Weekend Watch Guide: An Oklahoma State Fan’s Guide to Week 2 of the College Football Season

Week 1 of the 2023 college football season might have not been a shining star for the Big 12, but on the whole, it was a fun week.

Week 2 provides matchups that are just as intriguing, so let’s take a look at games Oklahoma State fans should at least keep up with ahead of the Cowboys late kick in the desert.

Big 12 Schedule

Kansas vs. Illinois — 6:30 p.m. Friday on ESPN2
Baylor vs. No. 12 Utah — 11 a.m. Saturday on ESPN
No. 15 Kansas State vs. Troy — 11 a.m. Saturday on FS1
BYU vs. Southern Utah — 2 p.m. Saturday on ESPN+
Iowa State vs. Iowa — 2:30 p.m. Saturday on FOX
No. 18 Oklahoma vs. SMU — 5 p.m. Saturday on ESPN+
West Virginia vs. Duquesne — 5 p.m. Saturday on ESPN+
Cincinnati at Pittsburgh — 5:30 p.m. Saturday on CW Network
No. 11 Texas at No. 3 Alabama — 6 p.m. Saturday on ESPN
Texas Tech vs. No. 13 Oregon — 6 p.m. Saturday on FOX
UCF at Boise State — 6 p.m. Saturday on FS1
Houston at Rice — 6 p.m. Saturday on NFL Network
TCU vs. Nicholls — 7 p.m. Saturday on ESPN+
Oklahoma State at Arizona State — 9:30 p.m. Saturday on FS1

The league has some big-time matchups this weekend with the most notable being Texas’ trip to Tuscaloosa. The Longhorns didn’t set the world ablaze in their 37-10 win against Rice, but that narrative can change should Texas compete with the Crimson Tide deep in SEC country.

Kansas could secure bragging rights for the Big 12 in a Friday night game against Illinois. The Illini travel to Lawrence after squeaking out a 30-28 win against Toledo in Week 1. A win for the Jayhawks would be further proof Lance Leipold has the Jayhawks rocking in the right direction.

Texas Tech faltered under all the expectations in Week 1, falling to Wyoming in overtime, but if the Red Raiders can get a result against the Ducks in Lubbock, the hype train might roll on.

Lastly, that Houston vs. Rice game ought to be interesting. The crosstown rivalry has seen Houston win the past seven matchups, but it is made more intriguing this year with Houston in the Big 12 and Rice playing Texas closer than anticipated last weekend.

Friday Night Matchups

Indiana State at Indiana — 6 p.m. Friday on Big Ten Network
Illinois at Kansas — 6:30 p.m. on ESPN2

These are the only two FBS games happening Friday, but both are somewhat intriguing.

We already hit on Kansas and Illinois, so let’s talk a little Hoosiers vs. Sycamores. Despite sharing a state, this will be just the eighth time these football programs have met, with Indiana boasting a 6-1 record in the series. Indiana will be a huge favorite, but anytime there is a rare matchup between two schools that share a state, sign me up.

Saturday Selections

No. 10 Notre Dame at NC State — 11 a.m. on ABC
Nebraska at No. 22 Colorado — 11 a.m. on FOX
No. 20 Ole Miss at No. 24 Tulane — 2:30 p.m. on ESPN2
No. 23 Texas A&M at Miami — 2:30 p.m. on ABC
Tulsa at No. 8 Washington — 4 p.m. on Pac-12 Network
Southeast Louisiana at South Alabama — 4 p.m. on ESPN+
Arizona at Mississippi State — 6:30 p.m. on SEC Network
Stanford at No. 6 USC — 9:30 p.m. on FOX

Outside of the Big 12’s borders, these are the best games of the weekend (and/or games OSU fans could have a vested interest in).

An old Big 12 rivalry is renewed as Nebraska heads to Boulder to take on Coach Prime and the Buffaloes. This could be another feather in the Big 12’s cap should a future (and past) school put it to a school that left the league for the Big Ten.

Tulane could prove itself the darling of the Group of Five should it beat Ole Miss in a game the Green Wave are playing at home. Not only is it a highly anticipated Group of Five vs. SEC matchup, it also has the chance to feature former OSU quarterback Spencer Sanders. Playing second-string duties to Jaxson Dart, Sanders threw for 134 yards and two touchdowns in Ole Miss’ win against Mercer in Week 1.

Texas A&M and Miami is a battle of two historically proud programs trying to find their footing after years of meh. The Aggies beat up on New Mexico in Week 1, while Miami beat the other Miami (the one in Ohio) 38-3. The winner of this game comes out drinking a ton of Kool-Aid; the loser’s message boards probably go crazy.