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Big 12 Roundup: North Carolina jigs around TCU in season-opening action

  • Writer: Tom Hardon
    Tom Hardon
  • Aug 31
  • 2 min read
Courtesy: Big 12 Conference
Courtesy: Big 12 Conference

College football is once again upon us, all rejoice the glorious return.


Week 0 games offer a chance at some novelty on the calendar, and there was perhaps no greater novelty than the 2026 edition of the Aer Lingus College Football Classic between TCU and North Carolina. In a rematch from last season, the Tar Heels avenged their 48-14 defeat at home, edging out the Horned Frogs in a rain-soaked 15-10 game that saw just 5 points scored after the opening 15 minutes.


As the only Big 12 game on the calendar for this weekend’s action, eyes from across the conference were keenly on the action for the first of two international games featuring Big 12 teams this season, the second of course being the Week 3 tilt for the Sun Devils against Kansas in the inaugural Union Jack Classic from Wembley Stadium in London.


While the Sun Devils do not face the Horned Frogs in regular season play this season, this result points to how tight fans can expect to see the standings at the end of the season. According to ESPN’s FPI rankings, TCU is one of five Big 12 teams with an expected final record of 7-5, just one game ahead of Arizona State and five others at 6-6. It’s a long way to look after just one game, but there’s always a chance that this early stumble could have a hand in late season tiebreakers in the wild world of the Big 12.


The other 15 members of the Big 12 will be in action throughout the rest of Week 1 (all times Arizona Time):


Thursday:

  • Bethune-Cookman (FCS) at UCF (4pm, ESPN+)

  • Colorado at Georgia Tech (5pm, ESPN)

  • Idaho (FCS) at No. 21 Utah (6pm, ESPNU)


Friday:

  • Long Island (FCS) at Kansas (5pm, ESPNU)


Saturday:

  • Oregon State at No. 23 Houston (9am, ESPN)

  • Coastal Carolina at West Virginia (9am, TNT)

  • Southeast Missouri (FCS) at Iowa State (10am, ESPN+)

  • Baylor vs. Auburn (Aflac Kickoff from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta; 12:30pm, ABC)

  • Boston College at Cincinnati (12:30pm, FOX)

  • Oklahoma State at Tulsa (12:45pm, ESPNU)

  • Abilene Christian (FCS) at No. 12 Texas Tech (4pm, FS1)

  • Nicholls (FCS) at Kansas State (4pm, ESPN+)

  • Utah Tech (FCS) at No. 14 BYU (5pm, ESPN+)

  • Northern Arizona (FCS) at Arizona (6:30pm, ESPN+)

  • Morgan State (FCS) at Arizona State (7pm, ESPNU)

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