The Big 12 is aiming for a three-game sweep of the mighty Southeastern Conference when No. 15 Kansas State visits Missouri and BYU heads to Arkansas this weekend.
The Big 12 has been ransacked twice by the SEC over the years. The first came with the departure of the Tigers and Texas A&M more than a decade ago, and now with the Longhorns set to join the SEC along with Oklahoma beginning next season.
At one point, after Nebraska left for the Big Ten and No. 18 Colorado for the Pac-12, some thought the Big 12 was on life support. The league stabilized under Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark, though. BYU, Cincinnati, UCF and Houston have joined this year, and four more are due to arrive next year with Colorado returning alongside No. 12 Utah, Arizona and Arizona State. Before that, they can make a statement against the SEC, which won four of six meetings between the leagues last year.“I think it’s going to be a great environment for college football,” Wildcats coach Chris Klieman said of the trip to Columbia, where his team will play for the first time since 2010. “This is a great game, a regional nonconference game and rivalry, and it’s going to be a great test for our guys because we’re going to be going into these types of environments in the Big 12. “I don’t know how the game is going to go, but it’s going to be a great opportunity for our guys to measure ourselves against a great team on the road in a hostile environment.” Tigers coach Eliah Drinkwitz also believes the matchup between Power Five schools is good for college football in general. “I don’t think there’s anything better than regional rivalries,” Drinkwitz said, pointing out that many players on each team were recruited by the opposing coaching staffs as well. “There’ll be the watercooler conversations. The people this summer flying their flags at the lake and talking trash, and that’s what makes college football so fun: the bragging rights.” The Tigers have won just twice in six games against Big 12 schools since bolting the league, while Kansas State is just 8-16 against the SEC. The Razorbacks are 13-6 against the Big 12 while the Cougars are 4-7 against the SEC. “We played against last year and they put up a lot of points against us and they go the victory,” said Sitake, whose Cougars lost a 52-35 shootout in Provo, Utah. “We’re looking forward to the rematch and going down to Arkansas for this game and getting ready for them. A tough team, tons of talent, just like we saw last year.” It’s an excellent opportunity for BYU to represent the Big 12 in its first season in the league and an important game for the SEC in avoiding a potential 0-for-3 mark against the Big 12 this season.
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