The Big 12 Conference and AT&T Stadium have extended their agreement for hosting the Dr Pepper Big 12 Championship Game until 2030, adding enhancements like featuring a three-time Grammy award winner as halftime entertainment.
Klieman faces an uphill battle at Kansas State compared to Snyder at Michigan or Gundy at Oklahoma. However, he has done an outstanding job of keeping K-State competitive and bowl-eligible during his fourth-year stewardship.
Oklahoma
The Big 12 Championship Game is an annual football game between the top two teams from each Big 12 Conference. Held annually from 1996 until 2010 and returned in 2017, its winner receives an invitation to the Sugar Bowl unless selected for one of the national semifinals for the College Football Playoff. Currently, it takes place at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Oklahoma Sooners are the top-ranked team in the Big 12 Conference and nationally. They lead in terms of total offense (484 yards per game) and scoring (53.5 points per game), as well as ranking second for their rushing defense, allowing only 88.1 yards per game and fourth in passing offense with 343 passes completed each game.
Oklahoma leads the conference in both sacks (2.0 per game) and pass deflections (3.0 per game), led by All-American center Joe Mixon on their defensive line; Joe has helped Oklahoma rank third nationally for sacks while fifth nationally for tackles for loss. Running back Samaje Perine leads Oklahoma’s offense in rushing yards (1,385) and touchdowns (18).
Baylor would make history if they won the Big 12 Championship Game and advanced to the College Football Playoff for the first time in school history. After an inauspicious start to their season under coach Matt Rhule’s guidance, Baylor has seen significant improvement and recently recorded three straight victories against Oklahoma State to secure its third consecutive Big 12 crown.
Blake Shapen began the game for the Bears, who were playing without starting quarterback Gerry Bohanon. Following Trestan Ebner’s fumble and Shapen’s connection with Ben Sims on a touchdown pass to make it 7-3 after one quarter was complete.
Oklahoma will learn who it will face in the championship game when the College Football Playoff selection committee reveals its picks on Sunday. A win against Oklahoma State or an upset by ninth-ranked Baylor against Texas Tech may give Oklahoma an edge toward cutting a spot in the Final Four.
Texas
The Big 12 Championship Game is held annually to crown the champions of its two six-team divisions. Held across all Big 12 states, Kansas City typically hosts most often. Fox Sports typically broadcasts the title game. Established by combining the Big Eight Conference with four teams from the Southwest Conference in 1996 and currently comprising 14 members, 2023 will mark its inaugural season as an expanded 14-team conference that welcomes BYU, UCF Cincinnati, and Houston into membership.
Texas’ chances of winning the Big 12 tournament hang by a thread after losing to Baylor on Tuesday. They must win both games against Kansas and hope that Oklahoma State and Kansas State lose one of their final regular-season games to take home this prized trophy.
Though their season ended in a whimper, the Longhorns showed plenty of determination in their final matchup of 2018. Their bench provided much-needed momentum during the second half and Jahdae Barron returned a botched handoff 52 yards for a touchdown with just 4:25 remaining to secure victory for Texas.
After an uneven first half, Texas came roaring out in the third quarter. Marcus Carr led Texas out of their scoring slump with 17 points, while Brock Cunningham proved indispensable off the bench, collecting loose balls during both halves of play.
Kansas struggled on both ends of the floor as Jalen Wilson only made nine of 19 shots while Dajuan Harris Jr. missed all five 3-point attempts he attempted. Additionally, their defensive struggles intensified instead of Kevin McCullar, who was sidelined due to an injury.
No matter which team wins this weekend’s championship game, both will likely earn high seeds in this year’s NCAA Tournament. Kansas may receive at least a No.1 seed, while Texas could make one. The NCAA selection committee will announce their complete brackets on Sunday.
Baylor
The Big 12 Championship Game is an annual meeting between division champions from each conference division. First held in 1996 and still played every year since the Big 12 has served as an early precursor of sorts to the SEC Championship Game that is hosted every year since 1992. Before 2011, Big 12 championships were determined through regular-season records, with winners being crowned at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri; since 2011, however, they now use a playoff format, and the winner of each conference title can be found at AT&T Stadium in Arlington Texas.
As many predicted, defense was the star of this matchup. Oklahoma State stripped Baylor’s Trestan Ebner to force him to fumble, with Tanner Brown scoring on an opening 23-yard field goal for Oklahoma State. Baylor responded with its drive that ended with Blake Shapen scoring on two two-yard touchdown runs for them.
Baylor quickly took an impressive 21-6 lead into halftime behind their defense’s strong performance. Blake Shapen made his second start for Gerry Bohanon due to injury and set a Big 12 Championship and stadium record with 17 consecutive completions at the beginning of the game before going on to complete 23-of-28 passes for 180 yards and three touchdowns while earning him MVP honors of the matchup.
After the break, two of the Big 12’s top defenses remained locked in an intense struggle. Both teams managed to convert on third downs but missed field goals in the red zone; Oklahoma State’s Dezmon Jackson came up short on two fourth-down attempts, while Bears quarterback Spencer Sanders threw an interception.
Baylor captured its inaugural Big 12 Championship and advanced to the New Year’s Six bowl game after beating Texas and Kansas State, hoping TCU beats Kansas in Manhattan. If they manage an unblemished campaign and TCU works an upset over Kansas, then perhaps Baylor can secure an undefeated season. Still, the Big 12 must ensure there is a viable playoff path come November.
TCU
The Big 12 championship game featured an exciting finish. TCU was denied any first downs for much of the fourth quarter while Kansas State used a compelling drive to tie the game at regulation’s conclusion; then, in overtime, Ty Zentner kicked a 31-yard field goal to give Kansas State their win.
The 2022 Big 12 Football Championship returned to a four-team format for the conference and featured numerous new in-game entertainment, broadcast, and marketing enhancements. Grammy-winning singer/songwriter/actress Ashanti performed the National Anthem while media personality Rachel DeMita hosted. Furthermore, world welterweight boxing champion Errol Spence Jr. tossed a ceremonial coin, and DJ Poizon Ivy from A Bathing Ape provided in-game music during playback.
TCU, located in Fort Worth, Texas, offers an impressive variety of athletic programs. Their football team, known as the Horned Frogs, has won two Big XII championships over the last five years and features a nationally-recognized law school and an award-winning graduate business program as well as six consecutive Big XII basketball titles and being the most dominant team during 2015.
TCU earned its way into the College Football Playoff with a victory against Texas, securing itself the No. 4 seed and returning to the Big 12 championship game for the first time since 2012. They will face Michigan or Georgia, depending on how other Power 5 conferences finish their seasons.
TCU stands a real chance at reaching the Big 12 playoffs this year if other teams lose this weekend and TCU wins its final regular-season game on November 7.
TCU stands alone as the only school from the Big 12 that has won two national championships in 1935 and 1938 as members of the Southwest Conference. TCU’s success can be partially attributed to its highly stable coaching staff, which helps fuel its success.
