Rating the Big 12 non-conference football schedules

I’m going to write about the Big 12′s non-conference football schedules for Thursday’s paper, so I thought I would rank the league’s non-conference schedules, which again leave much to be desired:

1. Oklahoma: Really a throwback schedule. At Miami, Brigham Young on a semi-neutral field in Dallas, even Tulsa is a solid foe. Only Idaho State stinks. You don’t see that often.

2. Colorado: As usual, the Buffs carry their weight. At West Virginia is the marquee game, but Colorado State is a solid rivalry, and CU goes to Toledo. When Wyoming at home is your easiest game, you’ve got a good schedule.

3. Oklahoma State: Four home games, but one of them is Georgia, and Houston and Rice aren’t pushovers. Grambling State is.

4. Nebraska: Huskers join the Sun Belt Conference for games in Lincoln against Florida Atlantic, Arkansas State and Louisiana-Lafayette, but the other game is at Virginia Tech.

5. Baylor: Bears are the only Big 12 school to play two opponents from BCS conferences – Connecticut and at Wake Forest. Baylor also hosts NW Louisiana and Kent State.

6. Missouri: Tigers play Illinois in their annual St. Louis game and go to Nevada, which isn’t always easy. Mizzou hosts Bowling Green and Furman.

7. Texas A&M: The Aggies play Arkansas in Arlington, Texas, but otherwise, it’s nothing to get excited about it — home games against New Mexico, Utah State and Alabama-Birmingham.

8. Iowa State: Cyclones host Iowa, but otherwise, not much going on. Home games against North Dakota State and Army, plus a road game at Kent State.

9. Kansas State: Home games against UMass, Tennessee Tech and Louisiana-Lafayette are straight out of the Bill Snyder handbook, circa 1993. But at least the Wildcats go to UCLA in Snyder’s first season back in the saddle.

10. Kansas: KU’s lone BCS-league foe is Duke, which is a heck of a basketball game but doesn’t do much for anyone on the gridiron. The Jayhawks also play at Texas-El Paso and host Southern Mississippi and Northern Colorado.

11. Texas: Longhorns are void of a marquee game, though at least they take a road trip — to Wyoming. ‘Horns host Louisiana-Monroe, Texas-El Paso and Central Florida.

12. Texas Tech: Red Raiders once played big-time non-conference opponents. Those days are gone, though at least Tech is playing at Houston U., in addition to hosting North Dakota, Rice and New Mexico.