The 2024 college football season is less than two months away, and with that, a new era in the Big 12 will begin.
The first few weeks of the season will provide some juicy nonconference matchups, some of which are old-school rivalries that will introduce bad blood from seasons past.
Two such games rank among On3’s biggest nonconference games of the 2024 season, according to Jesse Simonton’s article on Monday morning.
Colorado vs. Nebraska in Week 2 comes in at No. 10 on the list. For the second consecutive season, the Buffs and Huskers will face off. This time, however, Coach Prime will have to take his group on the road to Lincoln, Nebraska.
“The Buffs walloped the Cornhuskers 36-14 in Deion Sanders’ home debut, with quarterback Shedeur Sanders putting on a show with nearly 400 total yards and three touchdowns,” Simonton writes. “But Matt Rhule stands to have a much-improved team in Year 2, and it could be Nebraska’s young quarterback Dylan Raiola who has the coming out party this season. The Cornhuskers also get to ease into 2024 with an opener against UTEP, whereas Colorado faces FCS power North Dakota State in Week 1.”
At No. 6 on the list, we get a look at the biggest nonconference game for the New Big 12, as West Virginia plays host to Penn State in Week 1.
While the Backyard Brawl is a more venomous rivalry, these two neighbors don’t share a lot of love, either, and WVU will look to get a bit of revenge after [getting] waxed at Penn State last season,” says Simonton. “The Mountaineers are at home this time and might actually have the better quarterback between Garrett Greene and Drew Allar. West Virginia is looking to continue its momentum after winning nine games in 2023 — but to do so means Neal Brown hit right on a slew of defensive portal additions. The same can be said for Penn State’s latest offensive coordinator. How quickly can Andy Kotelnicki put his fingerprints on a spotty offense?”
Texas at Michigan (Week 2) tops the list, while Miami at Florida (Week 1), and LSU vs. USC (Week 1) rounds out the top three.
Two Big 12 games did make the cut in a list of “Honorable Mentions,” as Arizona at Kansas State (technically not a Big 12 game) and UCF at Florida check in just outside of the Top 10.
