Finally, the final two of the Power 5 leagues have released their schedules. The SEC and Big Ten got their business done last fall, and the Pac-12 checked in a couple of weeks ago. The ACC and Big 12 took their time releasing on Jan. 30 and 31, respectively.
The ACC’s format is no longer by divisions as the league has undertaken a 3-5-5 scheduling model, where each team has three primary opponents and will play the rest of the league home and away over the course of four years.
The championship game will also be determined by conference game win percentage in an attempt to avoid lopsided title games, which Clemson has made a habit of winning by wide margins in six out of the last seven seasons in which the game has been held.
The Big 12 is welcoming four new teams (BYU, UCF, Cincinnati and Houston) in a setup that will feature 14 teams for at least this season while Oklahoma and Texas are still in the league. If you’re wondering how excited both bluebloods are about the schedule announcement, well …
Here are some takeaways from today’s two schedule releases.
Big 12
Debutants’ openers:
- BYU @ Kansas (Sept. 30)
- UCF @ Kansas State (Sept. 23)
- Cincinnati vs. Oklahoma (Sept. 23)
- Houston vs. TCU (Sept. 16)
- West Virginia and Oklahoma State get all four newbies on their schedules. The Pokes get all four of the last five weeks of the season
Texas plays on the road Oct. 21 at Houston
It’s the first time the Horns have played the Cougars since 2002, and there will be no love lost after the realignment battles of ’18. For good measure, Texas also plays Rice, Baylor, TCU and Texas Tech for a decidedly Southwest Conference flavor to its 2023 slate.
Perhaps the final Bedlam won’t be on Thanksgiving weekend
The game isn’t nailed to the traditional rivalry weekend, and this year’s edition will be Nov. 4. The rivalry is expected to go on hiatus whenever Oklahoma leaves for the SEC, which all sides continue to say will be in 2025.
For the most part, non-Bedlam/Red River natural rivalries are the week before Thanksgiving weekend
TCU-Baylor, West Virginia–Cincinnati and Kansas–Kansas State make for a great penultimate week of the regular season.
TCU finally gets a late bye week
An under-the-radar subplot of TCU’s 2022 season is that they ripped off 10 wins in a row without a break after a Week 3 bye. After having one of the nation’s earlier bye weeks, the Frogs join Texas Tech in the latest off week in the league on Oct. 28.
The ACC
The Miami Bowl
Technically not a conference game, of course, but a deeply funny schedule quirk is that Miami (Fla.) will face Miami (Ohio) on a Friday night to open the season. They’ve played three times before, and only once since 1946 (in ’87).
Louisville draws an easy slate on paper
The Cards avoid: Florida State, North Carolina and Clemson in Jeff Brohm’s first year. They do get Notre Dame and NC state in back-to-back weeks, however.
The Sam Hartman Bowl
Nov. 18 features Notre Dame QB Sam Hartman hosting his former team, Wake Forest, in South Bend.
Duke is ready for Clemson
As far as social media smack talk goes, the Blue Devils appear ready for their home opener, poking some fun at Dabo Swinney. Will they regret it?
FSU goes in-state rivals in late November
Florida State and Miami don’t really have a permanent date on the calendar, and this season’s iteration will be one of the latest into the season the two in-state rivals have ever played (Nov. 11). The Noles will follow up that game with North Alabama before ending the regular season against Florida.
Syracuse and Pitt play a throwback matchup
College football’s been played at Yankee Stadium for a century, and to commemorate it, the Panthers and Orange are playing a one-off in Yankee stadium. Each team has played in the Pinstripe bowl in recent years so they’re at least a bit used to the configuration.
