blocks of his program, but you've got to respect the philosophy and ambition. The Longhorns and Sooners are the only Big 12 teams who won't play FCS teams this season.
2. Oklahoma - Akron, at Tennessee, Tulsa
Opponents' cumulative 2014 record: 14-23 (.378)
Don't let Oklahoma's opponents' record fool you. The Sooners will travel to one of college football's best venues--Neyland Stadium-- to face an upstart Tennessee that's building under Butch Jones and returns 18 starters from last year's team. Tulsa also returns 17 starters after a rough two-year stretch following a run of seven bowls in eight years.
3. Rutgers
Opponents' cumulative 2014 record: 27-13 (.675)
No, I don't know why KU is doing this, either. The Georgia Tech in recent seasons, too.
4. West Virginia - Georgia Southern, Liberty, Maryland
Opponents' cumulative 2014 record: 25-14 (.641)
Georgia Southern was one of the best stories in college football last season, going undefeated in the Sun Belt to win the league title in the program's first season as an FBS member and in Willie Fritz's first season. The Mountaineers will continue a great rivalry with Maryland that's a perfect nonconference game for both teams. It's a fantastic win for either team and nobody holds it against either team if it loses. Turner Gill will return to Big 12 country after winning three consecutive league titles at Liberty since Kansas fired him after two forgettable seasons.
5. Texas Tech - Sam Houston State, UTEP, at Arkansas
Opponents' cumulative 2014 record: 25-17 (.595)
The trip to Arkansas will be one of Kliff Kingsbury's early defining moments this season. Last year's game was the biggest early piece of evidence that Year 2 in Lubbock was going to be a rough one. Tech struggled with UTEP last year, too and needed a comeback in the final minutes to secure a win at the border. Sam Houston State is an outstanding FCS program that might have a title or two if North Dakota State didn't exist.
6. Iowa State -- Northern Iowa, Iowa, at Toledo
Opponents' cumulative 2014 record: 25-15 (.625)
Northern Iowa embarrassed the ISU enjoyed the highlight of its season last year by knocking off Iowa in Iowa City. The Rockets were 9-4 in the MAC last year and are a stable program that hasn't endured a losing season since 2009.
7. TCU -- at Minnesota, Stephen F. Austin, SMU
Opponents' cumulative 2014 record: 17-21 (.447)
The Horned Frogs will open the season with a Thursday night showcase before taking on two in-state opponents at home. Stephen F. Austin was 8-5 in FCS last season and SMU should be improved, but after the trip to Minneapolis, the Frogs should coast into Big 12 play to chase their second league title.
8. Central Arkansas, Texas-San Antonio
Opponents' cumulative 2014 record: 17-20 (.459)
The Pokes get a little credit for going on the road to face a solid MAC program, but that's not much of a eyebrow-raiser when it's the best game on your nonconference slate.
9. Louisiana Tech
Opponents' cumulative 2014 record: 15-23 (.395)
The Vanderbilt are the only major conference opponents on K-State's future schedule through 2020. UTSA only returns five starters from last year's 4-8 team.
10. Baylor -- Lamar, SMU, Rice.
Opponents' cumulative 2014 record: 17-20 (.459)
