Texas Longhorns

          The Ultimate Big 12 Road Trip: Week 12

          I've been inspired by the boys at the Big Ten Blog, and this should be a fun walk-through each week in the new-look Big 12 next season. I'll pick one game a week during the season that I'd attend if it were entirely up to me. I don't make the call, and things change as games are played, of course. But right now, this is how it would look if it were up to me. I'll include road nonconference games, too.

          Here's the Week 12 slate in the Big 12:

          • Oklahoma at West Virginia

          • Texas Tech at Oklahoma State

          • Kansas State at Baylor

          • Iowa State at Kansas

          My pick: Oklahoma at West Virginia

          This one's a no doubter. K-State and Baylor played an absolute classic last year, but Oklahoma's maiden Big 12 voyage to Morgantown might be the Game of the Year in the entire conference.

          Last year, it was clear early in the season that Bedlam would decide the Big 12 title. This time around, my bet is this showdown of new conference rivals, and if they're both in the top 10, don't be surprised if ESPN's "College GameDay" makes its second trip to Morgantown, a sequel to last year's visit the weekend of the LSU game.

          That was a fantastic atmosphere, and GameDay or not, Oklahoma will be walking into one of the toughest atmospheres it'll see all season in this one. It'll also be another shot for Dana Holgorsen to take down the Sooners. He came dangerously close as offensive coordinator at Oklahoma State in 2010, when the Big 12 South title was on the line. Additionally, the Big 12's top two passers, Geno Smith and Landry Jones, will go head to head for the first and only time in their careers. The last time West Virginia and Oklahoma played, the Mountaineers trounced the Sooners, 48-28, in the Fiesta Bowl behind Pat White, Noel Devine and Owen "Runaway Beer Truck" Schmitt.

          This year's game will have higher stakes for Oklahoma than West Virginia. If West Virginia wins, it could be very, very close to clinching the league. It finishes its Big 12 schedule with Iowa State and Kansas, who'll be picked to finish at the bottom of the Big 12. But Oklahoma?

          If the Mountaineers lose, there's still hope the Sooners could lose and give WVU a share of the title or more. Oklahoma must host rival Oklahoma State before finishing up with a trip to Fort Worth to face TCU. This will be a fun one, and definitely the game of the year in Morgantown. Will it be the game of the year in the Big 12? Time will tell.