Ranking The Top 5 Big 12 Conference Games in 2013

Ranking The Top Big 12 Games of 2013

Just about every conference game in the Big 12 can be considered important as every conference game has bowl and championship implications. There are, however, a few that really stick out as huge games that will shape the 2013 Big 12 season. It was hard to pick just five games that stick out as the biggest conference games of this upcoming season. I could have probably listed at least ten games that deserve this praise, but only the top five made the cut.

These games feature many teams that will be competing for the Big 12 championship this year as well as teams that could potentially crush other teams goals as underdogs. This list includes the very first Big 12 conference game, which could end up shaping how those two teams seasons will go. It also includes new and ongoing rivalries that always end up being some of the biggest conference games each year. Each game will be a game with an electric home atmosphere and an away team that is trying to steal a game in a hostile environment.

Quite a few national and conference championship contenders will need to go through a gauntlet of talented teams to reach their goals for the season. No matter how you look at it, the Big 12 conference is one of the deepest, if not the deepest conference in the nation from top to bottom. It should be a wide open race for the Big 12 championship in 2013, and these five games will likely shape how the conference standings will ultimately end up this year.

Here are my top 5 Big 12 games for the 2013 season.

Weston Wilson is a college football and major league baseball writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter: @westonw90

No. 5 TCU at Texas Tech

The TCU Horned Frogs travel to Lubbock, Texas to face the Texas Tech Red Raiders on Sept. 12 at 6:30 p.m. This is the first Big 12 game and could have huge implications for both teams. It's always tough to win a night game on the South Plains and Texas Tech will be ready to face a tough Horned Frogs team. The fans will be very loud as this will be the biggest game of the night and could vault the winner to a great start. The atmosphere will be crazy for these two former Southwest Conference foes.

No. 4 Oklahoma State @ Texas

The game between Oklahoma State and Texas has become one of the most entertaining in the Big 12 in the last few years. The Longhorns won a close one in Stillwater last year, but the Cowboys won two in a row in Austin in 2010 and 2011. This game will be played on Nov. 16 and could have huge bowl implications for 2013.

No. 3 Oklahoma at Oklahoma State

The Bedlam game is annually one of the most hyped and biggest rivalries in the nation. The last few years have had conference championship implications as the Oklahoma Sooners won a share of the title last year, and the Oklahoma State Cowboys won the Big 12 in 2012. This year should be no different and it should be one of the most exciting games of the 2013 season.

No. 2 Texas at Oklahoma

The Red River Shootout is undoubtedly one of the nations premiere rivalries in college football. The Oklahoma Sooners have embarrassed the Texas Longhorns the last three years with blowout wins. The Longhorns have been hyped up as a legitimate Big 12 title contender in 2013 and will have to beat their rival Sooners to win the Big 12. This should once again be a huge game for both teams this year.

No. 1 TCU @ Oklahoma

Last year saw a competitive game in Fort Worth with the Oklahoma Sooners beating the TCU Horned Frogs27-14. The Frogs will be looking for revenge and will likely be ranked in the top 15 coming into this game. On Oct. 5th, this game will be played in Norman and the atmosphere should be electric.