2016 Big 12 Football Schedule Released
Posted on: November 24, 2015
A little later than we’ve become accustomed in years past, the Big 12 Conference did announce the full 2016 slate of games on Tuesday afternoon. You can see the full schedule below, and then we’ll get into some of the OU specifics.
Some quick-hitters on the Sooners:
* Just as a reminder, OU’s non-conference opponents in 2016 are: 9/3 @ Houston (Texans stadium), 9/10 vs. Louisiana-Monroe, 9/17 vs. Ohio State
* OU will have two bye weeks; week of 9/24 following the Ohio State game & 11/26 week of Thanksgiving
* First time in four years (or since they joined the league) OU won’t open Big 12 play against West Virginia.
* That Thursday night game @ Iowa State…..yuck.
* Remains to be seen what kind of team TCU will be next year (or Texas for that matter), but back-to-back Big 12 opening duo of @ TCU & the Horns is Dallas could be rather tough.
* Big 12 as a whole definitely didn’t back load the schedule like they did in 2015, but there are several what figure to be quality games on ‘championship weekend’ (Dec. 3), Bedlam among them.
69 Comments
Strength of schedule for OU will certainly not be lame. Baylor on the other hand…
Baylor 2016:
Northwestern St,
SMU,
Rice…
Wow!
That ought to turn the committee’s eyes towards Baylor next year!
Baylor 2017:
Liberty Flames
UTSA Roadrunners
Duke Blue Devils
Funny thing is, when they scheduled Duke the Blue Devils were cellar dwellers. Now they can play pretty good football. Look for the Bears to reschedule.
Liberty Flames? Aren’t they a roller derby team?
Pretty nice home schedule next year:
ULM
Ohio State
KSU
KU
Baylor
OSU
2017’s will stink in comparison:
UTEP
Tulane
TCU
TT
ISU
WVU
Still play Ohio St in 2017
That’s why I said home schedule.
My Bad
It’s cool. I just always look at the home schedule since I have season tickets.
I will be in Norman 2016 and Columbus in 2017. Anyone who wants to meet up in 2017, let me know. Columbus is a fun city.
I live just east of Indianapolis, might consider a 2017 trip.
Cool. I’m sure we’re going to talk a bunch before the game. We will work it out.
D’OH 😉
Moral of this particular story: if you’re doing future financial planning and can only afford home tickets one year or the other, 2016 is the year to do it
Put the schedule in an easy-to-read version. Good looking schedule. Between Ohio State and Houston (and assuming OSU, Baylor, and TCU are good again), I’d have to think our strength of schedule next year will be very good. There are 5 teams on that schedule currently ranked, 3 of whom are in the top 10
Should be a decent year to start out with some tough competition. Houston, Ohio State, TCU, and Texas in four of the first five games. Return nearly everybody on offense except Shep. Gotta find his replacement. Lose Tapper and Striker/Bond on D. I think we can replace Tapper, but Striker’s replacement might take some time to get up to speed.
Jordan has said it a few times, and I wholeheartedly agree: I hope we go to a true 4 man front next year. The 3 man front has worked great while having Striker and Bond; however, with both gone next year and the talent/ depth we return on that D line, you’d sure think it would get more talent on the field to go to a 4 man D line
I don’t have a preference one way or another, but I have a hard time wanting to change defenses after the successes we’ve had this year. I know that personnel drives the scheme, to an extent, so I guess we’ll see.
Agreed. And unless you have Tommie Harris and Gerald Mccoy, it’s hard to justify a traditional 4 man front of having 2 mammoth DT’s who easily get winded against all of the spread tempo offenses we face, when you could have speedier athletes who can cover, blitz, and give different looks to confuse the offense. If we had to go with 4 man front, at least take one of your bigger DE and have em play DT. I remember the Giants against the Pats in the SB used 4 DE’s at times.
Just in all games will 11am DOH
Already got tickets to the Houston game. I’m pumped!
Love our schedule. If we’re truly OU, we fear no one. Bring em on!!! We intend to dominant all opponents. That being said, Houston could have a new coach next year, apparently Zeek Elliott won’t be in the OSU backfield and C Jones won’t be playing QB. HA!
Too bad Cardale Jones isn’t Ohio State’s qb now!
I think tOSU is imploding. They have looked awful all year despite returning a ton of their talent from last year. And the reactions from their players after that loss were downright alarming if you’re a tOSU fan, and hysterical if you’re not.
