Big 12 schools will face other power conference programs 13 times this season. Here’s a look at every one of them

Texas Tech wide receiver Caleb Douglas, center, can't make the catch as Oregon defensive back Aaron Flowers defends during the second half of the Orange Bowl College Football Playoff quarterfinal game, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Fla. | Lynne Sladky After league champion Texas Tech rolled through the Big 12 last season — and twice handled league runner-up BYU in blowouts — it appeared the Red Raiders would make a run in the College Football Playoff.

That was far from the case, as Texas Tech, after earning a first-round bye, was humbled 23-0 by Oregon in the CFP quarterfinals. Then Miami, the lone ACC representative in the playoff, made it all the way to the national championship game, where it lost a 27-21 thriller to Indiana. It was a disappointing end to what had been a promising year for the Big 12, which went 6-1 against ACC programs and 8-6 overall against power conference foes during the regular season.

This year, the Big 12 will presumably again be viewed as the weakest of the four power conferences, behind the Big Ten, which has produced the past three national champions, the SEC and the ACC. There will be 13 opportunities during the 2026 regular season for Big 12 schools to face other power conference opponents and try to improve the perception of the league. Here’s a look at every nonconference game that features a Big 12 team against a fellow power conference school this season: Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Audric Estime (7) runs the ball during the game against the BYU at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Saturday, Oct.

8, 2022. | Spenser Heaps, Deseret News Big 12 games vs. other power conference teams in 2026 Big 12 vs.