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1. Utah at Oklahoma State (September 21)

In Utah’s first official Big 12 Conference game, the Utes face one of the top teams in the league.

Outside of Texas and Oklahoma, the Oklahoma State Cowboys may be the most consistently strong program in the Big 12.

If Utah can’t beat them on the road, the status of Utah Football will need to be reexamined.

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2. Arizona at Utah (September 28)

Coming off a bye week, the Arizona Wildcats head to Salt Lake City to take on Utah.

The Ute coaching staff didn’t forget what happened in Tucson last season, even if the Wildcats’ coaching staff has changed.

There is a growing organic rivalry between the two programs and an Arizona victory at Rice-Eccles Stadium would only further develop the animosity.

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3. Arizona at Kansas State (September 13)

Technically a nonconference matchup, Arizona’s game in Manhattan could be the difference between making the Playoff and missing out.

Expected by some to lose to Kansas State, a Wildcat victory would force the rest of the Big 12 to take note.

The nation’s attention will be on the game as well with it slated to be the debut of Fox’s new Friday night showcase.

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4. Oklahoma State at Colorado (November 29)

Colorado’s Senior Day features a matchup with what could be the Big 12’s strongest brand from the remaining original eight members of the Conference (colloquially referred to as the “Hateful 8”).

The Cowboys won the Texas Bowl last season over Texas A&M and enter the new Big 12 with confidence.

OSU has eight 10-win seasons over the last 14 years and the matchup with Colorado will be one to watch.

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5. BYU at Utah (November 9)

The Holy War returns. The rivalry between Utah and BYU is as real as it gets—comparable in vitriol to the Arizona-Arizona State and Oregon-Washington rivalries.

The Utes have dominated the series since 2010 with a 9-1 mark and are 14-4 against the Cougars since 2002.

But BYU won the most recent matchup in 2021 and the Utah players want revenge.

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6. Kansas State at Colorado (October 12)

Kansas State is expected by some to be among the top teams in the Big 12.

But Colorado learned the hard way what it takes to win at an elite level.

The Pac-12 was the nation’s strongest conference last season and Deion Sanders knows it all starts in the trenches. It’s a Litmus Test for both programs.

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7. Colorado at Arizona (October 19)

Depending on how the results play out, Colorado at Arizona could feature a matchup between two Top 25 teams.

With the way the Playoff structure is set up, winning a Conference championship game provides an Auto-Bid to the Promised Land.

It might be fair to say that the loser of this game won’t make the Big 12 Championship Game and will be eliminated from the Playoff by default.

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8. Utah at Colorado (November 16)

In another game with potential Big 12 Conference Championship Game implications, the Utes head to Boulder for a noteworthy matchup.

The eyes of the College Football world tend to follow Colorado and the game against Utah could be impactful in the Playoff race.

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9. Colorado at Central Florida (September 28)

If Colorado is going to take a step forward in Year Two of the Coach Prime era, it has to beat UCF on the road.

The Knights have taken advantage of their move into a Power Conference, turning their program into a recruiting power.

A CU loss would only emphasize the hype-over-substance perception of the Buffaloes’ program.

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10. Arizona State at Arizona (November 30)

The last time Arizona beat Arizona State three-straight games was in 1993-1995.

The Wildcats will have the chance to do it in Tucson this season, as the rivalry game returns to the Old Pueblo.

And considering the historically bad stretch that ASU Football is going through, another Wildcat victory seems likely.

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11. Arizona State at Oklahoma State (November 2)

Arguably a developing rivalry, Arizona State and Oklahoma State face off for the third-straight season.

The Cowboys won the matchup in 2023 and the game in 2022, but the two programs face off for the first time as members of the Big 12.

This series is one to watch in the new era of the Conference.

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12. Kansas State at BYU (September 21)

BYU opens its conference season against the Kansas State Wildcats.

The matchup is a measuring stick for the Cougar program which faces KSU for the first time as members of the Big 12.

It’s an early-season matchup that figures to help shape the narratives around the year.