I was counting on Ohio state to be the first game with the bowled in renovations.
Both OU and TCU are off before they play each other. And yeah, yuch on Thur night ISU game in Ames, at night, in November – just perfect for horrid weather and no OU fans at the game.
Although we get TCU before texsa, they have to go TO the sheep the same week.
Don’t like the short week for a Thurday game but at least OU is playing Kansas and Iowa St for those games and gives a couple of extra days to prepare for Baylor.
Visions of Siebert orchestrating another Uwe von Schamann game-winning FG in Columbus in 2017
A truly classic Sooner moment
While it would be great to see another “The Kick,” I think I would prefer to see Samaje force his will upon tOSU’s D. And break a TCU-esque 70+ yarder on them.
I was thinking about Ewe while watching the MSU kicker wait through a timeout.
Visions of an enraged Urban Meyer snubbing Stoops post game handshake attempt at midfield he slaps the OU equipment manager, just like the Bully woody hayes did 40 yrs ago.
I’m confused. Either Iowa State is a Saturday, or we play them on Nov 3.
It’s the third, schedule just shows week of the game
quality schedule especially if Tom Herman hangs around.
I was thinking the same thing. Houston coming off a great season and tOSU makes for a really good-looking OOC schedule.
Yep the Sooners schedule very well. OU is very fortunate to have Joe C.
I bet ‘Neer fans are jumping for joy about not having to open against us next year.
ISU will have a new coach. Stop worrying about the 10th or 11th toughest team on our schedule. 🙂
I don’t think anybody is worrying, just feels Bush league playing on a freaking Thursday!!!
this
I agree. Thursday nights just feel like they’re meant for S. Carolina and Pokie State. Or maybe a matchup of Pac-12 middleweights.
Thursday nights are for AAC games.
I’ve seen more than one person reference the short week to prepare, or playing a Thursday night game in November in Ames, as cautionary warnings.
If we can’t beat ISU on a Thursday in Ames in November at night, well, we’ll just have to take the loss and get better.
Thursday really?
Well… I’d rather play on Thursday with the whole country watching than at 11am on Saturday, which is the (probably) likely alternative.
1. Thursday game gives us a couple extra to prep for BU.
2. We could rocket up the polls early with UH, OhSt, & TCU early.
3. Still finish with a killer closing run of BU, WVU, OSU.
The schedule bookends all our strength of schedule which should help if we are taking care of business.
With what we have returning next year we shouldn’t have to rocket much at all. Should be starting right up near the top. NOT saying that’s a good thing just think it’s likely.
Random question. So I guess we got the whole stadium expansion thing sorted? Last I read, a judge ordered us to halt the work. So that was all taken care of and everything is full speed ahead? I assume so but I never heard any more about it.
http://gfoms.com/live-stadium-construction-cam/
Exactly. I’ve seen that. So where was the story about getting it sorted with the judge and that lawsuit?
No story, but they will (if they haven’t already). There is no chance that OU will open the season without several thousand seats.
check these out #7 is pretty good, typical OSU http://www.pistolsfiringblog.com/power-rankings-the-10-best-gifs-in-oklahoma-state-football-history/
Iowa Stare on Thursday = 2 extra prep/healing days before Baylor
It didn’t help Baylor against us this year.
I don’t buy into that – I think it can throw off your schedule and rhythm. Just my opinion, though.
We shouldn’t have to play any Thursday games period. We are better than that. I was seriously considering to going to Ames for the game but not now. I hope Joe C didn’t agree to it.
It’s a necessary evil for the Power 5 under the new hefty TV contracts. OU got them to agree to no Thursdays in Norman cause it would kill the merchants. And OU has been stubborn about not playing Texas in primetime that TV execs have wanted for over a decade. There is only so much you can refuse to do when they are paying you and the conference so much.
I get that. I would rather play texas at night but we all know the reasons for that. I don’t care, we’re Oklahoma and sometimes the Big 12 can kiss it. It is what it is but I don’t have to agree. It sucks.
Yep. Even the sez plays thursday games and ironically back in the day they routinely played thursday games, which gave them more exposure, and we have seen the results of that
OU 3rd!
WOW…at 3rd we win we in…!
Boomer!
SOONER!
That is one tough schedule for OU.
Jordan – minor edit note – NRG stadium not texans…FWIW