After the Wildcats face yet another ranked Big 12 team tonight, West Virginia, they will come back on Saturday to host Ole Miss inside Bramlage Coliseum.
No, the NCAA did not realign overnight, albeit I wouldn’t put it past them. Instead, the matchup is a part of a cross-conference showdown between the SEC and Big 12.
This game comes in the midst of the Wildcats’ brutal Big 12 schedule, which features five ranked opponents, including three in the top 10.
I will be the first to say I love when the power conferences go head-to-head, but not so much in the middle of conference play.
Ole Miss and K-State are a great matchup and they should definitely play, but let’s see this game in November or even December, not late January.
This just throws a curveball for every team in the Big 12 and SEC. These teams are focused on playing their best in conference play, and the Big 12 teams are gearing up for round two of the gauntlet.
I wouldn’t think the teams would be very hyped up for a nonconference game while they are trying to play their best ball in their own conferences. Knowing these games don’t mean much other than possibly hurting or helping their records doesn’t seem like much motivation.
There are some really good matchups that will be fun to see, however. ESPN College Gameday will be in Lawrence on Saturday when Kansas hosts Kentucky.
There will also be an interesting game down south in Norman, Oklahoma, when the Sooners host LSU. That game will feature two probable first-round draft picks: LSU freshman guard Ben Simmons and Oklahoma senior guard Buddy Hield.
There are several other interesting games this weekend: Vanderbilt will take on Texas down in Austin, Texas. West Virginia plays Florida in Gainesville, Florida. A former Big 12 matchup between Texas A&M and Iowa State will take place in College Station, Texas. Texas Tech travels to Arkansas, Baylor hosts Georgia and Oklahoma State goes to Auburn.
I am excited for these games because you don’t see them very often and they could have implications on when we get to selection time in March.
Nevertheless, I want to see these unique matchups between conferences, but next time, let’s see it a bit earlier in the season so these teams can focus on their own conferences.
