The Oklahoma Sooners won eight of their nine conference games to win the Big 12 and advance to the College Football Playoff as the first representative from the Big 12 conference a year ago. They have more than enough talent to contend for another conference title and more this season with star quarterback Baker Mayfield leading the way. However, it certainly won’t be easy with the top teams reloading with the intent on knocking them off at the top and a difficult schedule that will provide plenty of obstacles. Here is a look at the four Big 12 teams with the toughest schedules for the 2016 season.
Oklahoma Sooners
Opponents Combined 2015 Record: 87-67
Oklahoma will face an uphill climb to make it back to the College Football Playoff with one of the toughest schedules in the entire country regardless of conference. The Sooners open up with games against Houston (at a neutral site), Ohio State (at home) and at TCU in their first month of action. They will need to win two of those three games at the very least to be in the CFP conversation by the time that November rolls around. Losing to someone like Houston or Ohio State might not hurt them in the Big 12 standings but it will drop them a peg in terms of the national picture.
The schedule gets a little bit easier after that, but still features games against fellow Big 12 contenders in Baylor and Oklahoma State. If there is a glimmer for the Sooners, it’s the fact that both of those games – as well as the Ohio State showdown – are in Norman, where the Sooners are hard to beat. They are far more vulnerable on the road. Oklahoma might very well be the best team in the Big 12 on paper but they will face a tough road as they look to repeat as conference champions.
Iowa State Cyclones
Opponents Combined 2015 Record: 86-56
The Cyclones won just two of their nine conference games and finished with a 3-9 overall record last season. There has been a lot of optimism surrounding the potential for Matt Campbell to turn things around at Iowa State, but the reality is it isn’t likely to happen in 2016. A big part of the problem is that the Cyclones have one of the toughest schedules in the Big 12 with a slate of opponents that had a combined 86-56 record last season. Iowa State will face nine different teams that have played bowl games a year ago and they will face five teams that are coming off 10-win seasons including Iowa, TCU and Oklahoma on the road. Although Ames is sometimes a tough place to play, teams like Oklahoma, Baylor and maybe even Texas Tech and West Virginia won’t have too many problems registering wins. There is a lot to like about Campbell and his staff but expectations need to be tempered for this season. It won’t help that former head coach Paul Rhoads left the cupboard fairly bare for Campbell.
Kansas Jayhawks
Opponents Combined 2015 Record: 88-53
Kansas finished with the worst record in the Big 12 last season and there is a very good chance they remain in the basement in 2016. The Jayhawks could win their opener against Rhode Island State, but after that, they will play eight straight games against opponents that went to bowl games a year ago. The schedule includes a four-game stretch in which they face TCU, Baylor, Oklahoma State and Oklahoma and if Kansas can’t take down Rhode Island State in its opener, it could be in tough to end the longest losing streak in the entire nation this season. David Beaty has plenty of work cut out for him. If Kansas is to make any progress on the field, it likely won’t be seen in the wins and losses column.
Kansas State Wildcats
Opponents Combined 2015 Record: 80-60
The Wildcats will open the season against the defending Pac-12 champion Stanford and then face another tough matchup in October when they visit Oklahoma. Those are two potential national title contenders on part and the schedule doesn’t get much easier after that. Following that, they’ll have games against Oklahoma State, Baylor and TCU the rest of the way. Kansas State will host Texas Tech, Texas and Oklahoma State but road games against Stanford, Oklahoma, Baylor and TCU will take their toll and it won’t be a surprise when the Wildcats finish below .500 again in 2016.
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